The North Face Endurance Challenge Championships Brings World-Class Runners to San Francisco

DENVER, Nov. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Now in its thirteenth year, The North Face Endurance Challenge hosted nearly 5,000 runners over the course of two days and seven distances. The event boasted a $30,000 prize purse for top finishers, magnificent views of the Pacific coastline and an incredible field of elite runners from around the world including Kara Goucher, Clare Gallagher, Dylan Bowman, Matt Daniels, and Rob Krar, among others.

Leading the women's 50 Mile, California's YiOu Wang took first overall with a time of 7:21:57, putting her 17 minutes ahead of the pack. Anne-Marie Madden of Canada placed second at 7:28:03, followed closely by Colorado's Addie Bracy who finished just 30 seconds behind Anne-Marie at 7:39:31.

On the men's side, Frenchman Sebastien Spehler pushed through muscle pain and cramping to take home first with a time of 6:27:13. In second, Darren Thomas, who recently moved from Colorado to California, finished with a time of 6:32:37. Only three minutes behind Thomas, Thibaurt Garrivier of France placed third with a time of 6:35:06.

This year's women's trail marathon also saw stand-out results and a first-time trail runner in first place. Accomplished Track and Field athlete, Lauren Johnson, completed her first trail marathon over the weekend with an incredible 21-minute lead at 3:27:39. Johnson was followed by Colorado's Lindsay Allison with a time of 3:48:28 and California-based athlete, Nina Carson, at 4:00:10.

This year's 50 Mile Challenge also included a first-of-its-kind Pro Team Race in which the top athletes from different brands competed for the best average 50-mile times. The results of the Pro Team Races were based on the lowest average times of the top two finishes. The Pro Team Races included men's, women's and co-ed teams from The North Face, Salomon, Altra, Hoka, Adidas, Brooks, Nike, and RunRabbit.

Salomon athletes, Sebastien Spehler and Darren Thomas led the men's team with an average time of 6:29:55 while Adidas TERREX atletes, Abby Hall and Abigail Levene secured first in the female race with an average time of 7:50:37. Salomon also secured first in the co-ed competition in which Spehler and Anne-Marie Madden averaged 7:02:38.

About The North Face®
The North Face, a division of VF Outdoor, LLC, was founded in 1966 with the goal of preparing outdoor athletes for the rigors of their next adventure. Today we are the world's leading outdoor brand, creating athlete-tested, expedition-proven products that help people explore and test the limits of human potential. We protect our outdoor playgrounds and minimize our impact on the planet through programs that encourage sustainability. The North Face products are available at premium and specialty retail sporting goods stores globally and is headquartered in Colorado. For more information, please visit www.thenorthface.com.

Media contact:
Liina Potter
The North Face 
(925) 895-3786
[email protected] 

SOURCE The North Face

Related Links

http://www.thenorthface.com