Most people consider the marathon, at 26.2 miles, to be the ultimate test of endurance. Of the 38,000 runners who compete in the ING New York Marathon on Nov. 4, the majority will be happy just to finish.

But for NYC native Andre Ditto -- a 47-year-old vegan personal trainer -- 26.2 miles by itself just wasn't hard enough. He plans to complete the race wearing a backpack loaded with 30 lbs. of books. In return he has persuaded a web site that sells e-textbooks, CaféScribe (http://www.cafescribe.com) to pay for a year's worth of textbooks for his daughter, Blaize Buckley, a biology major at Howard University. A year of textbooks can cost students $1,000 or more, and textbook prices have risen at twice the rate of inflation.

Thirty pounds is the equivalent of a backpack loaded with nearly 16 bricks. Ouch.

College students often shoulder over $4,000 in textbook costs during their time in college, with students in the sciences bearing the heaviest burden. Ditto, along with CafeScribe.com and hundreds of thousands of college students, think that's just wrong. In addition to costs, concerns about back injuries have prompted legislators in several states -- including New York, New Jersey, California and Wisconsin -- to seek legal limits on the weight of books students are required to lug to and from school.

In an article last year on health concerns associated with students carrying heavy backpacks, the New York Times identified "Art History" by Marilyn Stokstad as possibly the world's heaviest textbook at close to 11 lbs. For a student taking five or six courses per semester, textbooks can quickly break the back as well as the wallet.

Ditto, an enthusiastic supporter of educational causes, is unfazed at the idea of hauling the world's heaviest textbook ("Art History," at 1,292 pages), along with "Principles of Economics" (896 pages), "Introduction to Drama" (1,872 pages), and "Essentials of Marketing" (576 pages) 26.2 miles through the streets of New York.

"As the parent of a college student, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to bring attention to the rising cost of education," says the 5-time marathoner.

"Students are being asked to pay thousands of dollars for textbooks on top of rising tuition," notes CaféScribe president Bryce Johnson. "Adopting electronic textbooks would reduce costs for everyone. They're a lot easier on the back as well."

Ditto enjoys a challenge. Ten years ago, his iron will allowed him to lose 100 lbs. through running, exercise and diet. After that, carrying a backpack full of books on a 26.2-mile run should be a piece of cake.

He might also, however, consider carrying the "American College of Emergency Physicians First Aid Manual," which would only add another 288 pages.

About CaféScribe: Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, CaféScribe (http://www.cafescribe.com/) is part of Fourteen40, Inc., a technology company dedicated to helping college students get better, cheaper textbooks that let them learn more efficiently. In addition to trying to cut down on the number of dead trees on college campuses by promoting electronic textbooks, CaféScribe recently launched the world's first musty-smelling e-book.