Ozturk and Hawker Named National Geographic Adventurers of The Year

Touting accomplishments that include completing the Tooth Traverse in Alaska and holding the women’s world record for distance running in a 24-hour period with 153.5 miles, The North Face Global Team athletes Renan Ozturk and Elizabeth “Lizzy” Hawker were named Adventurer of the Year by National Geographic on Friday, Nov. 2. Along with the honor, the two are now also in the running for the National Geographic Adventurer of the Year People’s Choice Award.

For seven years National Geographic has awarded Adventurers of the Year to people chosen for extraordinary achievement in exploration, conservation, and adventure sports. Previous athletes from The North Face global athlete team honored as Adventurers of the Year include Cory Richards, Diane Van Deren and Alex Honnold.

In 2012, Ozturk continued on his life’s journey of adventuring when he traveled to Ruth Gorge in Alaska in order to complete “The Tooth Traverse,” a five-mile span of Alaskan peaks. Ozturk had attempted the traverse on three separate occasions, the last of which had to be called off when he sustained injuries in a skiing accident prior to the expedition. But on the fourth try, Ozturk, along with Freddie Wilkinson, set out on a five-day journey that culminated with their completion of the traverse.

Hawker spent a year setting and resetting records, kicking things off in Wales where in 24 hours she ran 153.5 miles to set a world record for women’s distance running. Hawker turned heads when, for the second time in her career, she ran the 199-mile span between Everest Base Camp to Kathmandu, Nepal, this time beating her original time, also a world record, by finishing in two days, 23 hours, and 25 minutes. Hawker has also claimed first place in The North Face Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc a record five times – 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012 – and holds the fastest women’s result on record for the 100 mile race through the Alps.

To learn more about each adventurer through photos, interviews and a video, and to vote every day for the People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year, go to http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/adventurers-of-the-year/2013/. Follow along on Twitter and Instagram by using the hashtag #aoy