Dean Karnazes Endurance 50

Okay, I’ve been getting bombarbed with ads for Dean Karnazes’ Endurance 50 event ( http://www.endurance50.com ). In case you haven’t heard about it, here’s the scoop: Dean, aka Ultra Marathon Man, is going to run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. He’s inviting regular folks to join him. A few of the marathons are official events; but most are mock marathons, where he’ll run the course of an official marathon but not on the official day.

“You, Dean Karnazes, and a small number of other athletes will run the entire 26.2 mile certified route of a classic marathon course, complete with a rolling road closure, vehicle escort, and aid-station support. Dean is aiming to complete each marathon in a time of 4:30 to 5:00 hours, which translates into a 10:00 minute to 11:40 minute per mile pace. You must register and start with Dean to participate but, if you need to pull off at any point you may, so long as you understand that you are responsible for your own safety and transportation once you leave the course.

While you can run an ?ordinary? marathon any time, there will never be another chance to join Dean Karnazes in The North Face Endurance 50 expedition. Be a part of sports history and sign up today!”

Can someone explain the appeal of paying $100 for this? Sure, Dean Karnazes is inspiring, but $100 bucks to run a mock marathon at a slow pace? Uh, I could run a freakin’ marathon at a slow pace all by myself…I don’t need Ultra Marathon Man’s help with that!