Racers pace through Fance, Italy and Switzerland

France, Italy and Switzerland are tourist destinations for most people in the United States, but for some they are places to run through and test the limits of their bodies.

One of those people is a professor of math at Central Washington University (CWU) who takes great pleasure in running ultra-marathons.

At the end of August Tim Englund ran through these countries, taking in the scenes and meeting people along the way.

“I started running when I got to Central,” Englund said. “There was a group of staff and I kind of got sucked in.”

An ultra-marathon is longer than a regular marathon and tests the limits of the athlete a little more. This ultra-marathon is fairly famous in the running world. It is called The North Face Ultra-Trail Du Mont-Blanc.

The race starts in Italy and carries over into France and Switzerland. In the 2009 race there were 2,300 participants that tested their endurance. All faced harsh conditions as they ran through the hills and valleys of these areas. Some of the climbs range from 3,000-5,000 feet and one of the major ones reaches 11,000 feet.

“[Night] was very cold. I forgot my jacket and gloves and ended up with hypothermia,” Englund said.

In order to drink, Englund had to use his wrists to bring the hose of his camel-pack up to his mouth.

There were two major passes that the runners had to go over. The temperature dropped to 40 degrees and there was fog and howling wind.

“There was nothing left to do but just get over and to the other side to get warm,” Englund said.

This was an unusual race for Englund. Just four-and-a-half months before the big race, he was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his femur and was forced off the pavement. Englund had to stick to swimming and biking for conditioning.

Despite the injury and the small break from running, Enlgund placed 86 out of the 2,300 people, which put him in the top 3 percent of the runners.

The race had a series of stops in small villages.

“Small little picturesque villages,” Englund said. “The people were three-deep on the sidewalks, cheering with cowbells.”

Englund described the fans and support like what you would see watching the Tour de France. He explained that while climbing up the mountain runners can see old farm houses with pastures of cows and sheep all wearing cowbells.

“I will always associate hearing a cowbell with that race,” Englund said.

This annual race tests how far someone can push themselves. Ultra-marathons are usually during the summer and runners can usually find at least one a month. As of now, Englund is recovering and saving up to do the race again next year.

“The race is there to put all your eggs in a basket. You never know,” Englund said. “You ask yourself, are you a finisher?”

Washington state even has a big race the same weekend at Snoqualmie called the Cascade Crest.