Renowned outdoor endurance athlete Frank Fumich will race in the debut event of the O2X Summit Challenge Series (www.O2X.com) on Mt. Ellen at Sugarbush Resort on September 13-14, 2014.

Fumich is known worldwide for his running adventures, and made recent headlines with a running partner for covering 450 miles over 5 consecutive days from Washington, DC, to Boston: and raising more than $80,000 for Boston Marathon bombing victims and their families along the way. His endurance resume includes more than 20 marathons in 2012-13, as well as the Western States 100, the Molokai-to-Oahu World Championship paddle race, and traveling to the North Pole. He is currently training for a quintuple Ironman (12 mile swim, 336 mile bike, 131 mile run) in Oct 2014.

“O2X Summit Challenges are designed for athletes of all levels, from weekend hikers to endurance specialists like Frank,” said Gabriel Gomez, co-founder of 02X Summit Challenges. “This is truly a new concept in endurance races, and we’re excited to see how Frank enjoys the course, the experience and the community we are creating.”

The 2014 O2X Summit Challenge calendar includes events at Sugarbush, Vermont (Sept. 13-14), Sunday River, Maine (Sept. 27-28), Loon Mountain, NH (Oct. 18-19) and Windham NY (Oct. 25-26).

02X Summit Challenges blend trail running and creative natural challenges with a spectacular summit finish. The O2X Summit Challenge at Sugarbush will feature two different race courses for different fitness levels – a Single Diamond route gaining 1,000 net vertical feet, and a Double Diamond route gaining 2,000 vertical feet. The course routes will blend single-track trails, access roads, glades and open slopes, and will be unveiled 90 days prior to the race start.

The launch venue of Sugarbush’s Mt. Ellen (4,083 feet) is one of four peaks in Vermont over 4,000 feet, and is known for spectacular summit views, proximity to the Long Trail, and a colorful history of year-round alpine adventure.

At the Mt. Ellen O2X Summit Challenge – as with all O2X events – a weekend-long “BaseCamp” will blend on-site camping, scheduled nature hikes for friends and spectators, training-and-performance exhibits, and a farmer’s market-inspired gathering of local fare.  It will also include a first-of-a-kind “remediation commitment” from race organizers to leave each venue better than they found it, and the introduction of an innovative partnership with 1% for the Planet (www.onepercentfortheplanet.org), a spotlight advocacy partner of O2X Summit Challenges.

The registration fee of $120 per event includes parking, insurance, processing fees and bag drop. Camping is the sole option, with a $60/night charge for a four-person tent rental ($15/camper), or a $30/night charge for campsite only. For more information, please visit O2X.com or go to facebook.com/O2Xchallenges.

Logo courtesy O2X Summit Challenge Series