'LIVE! With Regis and Kelly' Announces 'Regis & Kelly's Run Across America with Dean Karnazes'

 

NEW YORK, Feb. 3, 2011 --

On today's "LIVE! with Regis and Kelly," hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa announced the popular morning talk show's most ambitious undertaking yet.  LIVE is teaming up with ultramarathon runner, author and motivator Dean Karnazes for "Regis & Kelly's Run Across America with Dean Karnazes," a coast-to-coast challenge designed to inspire Americans to get up, get active and get healthy.

Beginning in Southern California on February 25 with a spectacular kick-off event at The Disneyland Resort that will be broadcast that morning on LIVE, Karnazes will undertake the unthinkable: he'll run nearly 3,000 miles, averaging an unbelievable 40-50 miles daily, nearly the equivalent of two marathons every day.  From California, he'll make his way cross-country through the Southwest, passing through Arizona and New Mexico on his way to America's Heartland.  After running through Kansas, Missouri, Indianapolis and Ohio, he'll head down to the nation's capital, then travel north through Maryland and Pennsylvania, before completing his journey in mid-May when he runs into LIVE's New York City studio, live on the air.

In addition to sending an important message about health and fitness, the run also will benefit Action for Healthy Kids®, the nation's leading nonprofit and largest volunteer network fighting childhood obesity and undernourishment. Action for Healthy Kids helps schools become healthier places and teaches kids to eat right, be active every day and ready to learn.

As he runs, LIVE's viewers will follow Karnazes' challenges and triumphs as he takes on an amazing feat few athletes would attempt.  LIVE will cover Karnazes every step of the way, with regular live and taped video updates from the run.  Karnazes also will maintain an on-going blog on the LIVE website, and tweet messages and photos from the road so viewers can keep track of his incredible odyssey.  In many cities, there will be organized "Run with Dean" 5k events in which local runners can join the ultramarathoner and be a part of his extraordinary cross-country trek.  All proceeds from the 5k events will benefit Action for Healthy Kids and their efforts.

Three key partners have joined LIVE and Karnazes to make "Regis & Kelly's Run Across America with Dean Karnazes" possible.  In conjunction with its Way to Well Commitment, Walgreens will provide health checks for Karnazes as he makes his way from California to New York and provide wellness supplies for the three-month run.  Eucerin is partnering with LIVE to build awareness of their "Skin First" mission, by encouraging people across the country to make skincare an essential part of their daily healthcare routines, as well as providing skincare tips and advice to viewers throughout the duration of the run.  And as Karnazes journeys mile-by-mile across the country, OnStar will provide GM vehicles equipped with its full range of services, keeping Karnazes and his team connected and safe at all times.

"We first got to know Dean when he tried to break a world record on our show, running more than 211 miles on a treadmill over a 48-hour period.  The entire staff was amazed and inspired by him," said Michael Gelman, Executive Producer, "LIVE! with Regis and Kelly."  "This is an incredible opportunity for us, to be working with a role model like Dean Karnazes on such a positive effort:  encouraging fitness, fighting against childhood obesity, and hopefully inspiring our viewers to live healthier lives."

"America needs to reclaim its health," noted Karnazes. "LIVE is bringing light to this critical situation and I am glad to be part of it.  Let's run!"

"With more than 30% of children in this country overweight or obese we're fighting a serious childhood obesity epidemic. We have to get our children eating well and moving more," said Rob Bisceglie, Executive Director of Action for Healthy Kids. "That's why we're thrilled to be working with 'LIVE! with Regis and Kelly' on Dean Karnazes' cross-country adventure. It's a fantastic way to highlight the importance and benefits of physical activity."  

About Dean Karnazes

An internationally recognized endurance athlete and New York Times bestselling author, Dean Karnazes (www.UltramarathonMan.com) has pushed his body and mind to inconceivable limits.  TIME magazine named him as one of the "Top 100 Most Influential People in the World," Men's Fitness hailed him as the fittest man on the planet and he was the winner of the 2008 ESPY Award for "Best Outdoor Athlete."

Among his many accomplishments, he has run 350 continuous miles, foregoing sleep for three nights. He's run across Death Valley in 120-degree temperatures, and run a marathon to the South Pole in negative 40 degrees. On ten different occasions, he's run a 200-mile relay race solo, racing alongside teams of twelve. His long list of competitive achievements include winning the world's toughest footrace, the Badwater Ultramarathon, running 135 miles nonstop across Death Valley during the middle of summer.  His most recent endeavor was running 50 marathons, in all 50 US states, in 50 consecutive days, finishing with the NYC Marathon, which he ran in three hours flat.

As an author, his first book was Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner.  His 50-marathon feat was the basis for 50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days -- and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance!  And on March 1, Rodale Books will publish Run! 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss, Karnazes's new inspirational memoir, told in 26.2 chapters that take readers inside the heart and mind of someone who pushes himself to the limits of physical achievement.