Local endurance runner Stuart Cole gave exactly the same answer when asked why he decided to compete in this weekend’s North Face 100km trail run.

For most people the thought of running a marathon represents nothing but pain, shortness of breath, and sore limbs for weeks afterwards.

Imagine running two of them consecutively – and just for fun running another half-marathon to warm down.

Imagine all that running – 100km of it – takes place in some of the most difficult and mountainous terrain in the entire country.

Stuart will line up in the event on Saturday, and will endeavour to cover the distance inside the 30 hour cut-off, and if possible, inside the 20 hour barrier in which successful athletes get a commemorative belt for their trouble.

“I have been doing distance runs for a few years. I ran a 100km flat track event at the Gold Coast a few years ago, and a mate of mine earlier this year let me know about this [The North Face] and challenged me to have a go,” Cole said. “It does sound pretty terrifying. I’ve had a pretty detailed look at the course description and map.

“You take off from the Fairmount Resort in Katoomba, and after about six kilometres you go down about 800 stairs and onto a path beneath the Three Sisters, and back up another 800 stairs.”

Cole said at one point – a mere 64kms into the run, athletes run up 1600 stairs near Echo Point, and during the course of the race will actually climb the equivalent of halfway up Mount Everest.

Even the downhill parts are no fun, with the impact of step after step shattering runners’ quad muscles and calves.

“My wife and I are currently renovating and changing business so training has been a bit different,” he said. “I try and go on one long run each week. I ran the Six Foot Track in March, and did a 50km run over about six hours with my wife in April, and a three-and-three-quarter hour run this week to try and taper down a little.”

Cole said his goal is to simply not stop throughout the race – he knows a lot of it will have to be walked, but he has no intentions of pulling over for a spell.

“I will walk a lot, especially on the uphill parts, but I don’t want to have to stop for a sleep,” he said. “I can run the entirety of the Six Foot Track run which is 45km, but not this. I want to beat the 20-hour mark, but if all else fails, I can always stop for a break and get back inside the 30-hour cut-off.”

Cole said he expects to lose several kilos during the race but the distance is so enormous that he will simply have to ensure he eats plenty along the way.

He first got involved in distance running in 2000 when a pre-Olympic marathon was held in Sydney to test the course.

“The same mate who challenged me to do The North Face asked me if I’d have a go and I’ve been doing it since then,” he said.“Don’t get me wrong, I’m the world’s biggest mug-runner and I never run near the front or have any thoughts of winning, I just enter to complete the event,” he said. “No way would I consider myself a good runner. I just plod along and get to the end.”

Another Bathurst athlete will be involved – Andrew Crowley will take part in the teams event with a runner Lithgow. Crowley will run 50km of the event, still an arduous and gruelling proposition.