The North Face Athlete Lizzy Hawker, Places First at Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc

The North Face® Athlete, Elizabeth Hawker, Places First at The North 

Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc®

Tuesday September 2^nd 2008:  The North Face®, the world’s premier supplier of authentic, innovative and technically advanced outdoor apparel, equipment and footwear, today announced that Elizabeth Hawker, one of the brand’s endurance athletes, won 1st place in the women’s division at The North Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont- Blanc®

For the 6th annual event, over 2,300 competitors from nearly 60 different nations left the starting line in Chamonix, France on the afternoon of Friday, August 29.

Outrunning all her adversaries, Elizabeth “Lizzy” Hawker, the English powerhouse completed her exploit on Saturday evening, shortly before 8pm, with a time of 25h19:41.

Lizzy entered her first ultra-run in 2005 and surprised herself and the world with her success. In the past few years she has earned a place amongst the ultra-running elite, with achievements that include a Gold Medal and becoming World Champion at the 2006 100km World  Championships.  She has also achieved 1st Place at The North Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc® in 2005 and 1st Place at the 2006, 2007 and 2008 Zermatt Marathons where she set a course record in 2007.  Not only a formidable athlete, Lizzy also earned her PhD in Polar 

Oceanography during 2005.

In 2007, she won the premiere Mountain Marathon Cup, a circuit of alpine marathons with one comprehensive final ranking. And in October, Lizzy and her British teammate, Stephen Pyke, broke a world record by running from Everest Base Camp to Kathmandu in just over three days -  and only a few days after Lizzy and her teammates had reached the summit of the stunningly beautiful mountain of Ama Dablam.

Beginning and ending in Chamonix, the 6th annual The North Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc®

was held August 29-30. The epic course covered 166 kilometres and over 9,400 meters of total elevation change. Taking place mostly on remote backcountry trails, some with considerable exposure, the course circled the Mont Blanc massif through three countries—France, Italy 

and Switzerland.

About The North Face®  

The North Face, a division of VF Outdoor, Inc., was founded in 1968. Headquartered in San Leandro, California, the company offers the most technically advanced products in the market to accomplished climbers, mountaineers, snowsport athletes, endurance athletes, and explorers. The company's products are sold in specialty mountaineering, backpacking, running, and snowsport retailers, premium-sporting goods retailers and major outdoor specialty retail chains. Additional information about The North Face® can be found on the company's website, www.thenorthface.com.