Pressemelding fra arrangøren
VM 24-timers 2007 arrangeres i franskspråklig Canada og all tidligere info har vært på fransk. Den etterfølgende pressemeldingen er på et språk som trolig enda flere forstår.
The 2007 24h World Challenge, an Elite Ultramarathon Race, Will be Held in Drummondville a First in North America!

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(CCNMatthews - May 30, 2006) - Drummondville will welcome the 2007 24H World Challenge, an international elite race, on July 28 and 29, 2007. It will be the first international ultramarathon competition and the first world championship of its kind in North America. The event will be presided over by Messrs. Richard and Stephane Garneau.

"We are very excited that the first 24H World Challenge in North America will be held in Quebec, in Drummondville," stated Mr. Michel Gouin, organizer of the 2007 24H World Challenge and elite ultramarathon athlete. "With the solid experience we have gained by organizing ultramarathon competitions since 2001 and the 12-Hour Canadian Championship which will also be held in Drummondville this fall, we have paved the way to hold a world championship here." Besides Canada, Argentina and Mexico were also contenders.

2007 24H World Challenge

The 24H World Challenge will take place on a 2.08-km city loop circuit in Drummondville. The ultramarathon competitors will run the loop almost non-stop for 24 hours, during which these elite runners will cover a distance of nearly 200 kilometres on foot. The best will run the equivalent of the distance between Montreal and Quebec City, some 250 kilometres.

More than 500 competitors are expected for the event, of which more than a third from 30 countries will participate in the world elite ultramarathon. Along with the 24-hour race, two 2- and 5-km races are open to beginner ultramarathon runners and to those who wish to take up a more attainable challenge.

"As a sports enthusiast, I am delighted to be associated with the ultramarathon, a discipline that requires exceptional endurance," stated Mr. Richard Garneau, honorary co-president of the 2007 24H World Challenge. "I have seen many athletes do their thing in a wide variety of sports throughout my career as a sports commentator, and an ultramarathon is really an extreme sport."

Ultramarathon, a Discipline Requiring Considerable Endurance

Running a marathon, a distance of 42 kilometres, is a feat in and of itself, but running six consecutive marathons in 24 hours is nearly impossible. But this is what elite athletes do as they begin at the starting line of a 24-hour ultramarathon. During this time, the ultramarathon runners aim to run the farthest distance in order to be crowned champion. They must also plan their running strategy to achieve the best possible performance, since pausing for a quick breather or stopping for a light meal could have an impact on the runners' standing.

An Exceptional Athlete

Michel Gouin has been on the international ultramarathon circuit for the last seven years. He holds the Guinness record for 7 days on a treadmill, where he covered a distance of 669.16 kilometres in 168 hours. He has also run 10 marathons in under 3 hours. And in 2004, he ran across Canada, 6,911.1 kilometres between Victoria B.C. and Halifax NS in 146 days, for the Children's Wish Foundation of Canada.

The 2007 24H World Challenge will be held in Drummondville on July 28 and 29, 2007. The race will start on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and will end the following day at the same time. Event-related activities will begin on July 25, 2007. The city circuit will allow spectators to come encourage the runners throughout the entire race. More information about the Championship is available at www.michelgouin.com.