The North Face

Mar 06 | Soul Runners - Lake District, UK

By The North Face

Tim Kemple, expedition photographer for The North Face, gives his perspective on shooting our running athletes in the Cumbria Lake District, UK this past summer:


I live my life out of duffel bags. Not for lack of cleanliness or want of clean clothing -- I'm a photographer and film maker, and I spend my year traveling the globe with the world's best outdoor athletes. Without question one of the highlights of my year is working with The North Face Running Team. In pursuit of capturing the most authentic running images possible, I've seen the highest of highs: Jez Bragg, Lizzy Hawker, Mike Wolfe, Hal Koerner, Nikki Kimball, Tracy Garneu and others winning at races around the world, hiking for hours into the Patagonian backcountry to be in the right place to capture early morning training runs, and the sunrise on the Amazon River during the Jungle Marathon. I've also seen the lows: Kami Semick barely able to walk after suffering hypothermia during the CCC, Lizzy Hawker's race-ending crashes (into trees, logs, boulders and more), and the endless list of injuries that have sidelined some of the world’s best running athletes -- people that I now call best friends.

 

What makes shooting with The North Face Running Team so badass is two things. First, the locations. Where others would go to the treadmill and the studio to capture images of the newest gear in action, we get to travel to all ends of the globe. Real places that have races, a deep running history, and heritage. For example, we once did a shoot for a week in the jungles of Brazil during the Jungle Marathon. Yup... packed with crocodiles, giant wasps, and enough heat to bake a potato. The second is the athletes. We don't use models but instead take athletes from the team with us and often hike for miles to meet them on their training runs in just the right place. They help point us to the trails they love to run -- and when we get there, their passion for running and focus is unparalleled.

 

This past summer we traveled to the Fells of the UK Lake District - the place that people claim is the birth place of modern day trail running. Here the dirt paths are plentiful (albeit they tend to go straight up or straight down), the weather is dynamic, and the views spectacular. Jez Bragg toured us around the trails of the classic 60 mile Fellsman Race (a race he won in 2011) as well as some of his personal favorite training runs in the area. Below are some of the images we captured and some behind-the-scenes shots. I hope you enjoy.

 

Tim Kemple

Tim Kemple has been an expedition photographer for The North Face for the last 6 years.
View the full Lake District album on The North Face Facebook Page
Browse the spring 2012 running collection at TheNorthFace.com

Sebastien Chaigneau and Kami Semick running along Dodd Fell.


Tracy Garneau and Jez Bragg along the way to the top of Robinson Fell

Dodd Fell


Making Video


Matt and Pig


Seb and Tracy

Jun 27 | The North Face Endurance Running Team Dominates Western States

By The North Face

The North Face global athlete team dominated the winner’s podium following the 100-Mile Western States Endurance Run 2011, which took place June 25 – 26. Although, the athletes crossed the finished line after first place finishers, The North Face team earned six of the top 10 podiums spots in one of the world’s most prestigious ultramarathons.

The North Face endurance runner Mike Wolfe of Bozeman, MT was the first American finisher and took second place (15:38) in the men’s field in his Western States debut, finishing just four minutes behind winner Killian Jornet of Spain. Wolfe was followed by his fellow team members Jez Bragg of the UK in fourth (15:55) and Tsuyoshi Kaburaki of Japan in fifth (16:04).

 
Kami Semick of Bend, OR (18:17), who finished third at the historic Comrades Marathon in South Africa earlier this month, finished in second place in the women’s field, just seconds before The North Face team member and three-time Western States champion Nikki Kimball (18:17). Western States 2010 Champion Tracy Garneau of Canada (11:22) finished fourth, running 45 minutes faster than her winning time just one year ago. Rory Bosio of Soda Springs, CA (18:37) finished fifth, rounding out the top finishers.

 
The North Face field team members Ian Sharman (16:40) and Helen Cospolich (20:44) also had notable races, finishing tenth and eleventh respectively.

The notoriously rugged course traversing the Sierra Nevada mountains was adjusted this year because of late snowfall, which forced runners to contend with 12 miles on hard packed snow, climb 2,250 vertical feet, battle temperatures in the 80s and 90s through sierra canyons, and face down the local wildlife.  Several runners, including Semick and Kimball, were held up for as much as seven minutes due to safety concerns over a bear and her cub that runners spotted on the course about two miles from the finish.

 
In addition to The North Face global endurance events such as The North Face Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc and Ultra Maratón de Los Andes, several members of The North Face Endurance Team will be running in The North Face Endurance Challenge in Kansas City, MO, Madison, WI, Atlanta, GA, and San Francisco, CA. For information on The North Face Endurance Team and where they’ll be next, head to www.thenorthface.com or www2.thenorthface.com/endurance.

Jun 30 | NCM TRIVIA - JUNE 30

By The North Face

Thanks to everyone who played in this week's National Camping Month trivia contest via Twitter (twitter.com/thenorthface). The correct answers are below.

