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inov-8TM Challenge Series launches with Mark Bayliss tackling the Enduroman Arch to Arc triathlon

Created On: 12 July 2012

Mark Bayliss to attempt the challenge as the first person to complete without a wetsuit, as he goes for the record as well

inov-8^TM has announced the launch of the inov-8^TM Challenge Series - a campaign that will see committed athletes take on some of the toughest challenges in the world. The first challenge in the series will take place in September 2012 with Mark Bayliss undertaking the ultimate triathlon - the Enduroman Arch to Arc.

The Enduroman Arch to Arc triathlon involves a gruelling 87 mile run from Marble Arch in London to Dover, followed by a Channel swim from Dover to Calais, finishing with an epic 181 mile bike ride from Calais to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. In a world first, Mark Bayliss will attempt to become the only athlete to complete the Enduroman Arch to Arc challenge without the use of a wetsuit for the Channel swim.

Taking the wetsuit out of the equation, after such a long run, Mark will face a physiological challenge that none of the previous nine Arch to Arc competitors have had to endure.

Dr James Carter, UK Head of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, who has been helping Mark prepare a nutrition plan for the challenge said: ""Mark will have two additional challenges to deal with when swimming the Channel without a wetsuit. Firstly, his energy requirements will be increased because he will have to work harder to stay afloat; secondly, temperature regulation, namely preventing too great a drop in body temperature, will be made more difficult. Mark will feel colder and he will also lose heat quicker without the insulating properties of the wet suit. Previous competitors have worn a wet suit and this additional buoyancy and insulation would have helped conserve energy, maintain body temperature and, therefore, increased their chances of success".

In preparation of the event, Mark is undertaking a gruelling training regime where he will cover 3,000 kilometres running, 15,000 kilometres cycling and 2,000 kilometres swimming. Mark has already tackled some monumentally tough events which include the Jurassic Coast Challenge (78.6 mile run over three days), Human Race open water swim (10 kilometres) and a 200 mile bike ride.

Mark will continue his training this weekend, taking on the most gruelling session to date, a triathlon which is half the distance of the Arch to Arc. This will involve a 45 mile run around the Caterham area at night, followed by a 6 hour swim in Dover harbour and a 100 mile bike ride finishing in Caterham.

Mark Bayliss said: "It's been getting on for 10 years of working towards the Arch to Arc challenge, it's not been a short term plan. All the events and training I've done over the years have been about getting a step closer. It's gone from a mythical event, to a dream, to a reality and now it is right in front of me.  The training has been going very well and I'm really looking forward to finalising my preparation over the next few weeks and getting started from Marble Arch in September."

Prior to this challenge Mark, Director and Company Secretary at Wings Transport, has competed in hundreds of triathlons, represented England as a junior in Water Polo and Great Britain at youth level in Triathlon and Duathlon. Since 2007 he has swum the English Channel solo and also swum as part of a four person relay team (Croydon Amphibians Masters). He has competed in the Sri Chinmoy Lake Zurich Marathon Swim (26.4km) three times, raced two Ironman triathlons, 13 marathons and 10 ultras, including the Marathon des Sables. This year has already given him many challenges, and the biggest is still to come, the Enduroman Arch to Arc in September.

Commenting on the Mark Bayliss challenge, Eoin Treacy, European Marketing Manager for inov-8^TM said: "Mark is the ultimate committed athlete, and really encapsulates inov-8^TM's values of pushing the limits of performance. We are very proud to support Mark through his training and excited about his Arch to Arc challenge launching our inov-8^TM Challenge Series. We hope Mark's example will inspire many others to push themselves further in their performance."

In addition to just tackling the challenge Mark is also fundraising for SportsAid. SportsAid helps young British sportsmen and women to achieve their ambitions by supporting them during the defining early years of their careers. You can sponsor Mark now at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MarkBayliss .

For more information about the event and for further details about Mark's training go to www.facebook.com/INOV8run, follow @INOV8run or watch the latest footage at http://www.youtube.com/user/INOV8run. For more information about inov-8^TM products visit www.inov-8.com. 

In addition to inov-8^TM enabling this challenge, Mark is supported by Parlee Bicycles (www.parleecycles.com), Gatorade (www.Gatorade.co.uk), GB Cycles (www.gbcycles.co.uk) and Wings Transport (www.wingstransport.co.uk).