SAN DIEGO, Calif. March 1, 2006 – Today, Land Rover North America, Inc. and Muddy Buddy proudly announced that Land Rover Certified will be title sponsor of the 8th Annual Muddy Buddy Ride and Run Series. These unique events involve two runners, one mountain bike and six miles of off-road fun, and are to be held this summer and fall in eight cities across the U.S.

"Land Rover Certified is delighted to be recognized as the title sponsor of the 2006 Muddy Buddy Ride and Run Series. Our sponsorship of Muddy Buddy inspires others to embark on new adventures, and attain extraordinary limits; capturing what truly represents the Land Rover brand," said Richard Beattie, executive vice president, marketing and sales, Land Rover North America.

"We are honored to be associated with the world's premier SUV-maker," said John Smith, co-owner of the Muddy Buddy series.  "We, like Land Rover, believe in celebrating the spirit of adventure in everyone; that is truly what Muddy Buddy is all about."

This one-of-a-kind series kicks off in May and runs through October.  Participants of all ages and skill levels will pick a partner they don't mind slinging mud with, and work together as a team, leapfrogging each other through a six-mile obstacle course. 

The teams trade off between mountain biking and trail running with each of the five legs marked by obstacles like hay bales, climbing walls, cargo nets and monkey bars.  The escapade culminates with a custom built 50-foot-long sloppy, sticky mud pit that the pairs must crawl through together, hence the name, 'Muddy Buddy.'
 
An average of 1,600 people participated in each race during 2005, and even more are expected this year.   A portion of the series proceeds will go towards the Challenged Athletes Foundation, an organization that reaches out to people with physical disabilities by helping them pursue a more active lifestyle through physical fitness and competitive sports. Over the years, the Muddy Buddy series has raised more than $20,000 to buy prosthetics, hand-cycles and racing wheelchairs for athletes.

The 2006 Land Rover Certified Muddy Buddy Series schedule is as follows:

Orlando – May 13th
San Jose – June 11th
Boston – June 25th
Richmond – July 16th
Austin – August 6th
Boulder – August 20th
Chicago – September 10th
Los Angeles – October 29th  

For more information, or to register for one of the races, visit: www.muddybuddy.com.

About Land Rover

Land Rover does not award "Certified" status indiscriminately.  Before a vehicle can be pronounced Certified, it must meet Land Rover's demanding criteria.  A candidate for certification cannot be more than five model-years old (including the current model year) and it must have accrued fewer than 60,000 miles.  Vehicles that pass that critical first step must then undergo a rigorous 140-point inspection to validate their superior condition.  The vehicles that ultimately emerge from the certification process are the best of the breed – pre-owned Land Rovers that look and feel like new. Land Rover will have a variety of Certified Pre-Owned display vehicles on-site at each Muddy Buddy event for fans and participants alike to check out.