Air Canada stepped in at last minute after finding out Mike Buss (The Running Man) had lost two of his sponsors that were financing his flight to get to his first endurance challenge this year in Canada due to them becoming bankrupt.

Mike said “it had become such a stressful time! every penny that will be donated from this charity challenge I am embarking on was reliant on me getting to Canada to start the first leg of my toughest challenge ever”

Air Canada hear about the plea and decided to support Mike by flying him out to Whitehorse where he will be competing in the toughest footrace on the Planet, the 6633 Arctic Ultra which will see him run 120miles in the Arctic Circle in temperatures as low as -70degrees C.
It is a self sufficient race where all competitors will have to carry and pull behind them in sleds around 60lbs of kit to survive in the Arctic wasteland.

Air Canada will then fly Mike safely back to London on the 24th March just in time for his second leg of this Endurance challenge dubbed Beyond the Impossible Run, where he will then join fresh legged competitors flying out to Morocco to run the Marathon des Sables, a 256km footrace across the Sahara Desert in temperatures of +40degrees C.

When asked how he thinks he will fair coming from a 120mile footrace in -70degrees C to desert conditions of +40degrees with no time for acclimatisation, Mike answered “Honestly I dont know, Ive been in these two very different terrains and climates during my Army Career, but never back to back so this really is going to be an experience to remember! I found out that I am going top become the first person in the world to have ever attempted running an ultra in the Arctic and then back to back with a desert ultra so I have no one to even get advice from”.

This Arctic Desert back to back Ultra is to become a new world record when Mike confidently crosses the finish line of the Marathon des Sables (MdS).

Mike went on to say, this challenge has become the Run Beyond Impossible for many reasons beyond the actual physical challenge… I am one guy doing all the research, preping, getting all the kit, testing it, training, doing the PR its been the most emotional journey that has broken me several times to tears and dispare, is it on? Is it off? Kit not fitting, not turning up on time… I watch Steve Cracknell & Ben Fogals Arctic Challenge and think they had such a team behind the scenes and they still ran in to major problems before the race, so for me to get this off the ground on my own is overwealming”

The Kit alone for this challenge has been a big headache, clothing and equipment for two such extreme condition races includes compression clothing, a specially designed sled, extreme expedition arctic clothing lightweight equipment specially designed for desert racing and expedition and even the trainers Mike will be using provided by UK Gear have been designed to each climate, one pair designed for desert and heat and the other especially designed to survive in -22degrees C, the only running shoe in the world designed to do this.

Now with only less than a week before Mike heads of to Canada, Mike can now finally sit back and relax ready for the challenge of his life…

Run Beyond Impossible will see Mike take on the following Challenges in 2011

120mile 6633 Arctic Ultra (18th March)
Marathon des Sables (1st April)
London Marathon (world record attempt carrying weight)
9 more world running endurance records by December 2011 including running the greatest distance whilst on fire.