Otago runners John Bayne (50) and Val Muskett (60) will do just that at the 24-hour world championships in Italy next month.
While the race in Turin will be the first time Bayne has represented the country in athletics, it will be Muskett's 13th.
Bayne was selected for the 24-hour world championships on the back of his record-breaking win in the Round the Mountain relay in New Plymouth last November, and the Naseby ultramarathon last August.
Muskett, who will run the event for the eighth time, was picked after running 193km in the Netherlands two years ago, 8km more than the standard set by Athletics New Zealand.
Bayne, a member of New Zealand's lightweight eights at the 1988 world rowing championships, leaves for Europe tomorrow and is going for one reason only.
''I'm going there to win,'' he said.
''I'm going to give it my best shot. It would be nice to think I can get on the podium, but it's the first one I've ever done.
''There is a lot of no man's land in terms of being on my feet for that long.''
Bayne had originally planned to run 24 hours over a few days in training, but quickly realised it was a ''dumb'' plan and he was being overly ambitious.
Instead, he ran 28 hours over six days, which included a day off.
''That clocked me out at 335km in total, which was more than enough for this race,'' Bayne said.
''The following week I was feeling fine, not fresh as a daisy but nothing was busted and the muscles were still OK.
''I didn't push into race mode, I didn't dig myself a hole, and I clocked up 35% more kilometres than I have ever run before.''
Bayne also completed a ''big block'' of strength work in the lead-up, something he thinks should hold him in good stead towards the end of the race.
He joins Bryan McCorkindale, Wayne Botha and Graeme Butcher in the men's team, while Muskett will run with Kim Allan, Vivian Cheng and Antonia Johnson in the women's.
Muskett has twice finished 11th at the event, and said next month's race would ''definitely'' be the last time she represented New Zealand.
She has been monitoring a niggly foot injury the past few months, but is feeling ''reasonably fit'' ahead of the race.
The most kilometres she has clocked over a week in the leadup was 150km-160km, and she also used a 67.5km race in Taupo as a training run recently.
With experience on her side, Muskett knows what to expect.
''The race is about maintaining fitness and keeping on going,'' she said.
''There are different stages. If you came and went and came and went every three or four hours, you would see quite different stories going on.
''The runner that you saw looking really good earlier is no longer. It's a bit like musical chairs, really.''
Muskett is not expecting too much in her final race for New Zealand, but has the women's 60 years record in the back of her mind.
''My ultimate goal is to get 196km. That's the world record,'' she said.
Muskett leaves for Italy next Friday and will have about a week to recover from the flight before the race on April 11.
The 24-hour race, which doubles as a team and individual event, will be held on a 1.4km sealed track, with support crews on hand to provide food, water and any other help runners may need.
