Dean Karnazes ( ; born ''Constantinos Karnazes''; August 23, 1962), is an American
ultramarathon
An ultramarathon, also called ultra distance or ultra running, is any footrace longer than the traditional marathon length of . Various distances are raced competitively, from the shortest common ultramarathon of to over . 50k and 100k are bot ...
runner, and author of ''Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner'', which details ultra endurance running for the general public.
Early life
Karnazes was born in
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...
to parents of
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
ancestry; Nick and Fran Karnazes.
He had two siblings; brother Kraig and a sister, Pary, who died in an automobile accident at the age of 18.
His father worked as a field naturalist for the Orange County Department of Education in 2006. The younger Karnazes brother grew up in
Diamond Bar, California
Diamond Bar is a city in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2010 census it had a population of 55,544, and in 2019 the population was estimated to be 55,720. It is named after the "diamond over a bar" branding iron re ...
and
San Clemente, California
San Clemente (; Spanish for " St. Clement") is a city in Orange County, California. Located in the Orange Coast region of the South Coast of California, San Clemente's population was 64,293 in at the 2020 census. Situated roughly midway betwee ...
.
In 2006 he said that he remained close to the friends he made at
San Clemente High School, which was also attended by both his siblings.
Growing up in the city of San Clemente gave him a love of the outdoors, and an appreciation of its small-town feel. At the time his parents still lived in the house where he had grown up.
Pre-running career
While attending kindergarten, Karnazes began running home from school; he took up running for fun.
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 children. As Karnazes grew older, he began testing his limits: by age eleven he had hiked rim-to-rim across the
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a m ...
and had climbed
Mount Whitney
Mount Whitney (Paiute: Tumanguya; ''Too-man-i-goo-yah'') is the highest mountain in the contiguous United States and the Sierra Nevada, with an elevation of . It is in East–Central California, on the boundary between California's Inyo and Tu ...
, the highest mountain in the
contiguous United States
The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...
; for his 12th birthday, he cycled to his grandparents' home for fun without telling his parents.
In junior high school, 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 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
San Clemente (; Spanish for " St. Clement") is a city in Orange County, California. Located in the Orange Coast region of the South Coast of California, San Clemente's population was 64,293 in at the 2020 census. Situated roughly midway betwee ...
. 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 at San Clemente High, 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, a full marathon.
Karnazes was not compatible with his high-school track coach, and stopped running for fifteen years.
Running highlights and race results
Karnazes has completed a number of endurance events, mostly running events, but also a swimming event. Most notable achievements include:
* Ran in 80 hours and 44 minutes without sleep in 2005
* Completed "The Relay", a run from
Calistoga to
Santa Cruz, eleven times
* Ran a marathon to the South Pole in temperatures without snowshoes in 2002
* Ran a marathon in each of the 50 states in 50 consecutive days in 2006
Other athletic achievements include:
* Winner,
Badwater Ultramarathon
The Badwater Ultramarathon describes itself as "the world's toughest foot race". It is a course starting at below sea level in the Badwater Basin, in California's Death Valley, and ending at an elevation of 8360 feet (2548 m) at Whitney Portal ...
( across
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California, in the northern Mojave Desert, bordering the Great Basin Desert. During summer, it is the Highest temperature recorded on Earth, hottest place on Earth.
Death Valley's Badwater Basin is the ...
in temperatures), 2004 (with five other top-10 finishes from 2000 to 2008)
* Winner, Vermont Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run, 2006
* Overall Winner, 4 Deserts Race Series, 2008
* American Ultrarunning Team, World Championships, 2005, 2008
* in 24 hours on a treadmill, 2004
* Eleven-time 100-Mile/1 Day Silver Buckleholder at the
Western States Endurance Run
The Western States Endurance Run, known commonly as the Western States 100, is a 100.2-mile (161 km) ultramarathon that takes place on California's Sierra Nevada Mountains trails each year on the last full weekend of June. The race starts ...
(i.e., better than ten twenty-four-hour finishes), 1995–2006
* Ran across the United States from
Disneyland
Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney in ...
to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
in 75 days, running 40 to 50 miles (65 to 80 km) per day, 2011
* Swimming across the
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a large tidal estuary in the U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the big cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland.
San Francisco Bay drains water from a ...
Other honors include:
* ''Competitor'' magazine Endurance Athlete of the Year Award winner, 2008, 2006, 2005
* ESPN ESPY Award winner, "Best Outdoor Athlete", 2007
* ''Men's Journal'', Adventure Hall of Fame, 2007
* ''Outside'' magazine, Ultimate Top 10 Outdoor Athletes, 2004
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
Lewis may refer to:
Names
* Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name
* Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname
Music
* Lewis (musician), Canadian singer
* " Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohea ...
in St. Louis on September 17, 2006, it finished with the
New York City Marathon
The New York City Marathon (currently branded TCS New York City Marathon after its headline sponsor) is an annual marathon () that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest marathon in the world, with 53,627 finishe ...
on November 5. Eight of the 50 races were conventional marathon races. 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
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was i ...
, 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 at the start and at the end.
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 and was released in theaters in 2008.
A similar project, undertaken by Sam Thompson to raise money for victims of
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
, was finishing as Karnazes began his project. Thompson ran 51 marathons (all 50 states and D.C.) in 50 days.
