inov-8 has launched the inov-8 Challenge Series – a campaign that will see committed athletes take on some of the toughest challenges in the world.
The first challenge in the series will take place in September 2012 with Mark Bayliss undertaking the Enduroman Arch to Arc.
The Arch to Arc involves an 87-mile run from Marble Arch in London to Dover, followed by a Channel swim from Dover to Calais, finishing with a 181-mile bike ride from Calais to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
In a world first, Mark Bayliss will attempt to become the only athlete to complete the Enduroman Arch to Arc challenge without the use of a wetsuit for the Channel swim.
Taking the wetsuit out of the equation, after such a long run, Mark will face a physiological challenge that none of the previous nine Arch to Arc competitors have had to endure.
Dr James Carter, UK Head of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, who has been helping Mark prepare a nutrition plan for the challenge, said: “Mark will have two additional challenges to deal with when swimming the Channel without a wetsuit. Firstly, his energy requirements will be increased because he will have to work harder to stay afloat. Secondly, temperature regulation, namely preventing too great a drop in body temperature, will be made more difficult. Mark will feel colder and he’ll also lose heat quicker without the insulating properties of the wetsuit.”
In preparation of the event, Mark is undertaking a training regime where he’ll cover 3,000km running, 15,000km cycling and 2,000km swimming.
Mark has already tackled some monumentally tough events, which include the Jurassic Coast Challenge (78.6-mile run over three days), Human Race open-water swim (10km) and a 200-mile bike ride.
Mark will continue his training this weekend, taking on the most gruelling session to date, a triathlon which is half the distance of the Arch to Arc. This will involve a 45-mile run around the Caterham area at night, followed by a 6hr swim in Dover harbour and a 100-mile bike ride finishing in Caterham.
Mark Bayliss said: “It’s been getting on for 10 years of working towards the Arch to Arc challenge – it’s not been a short-term plan. All the events and training I’ve done over the years have been about getting a step closer.
“It’s gone from a mythical event, to a dream, to a reality and now it is right in front of me. The training has been going very well and I’m really looking forward to finalising my preparation over the next few weeks and getting started from Marble Arch in September.”
Commenting on the Mark Bayliss challenge, Eoin Treacy, European Marketing Manager for inov-8, said: “Mark is the ultimate committed athlete, and really encapsulates inov-8’s values of pushing the limits of performance. We’re very proud to support Mark through his training and excited about his Arch to Arc challenge launching our inov-8TM Challenge Series. We hope Mark’s example will inspire many others to push themselves further in their performance.”
In addition to just tackling the challenge, Mark is also fundraising for SportsAid. SportsAid helps young British sportsmen and women to achieve their ambitions by supporting them during the defining early years of their careers. You can sponsor Mark now at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MarkBayliss.
For more information about the event and for further details about Mark’s training go to www.facebook.com/INOV8run, follow @INOV8run or watch the latest footage at http://www.youtube.com/user/INOV8run. For more information about inov-8TM products visit www.inov-8.com.
In addition to inov-8TM enabling this challenge, Mark is supported by Parlee Bicycles (www.parleecycles.com), Gatorade (www.Gatorade.co.uk), GB Cycles (www.gbcycles.co.uk) and Wings Transport (www.wingstransport.co.uk).
