Egads, that's nuts. We have a race in October where they actually blow the leaves off of the trails the night before the race...that is service.
Last year, (and next month), I ran in the Escarpment Trail Run in the Catskill Mountains. It's about a 19-mile run over the five Catskill Mountain peaks of the Escarpment Trail. I can usually start running about two or three days after a marathon and I'm basically back up to speed after about seven or eight - a week after the Escarpment Run, my quads were still screaming every time I saw a staircase. The race application advises you not to apply, mentions death a half-dozen times and the acceptance letter starts with "Due to a stroke of bad luck, your entry has been accepted".
There's 10,000' of elevation change and it's either straight up or straight down. You actually run past the carcass of a plane crash at one point.
http://escarpmenttrail.com/articles/amby-burfoot.html