"Ultra Marathon Man" by Dean Karnazes, book cover.

Friday, June 8, 2007 - "Dean Karnazes might just be the fittest man in the world," writes Men’s Fitness magazine. More than just an accomplished ultra-endurance runner, The North FaceŽ-sponsored Karnazes is a passionate adventure athlete who is as comfortable surfing the massive breakers of Northern California as he is running 100 miles through the mountains. Recently hailed by Time Magazine as "one of the Top 100 most influential people in the world," the internationally recognized runner is also a snowboarder, mountain biker, surfer, and tri-athlete. His body-pounding feats include running 350 continuous miles, mountain biking for 24 hours straight, swimming across San Francisco Bay, running a marathon to the South Pole, and undertaking The North FaceŽ Endurance 50, in which he ran 50 marathons in 50 days, covering all 50 United States of America (www.endurance50.com).

Karnazes and his remarkable adventures have been featured on several media outlets, including The Late Show with David Letterman, CNN Headline News, and ESPN. He has been featured in Newsweek, People, GQ, and The Chicago Tribune. Runner’s World calls Dean: "the ultimate ultrarunning specimen," and Outside magazine refers to him as the: "quintessential ultramarathoner."

This summer, fans across the European continent will get a chance to meet Karnazes, at his book-signing and media tour, presented by The North FaceŽ. Karnazes’ recent book, Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, is already a bestseller and has been translated into nine languages. In the book, the 44-year old endurance athlete chronicles how he has pushed his body beyond the limits of human tolerance. The book’s explorations of motivation and determination reach many types of readers, not just runners.

The summer book tour will visit the following European cities:

• 4 July -- Madrid -- The North FaceŽ retail store Calle de Velazquez 35
• 5 July -- Milan -- Messaggerie Musicali Galleria del Corso 2
• 6 July -- Rome -- The North FaceŽ retail store via delle Convertite 22/23
• 8 Aug -- London -- The North FaceŽ retail store 30/32 Southampton street Covent Garden
• 9 Aug -- Munich -- The North FaceŽ retail store Sendlinger Strasse 11

Karnazes will also be present at the Grand Opening of The North Face store in Cortina, Italy on August 11 where he will greet special guests and media, conduct interviews and sign autographs. His European tour will close with his participation August 24-26 in The North Face Ultra Trail Tour du Mont Blanc, a 163 km ultra marathon along the famous Tour du Mt Blanc trail circling the highest peak in all of Europe and crossing three different countries (France-Italy-Switzerland).

This autumn Karnazes will host The North FaceŽ Endurance Challenge Series in locations across the United States. The North Face Endurance Challenge welcomes runners of all levels, from the elite to the enthusiast, who want to push their personal boundaries, and offers an array of distances, from 10 km to 50 miles. Regional 50-mile champions will take home $1,000 and a trip to The Endurance Challenge Championship in San Francisco, California, in December, where $10,000 will go to the top male and female endurance athletes.

When he’s not competing, Karnazes works closely with The North FaceŽ Research Design & Development team. He was involved in the development of the new Arnuva line of running footwear, including the The North Face Arnuva 50 Boa.

Karnazes lives near San Francisco, California, with his wife and two children. In addition to being a dedicated endurance athlete, he is a tireless advocate for healthy, active living.