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In 2006, Dean Karnazes ran 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states in 2006, a mind-boggling achievement by any measure. He’s raced on every continent, braved 120° F heat in Death Valley and −40° F cold at the South Pole. He’s written three books about his experiences, won an ESPY in 2007 for Best Outdoor Athlete.
Discovery caught up with him to talk about his love of suffering, why a 10K is his greatest achievement, and how tequila turned him into the man the New York Times called the ”world’s most famous ultramarathon runner.”
Dean Karnazes: I blame it all on bad Tequila. Let me explain. I used to run competitively in high school but hung up my running shoes after that. Flash forward post college and business school, I found myself in a cush corporate job, but entirely bored with my “yuppie” lifestyle. Sedentary and discontent, I was in a bar drinking with some friends when I decided to go for a little stroll. I walked out of the bar at 11pm and ran 30 miles straight through the night. I’ve became a fanatical endurance athlete ever since and I blame it all on Jose Cuervo (laughter).
DK: It was more an evolutionary process. It took me some time to find the courage to leave the security of a job and all the associated perks. My only other option was continuing as a working stiff, which was making me miserable. So I took that leap of faith and haven’t looked back.
DK: The suffering (more laughter). Truthfully, there’s magic in misery. The tougher the challenge, the more suffering and pain, the greater the reward.
DK: The suffering (continued laughter). No other sport extracts more from you, both physically and mentally.
DK: While I’ve raced and competed on all seven continents of the globe, twice-over now, in hundreds of tests of extreme endurance, the most significant accomplishment of my career will always be running a 10K with my daughter, Alexandria, on her 10th birthday. Nothing tops that. I could die tomorrow and would have no regrets.
DK: Finishing my last race. People may think that victory is the ultimate reward, but to me the enchantment lays in the journey not the destination.
DK: I pretty much suck at ball sports and my vertical jump is all of about six-inches, so I guess something like curling would be my calling.
Dean Karnazes is currently a zozi Guru. The zozi Guru™ team is a hand-selected group of the most highly accomplished and well-known individuals who’ve defined adventure, and who’ll lead you in small groups on experiences of a lifetime.
