11 Apr Asics America Unveils Beat the Sun Roster
Asics America Corporation confirmed that Asics elite athletes and American marathon record holders Ryan Hall and Deena Kastor, along with speed skater Erben Wennemars will be among the expert athletes taking part in its Asics Beat the Sun challenge in Chamonix on June 21, 2016.
Hall, who holds the record for the fastest marathon by an American – sub 2:05 – is joined by 2004 Olympic marathon bronze medalist and American record holder Kastor and multiple World Champion Dutch sprint speed skater Wennemars.
Hall, Kastor and Wennemars are also joined by British marathon runner Matty Hynes and German extreme obstacle racer Charles Franzke. These athletes will face a new challenge as they are taken out of their comfort zones and attempt to transfer their skills and athleticism into running in the unfamiliar and testing conditions surrounding Mont Blanc.
Other athletes competing in the Asics Beat the Sun challenge are trail running legends American Megan Kimmel, Spaniard Pablo Villalobos, Brazilian Iaza Feitoza, Swede Jonas Buud, Italian Xavier Chevrier and Canadian David Le Porho. The experts will be teamed up with amateurs and allocated their intercontinental teams on the 25th May 2016.
Asics is giving 24 amateur runners the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to team up with these expert athletes as they attempt to “beat the sun” around Mont Blanc in the time between sunrise and sunset. The eight intercontinental teams (Europe North, South and Central, America North and South, Oceania, Asia and Africa) – each containing three amateur and three expert athletes – will have just 15 hours, 41 minutes and 35 seconds to cover the 130km course.