Dean Karnazes
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ultramarathon
Ultramarathon
An ultramarathon is any sporting event involving running longer than the traditional marathon length of .There are two types of ultramarathon events: those that cover a specified distance, and events that take place during specified time...
runner, and author of Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All Night Runner, which details ultra endurance running for the general public. Karnazes has been described as "the world's most famous ultramarathon runner."
Overview
Karnazes grew up in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, to parents of Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
ancestry. During kindergarten, Karnazes began running home from school; he took up running so that he wouldn’t have to burden his mother with rides home from school every day.
At first, Karnazes ran direct routes from school to his home. Later, he began to run diversionary routes that would extend his run and take him into uncharted territory. By third grade he was participating in and organizing short running events with other kids. As Karnazes grew older, he began testing his limits: by age eleven he had hiked rim-to-rim across the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
and had climbed Mount Whitney
Mount Whitney
Mount Whitney is the highest summit in the contiguous United States with an elevation of . It is on the boundary between California's Inyo and Tulare counties, west-northwest of the lowest point in North America at Badwater in Death Valley National Park...
, the highest mountain in the contiguous United States
Contiguous United States
The contiguous United States are the 48 U.S. states on the continent of North America that are south of Canada and north of Mexico, plus the District of Columbia....
; for his 12th birthday, he cycled 40 miles (64.4 km) to his grandparents' home for fun without telling his parents.
In junior high, Karnazes met Jack McTavish, a track coach who became Karnazes’ mentor and introduced him to the appeal of long-distance running. McTavish's basic running instructions were simple: "Go out hard and finish harder." Using this motto as a basis, that season Karnazes won the one-mile (1.6 km) California State Long-Distance Championship held on the Mt SAC track. At the end of the race, Coach McTavish commented: "Good work son, how'd it feel?" To this Karnazes replied: "Well, going out hard was the right thing to do. It felt pretty good." The coach replied: "If it felt good, you didn’t push hard enough. It’s supposed to hurt like hell." A week after the race, Karnazes' father's job was transferred to San Clemente. These were the last comments the coach ever said to Karnazes, who has stated that he lives by these words to this day.
In 1976, as a high school freshman, Karnazes joined the cross country team under Benner Cummings. Cummings’ running theory was that running is about finding your inner peace; his motto was "run with your heart." That season, Karnazes was awarded "Most Inspirational" team member. Karnazes also ran his first endurance event that year, a fundraising run on a track for underprivileged children, finishing in just under six hours and raising a dollar a lap from his sponsors. While most students ran only 10-15 laps around the track, he ran 105.
Karnazes was not compatible with his high school track coach and stopped running for fifteen years. He resumed running on his 30th birthday with an impromptu all-night, 30 miles (48.3 km) trek in his underwear and old lawn-mowing shoes.
In 2004, Karnazes was named one of GQ's "Best Bodies of the Year".
Karnazes has been criticized by other ultramarathon runners for what they believe is excessive self-promotion.
Racing and endurance highlights
Karnazes has completed a number of endurance events, mostly running events, but also a swimming event. Most notably, he ran 135 miles (217.3 km) nonstop across Death ValleyDeath Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
in 120 °F (49 °C) temperatures, and a marathon to the South Pole at −40 °F (−40 °C). In 2006, he ran 50 marathons in all 50 states in 50 consecutive days, finishing with the New York City Marathon, which he completed in three hours and thirty seconds.
Other highlights are:
- Overall Winner, 4 Deserts Race Series, 2008
- Competitor magazine Endurance Athlete of the Year Award winner, 2008, 2006, 2005
- ESPN ESPY Award winner, “Best Outdoor Athlete”, 2007
- Winner, Vermont Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run, 2006
- Two-time Emmy Award winner, 2005, 2007
- American Ultrarunning Team, World Championships, 2005, 2008
- Men’s Journal, Adventure Hall of Fame, 2005
- Winner, Badwater Ultramarathon, 2004 in 80 hours and 44 minutes without stopping (2005) in 24 hours on a treadmill, 2004
- Single-handedly completed the 199 miles (320.3 km) Providian Saturn Relay six times
- Eleven-time 100-Mile/1 Day Silver Buckleholder at the Western States Endurance RunWestern States Endurance RunThe Western States Endurance Run, known commonly as the Western States 100, is a 100-mile ultramarathon that takes place on trails in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains annually on the last full weekend of June. The race starts at the base of the Squaw Valley ski resort and finishes at the...
