Dean Karnazes

Dean Karnazes ( ; born Constantinos Karnazes; August 23, 1962), is an American ultramarathon 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 to parents of Greek 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. 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. 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. 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 ( across Death Valley 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 (i.e., better than ten twenty-four-hour finishes), 1995–2006 Ran across the United States from Disneyland to New York City in 75 days, running 40 to 50 miles (65 to 80 km) per day, 2011 Swimming across the San Francisco Bay

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 in St. Louis on September 17, 2006, it finished with the New York City Marathon 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, 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, 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." Karnazes is also a regular columnist for Men's Health.

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 documentary television series maintained that Karnazes is able to reduce the build-up of lactic acid over long periods of time. Karnazes also ascribes his endurance feats to an ability to remain under his lactate threshold – his body's ability to clear lactate from his blood and convert it to energy. Among his training tips is to consume sardines 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 met his wife Julie in 9th grade at San Clemente High School. Karnazes lives in Ross, California.

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 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 A Runner's High: My Life in Motion, Harper One (April 20, 2021) .