 

· Which TNF athlete became the first Canadian to ever win Western States last weekend? Tracy Garneau

· What TNF product is our athletes’ fave and won a Gold Award from @BackpackerMag? Base Camp Duffel

· In addition to San Francisco and New York, what city also boasts a TNF Urban Nature Guide? Denver

 

Congrats to @larar, who won an ultimate camping kit! Follow her here: twitter.com/larar

 

Throughout National Camping Month, June 2010, we gave away five ultimate camping setups, including a tent, sleeping bag and duffel, via Twitter (twitter.com/thenorthface). The giveaways took place by way of trivia questions every Wednesday in June.

Happy Camping!

 

 

 

Jun 29 | Tracy Garneau Wins, Nikki Kimball Takes Third At Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run

By The North Face

The North Face Global Team athlete Tracy Garneau took first place, women, in the 100-Mile Western States Endurance Run 2010, which took place June 26 – 27, 2010. She won with a time of 19:01:55, and is the first Canadian to ever win the race. The North Face teammate and three time Western States 100 champion, Nikki Kimball, took a strong third place with a time of 19:23:09.

 

Her first time running the race, Garneau ran steady from the start. A fan of downhill, she took the first climb in stride and knew after the first grueling snow-covered uphill, she could focus on the rest of the race, confident that she could keep her place. At mile 10, Garneau hurt her left Achilles tendon and ran out the next few miles on the tip toes of her foot.

 

“It was four years in the making getting to Western States,” Garneau said. “The buckle was most important to me – getting that silver belt buckle. I didn’t let myself know I had it [the first place finish] until I stepped in to the stadium.”

 

Garneau crossed the finish line at 12:01 AM to a full crowd of cheering and support from her team and crew members. Close friends since running the Brazil Jungle Marathon together in 2009, Kimball and Garneau were ready to tackle the 100.2 mile course in the Sierras, with Kimball giving Garneau tips and encouragement. This is Kimball’s fifth time running Western States and her fifth top-five finish.

 

“Nikki had more confidence in me than I did,” Garneau said. “She told me that if ‘she didn’t win, than I needed to win.’ She was amazing to me.”

 

The course started at 6,200 feet in Squaw Valley, California, leading runners up a climb of 2,550 vertical feet in the first 4.5 miles to Emigrant Pass at 8,750 feet. The majority of the trail passes through remote and rugged territory, accessible only to horses, hikers and helicopters. Following the original trails used by the miners of the 1850s, the course travels west, climbing another 15,540 feet and descending 22,970 feet to end in Auburn, California, at 100.2 miles. The heat reached above 90 degrees, with intermittent winds of up to 9 mph.

 

“100 miles is brutal,” said Garneau. “If you really want it you have to go for it. It’s not without sacrifice, but anything is possible.”

 

Garneau and Kimball will be competing in the Canadian Death Race July 30. Garneau will also be running the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc on August 27. Kimball is slated to run the Transrockies Run on August 22, and the Bear 100 on September 24.

 

In addition to The North Face global endurance events such as The North Face Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc and Ultra Maratón de Los Andes, several members of The North Face Endurance Team will be running in The North Face Endurance Challenge in Madison, Wisconsin, Atlanta, Georgia, and San Francisco, California. For more information about The North Face global endurance events check out www.thenorthface.com/endurancechallenge.

 

 

Tracy Garneau at mile 60. Western States 2010. (c)Tim Kemple
 

 

 

Dec 07 | The North Face Endurance Challenge Championships Dec 5

By The North Face

A crisp, beautiful day graced The North Face Endurance Challenge Championships which took place this past Saturday, December 5, 2009, in the Marin Headlands, just outside of San Francisco, California.

In its third year, the  Endurance Challenge is a nationwide series featuring four course lengths - 10K, Half Marathon, 50K and 50-Mile – designed to push people to run farther than they ever have. The winners of the 50 Mile at the Championships take home $10,000.

50 Mile Championship Results
Men
1. Uli Steidl - 06:33:30
2. Geoff Roes - 06:40:51
3. Chris Lundstrom - 06:48:08

Women
1. Caitlin Smith - 07:38:08
2. Joelle Vaught - 07:53:39
3. Tracy Garneau - 08:02:17

Full results are available at www.thenorthface.com/endurancechallenge. If you missed the play by play by iRunFar - the unofficial Twitterer of the event (he is the only lucky one that had cell reception), feel free to check it out at www.twitter.com/iRunFar

Oct 15 | Brazil Jungle Marathon Update

By The North Face

We just heard from The North Face team in Brazil at the Brazil Jungle Marathon. Nikki Kimball, Tracy Garneau and Mike Wolfe are rocking the grueling 200K course.

Nikki and Tracy have been running together so far, finishing roughly a half an hour ahead of the next woman each day. It's speculated they have a two hour lead right now. Both Nikki and Tracy are feeling really strong, and are becoming crowd favorites, with race crew members and locals cheering them on as they wrap up each day. Both are in the top ten as of this posting.

Mike has been running in the top three each day, switching off lead with South Africa's Ryan Sandes. Mike took a time hit on day one with a violation (no details yet) and lost half an hour, but reports show he is steadily making it up, predicted to finish in the top three if he keeps his current pace.

Today is the long stage, about 80K, so it will be a challenging one. From our photo team on location: "This thing is a killer!"

A good race report can be found in today's article from The Times Live: http://bit.ly/4w0gTl