(i.e., better than ten twenty-four-hour finishes), 1995–2006 - Outside magazine, Ultimate Top 10 Outdoor Athletes, 2004
- Swimming across the San Francisco BaySan Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
- Ran 3000 miles (4,828 km) across the United States from Disneyland to New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 75 days, running 40 to 50 miles per day, 2011
50 marathons in 50 states on 50 consecutive days
In 2006, Karnazes embarked on the well-publicized Endurance 50: 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days., Beginning with the Lewis and Clark Marathon in St. Louis on September 17, 2006, it finished with the New York City MarathonNew York City Marathon
The New York City Marathon is a major annual marathon that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is one of the largest marathons in the world, with 45,103 finishers in 2010...
on November 5. Eight of the 50 races were conventional marathons. Since marathon races are typically held only on weekends, on the other days Karnazes (accompanied by between one and 50 runners) ran the course of a marathon in each state using the help of the race director and staff of each event to officially run the certified course, but on a different day than the “live” event. (For example, as part of the 50/50/50, Karnazes ran the official course of the Boston Marathon, but not the race itself, which is held in mid-April.)
Karnazes overcame the endurance and logistical difficulties of this goal and finished the final marathon, the NYC Marathon, on the official race day in 3 hours and 30 seconds. He weighed 154 lbs at the start and 153 lbs at the end.
After finishing the 50/50/50, Karnazes decided to run home to San Francisco from New York City. He was expected to finish the trip in January 2007. However Karnazes chose to end this trek December 15, 2006, in St. Charles, Missouri, to spend more time with his family.
The adventure was the primary subject of film director JB Benna's 2008 film entitled UltraMarathon Man: 50 Marathons - 50 States - 50 Days, which was the first feature film about Karnazes. The film was produced by Journeyfilm, had a national theatrical release in 300 screens in 2008 and was released on DVD and Blu-ray in 2009.
A similar project, undertaken by Sam Thompson to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina, was finishing as Karnazes began his project. Thompson ran 51 marathons (all 50 states and D.C.) in 50 days.
Books
- Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, Tarcher (March 2, 2006) ISBN 978-1-58542-480-1
- 50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days (with Matt Fitzgerald) Grand Central Publishing (August 12, 2009) ISBN 978-0-446-58184-4
- Run: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss, Rodale (March 1, 2011) ISBN 978-1-60529-279-3
Non-running businesses
In 1995, Karnazes founded Energy Well Natural Foods in San Francisco and he remains president of the company, now called Good Health Natural Foods. He holds graduate degrees in Science and Business. Karnazes resides in Ross, CaliforniaRoss, California
Ross is a small incorporated town in Marin County, California, United States, just north of San Francisco. Ross is located west-southwest of San Rafael, at an elevation of 36 feet . The population was 2,415 at the 2010 census...
, with his wife, Julie, and two children, Alexandria and Nicholas. Karnazes is also a regular columnist for Men's Health
Men's Health (magazine)
Men's Health , published by Rodale Inc. in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, United States, is the world’s largest men’s magazine brand, with 44 editions around the world. It is also the best-selling men's magazine on U.S. newsstands. It covers fitness, nutrition, sexuality, lifestyle and other aspects of...
.
In 2011, Karnazes opened a Frozen-Yogurt shop in San Anselmo, California
San Anselmo, California
San Anselmo is an incorporated town in Marin County, California, in the western United States. San Anselmo is located west of San Rafael, at an elevation of 46 feet . It is located about north of San Francisco. Neighboring towns include San Rafael to the east, Fairfax to the west, and Ross to the...
called U-Top It.
Media appearances
Dean was featured in the August 19, 2010 episode "Ultra Marathon Man" of Stan Lee's SuperhumansStan Lee's Superhumans
Stan Lee's Superhumans is a documentary television series that debuted August 5, 2010 on History. It is hosted by comic book superhero creator Stan Lee and follows contortionist Daniel Browning Smith, "the most flexible man in the world", as he searches the globe for real-life superhumans – people...
documentary television series where it was shown that Dean is able to somehow keep his lactic acid
Lactic acid
Lactic acid, also known as milk acid, is a chemical compound that plays a role in various biochemical processes and was first isolated in 1780 by the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele. Lactic acid is a carboxylic acid with the chemical formula C3H6O3...
level from building up, actually reducing and maintaining the reduction over long periods of time.
External links
- Ultramarathon man: Dean Karnazes - Official web site for Dean Karnazes