Criticism
Karnazes' achievements have been derided among some runners as tainted with hyperbole and that his fame is primarily due to self-promotion in the media, rather than top athletic performances. The president of the American Ultrarunning Association noted that he was "not even in the top 10" of runners. Former elite runner Weldon Johnson said "Dean's biggest accomplishment is not in running, but in marketing."
Ultra-marathoner John Morelock defended Karnazes, but also said that Karnazes was "very good, not great. He's not a racer, just a very good performer."
Other 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. Karnazes is also a regular columnist for ''
Men's Health
''Men's Health'' (''MH''), published by Hearst, is the world's largest men's magazine brand, with 35 editions in 59 countries. It is also the best-selling men's magazine on U.S. newsstands.
Started as a men's health magazine by Rodale, Inc. ...
''.
In 2011, Karnazes opened a Frozen-Yogurt shop in
San Anselmo, California
San Anselmo () is an List of cities in California, incorporated town in Marin County, California, Marin County, California, United States. San Anselmo is located west of San Rafael, California, San Rafael, at an elevation of 46 feet (14 m). It ...
called U-Top It!
Media appearances
According to his sponsor, Karnazes has been featured on ''The Today Show'', ''60 Minutes'' (2009), ''The Late Show with David Letterman'', CBS News, CNN, ESPN, ''The Howard Stern Show'', NPR's ''Morning Edition'', ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'', and the BBC. He has also appeared on the cover of ''Runners' World'', ''Outside'', and ''Wired'' magazines, and has been featured in ''TIME'', ''Newsweek'', ''People'', ''GQ'', ''The New York Times'', ''USA TODAY'', and ''The Washington Post'', among others. Karnazes won ''Competitor'' magazine's "Endurance Athlete of the Year" award three times, and also earned ESPN's ESPY award.
The "Ultra Marathon Man" episode of ''
Stan Lee's Superhumans
''Stan Lee's Superhumans'' is a documentary television series that debuted from August 5, 2010 to September 17, 2014 on History. It is hosted by Marvel comic book superhero creator Stan Lee and follows contortionist Daniel Browning Smith, "the ...
'' documentary television series maintained that Karnazes is able to reduce the build-up of
lactic acid
Lactic acid is an organic acid. It has a molecular formula . It is white in the solid state and it is miscible with water. When in the dissolved state, it forms a colorless solution. Production includes both artificial synthesis as well as natu ...
over long periods of time. Karnazes also ascribes his endurance feats to an ability to remain under his
lactate threshold
Lactate inflection point (LIP), is the exercise intensity at which the blood concentration of lactate and/or lactic acid begins to increase rapidly. It is often expressed as 85% of maximum heart rate or 75% of maximum oxygen intake. When exercisin ...
– his body's ability to clear lactate from his blood and convert it to energy.
Among his training tips is to consume
sardines
"Sardine" and "pilchard" are common names for various species of small, oily forage fish in the herring family Clupeidae. The term "sardine" was first used in English during the early 15th century, a folk etymology says it comes from the I ...
for protein.
Personal life
In his memoir, Karnazes explains he was twice expelled for attending school while drunk. Karnazes stated that he quit drinking while at
Cal Poly, after the death of his sister.
Karnazes attended California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, where his major subject was food science technology.
He attended graduate school at the same institution, ending up as the class valedictorian. He paid for his education by obtaining scholarships and grants, and by working at a campus health center. Karnazes then went to the
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco (USF) is a private Jesuit university in San Francisco, California. The university's main campus is located on a setting between the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park. The main campus is nicknamed "The Hil ...
's
McLaren School of Business.
He holds graduate degrees in Science and Business.
[Anderson, Lessley]
Ultra Marathon Man
, ''SF Weekly
''SF Weekly'' was a free alternative weekly newspaper founded in the 1970s in San Francisco, California. It was distributed every Thursday, and was published by the San Francisco Print Media Company. The paper has won national journalism awards, ...
'', January 14, 2004
Karnazes met his wife Julie in 9th grade at San Clemente High School.
Karnazes' children accompanied their father for much of his run of 50 marathons in 50 states, as they were home-schooled at the time.
Karnazes lives in
Ross, California
Ross is a small List of municipalities in California, incorporated town in Marin County, California, Marin County, California, United States, just north of San Francisco. Ross is located west-southwest of San Rafael, California, San Rafael, at ...
.
On August 12, 2022, Karnazes claimed in an Instagram video to have been
attacked by a coyote during a race in the Marin Headlands.
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...
rangers noted that his story did not match biologist's understanding of coyote behavior, even among those habituated to humans, and that his injuries appeared to be sustained from a fall, rather than an animal attack.
Books
*''The Road to Sparta: Reliving the Ancient Battle and Epic Run that Inspired the World's Greatest Footrace'', Rodale (October 25, 2016)
* ''Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner'', Tarcher (March 2, 2006)
* ''50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days'' (with Matt Fitzgerald) Grand Central Publishing (August 12, 2009)
* ''Run: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss'', Rodale (March 1, 2011) . Winner of
British Sports Book Awards, Best Publicity Campaign
References
External links
*
Dean Karnazes Interview - Midsection Training
{{DEFAULTSORT:Karnazes, Dean
American people of Greek descent
Track and field athletes from Los Angeles
1962 births
Living people
American male ultramarathon runners
People from Ross, California
Food and drink in the San Francisco Bay Area
People from Inglewood, California
People from Diamond Bar, California
People from San Clemente, California