A US scholarship recipient in the 1980s, Michael progressed from cross-country and mile events to ultra running in the 1990s. In 1997, he won the Antarctica Marathon and followed this up a couple of years later by winning the Himalayan 100-Mile Stage Race and Everest Challenge Marathon in record time. In 2006, he won the Sahara Half-Marathon, beating former two-time world marathon champion Abel Anton in the process. He also won the 2006 North Pole Marathon. In 2007, he was part of the Irish men's team that finished 8th in the World 100km Championships in the Netherlands, running a time of 7:37:57. A long-time resident of Washington State (USA), Michael holds a PhD in English and is a highly respected and successful international novelist. His books have been translated into many languages with 'The Keepers of Truth' being shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize in 2000.
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