In January 2019, something unexpected happened at the 20-mile mark of the Hong Kong 100K. Dylan Bowman broke. Something more was going on than merely not finishing a race. It was something deeper and profoundly unsettling. For the first time ever in his celebrated career, Dylan felt used up and over.
Author
Dean Karnazes
Dean Karnazes
Named by TIME magazine as one of the “Top 100 Most Influential People in the World,” Dean Karnazes is a passionate ultrarunner and extreme athlete. He’s run across the Sahara in 120-degree temperatures, and he’s run a marathon to the South Pole in negative 40 degrees. On ten different occasions he’s run a 200-mile relay race solo, racing alongside teams of twelve. Dean has swum the San Francisco Bay, scaled mountains, bike raced for 24-hours straight, and surfed the gigantic waves off the coast of Northern California and Hawaii. He lives with his wife and family in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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The Aussie spirit looms large at the Blackall 100 and for an outsider, it was all very captivating and magical. Would I ever return? Heck yes! Would I do anything differently? Yeah, I’d bring a bigger backpack. A person could live like a King off that checkpoint food.
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If you’re in search of a truly unexpected gift, the ultrarunning world has a few head-scratching curiosities worth a second glance.
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California is experiencing its worst fire season in the state’s history. And by some indications this is the new normal. The problem of clean air is hardly unique to California. It’s a global issue. Fixing this problem is not going to happen in our lifetime, and perhaps not in our children’s lifetime unless more is done.
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Man came out of darkness and into the light, and that was my experience during the 2003 Angeles Crest 100. Not a lot of planning went into the race. The…
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Ultramarathon races take hours, days. What’s a few lost seconds, right? Wrong. Seconds really do matter. Let me share with you a little story that illustrates this point. The race wasn’t a traditional ultramarathon, but a multiday adventure race involving a variety of disciplines, which included running, mountain biking, paddling and rock climbing.
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I just returned from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where I glimpsed into the future. And there ain’t nothin’ left to hide.
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The word inspiration has almost become cliché these days. It’s so overused the true meaning has been diluted and cheapened. Yet there’s no denying that the words others say to us can have the power to, well, inspire.
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Over the years there have been an increasing number of families attending the Western States Endurance Run. I thought it might be enlightening – and perhaps a bit entertaining – to hear the perspective of a family member, so I solicited the help of dear ol’ mom. What you’re about to read is her take on the inaugural Western States “experience.”
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My seatmate asked what was bringing me to Chicago. “I’m going to run the marathon,” I informed him. “Wow,” he proclaimed, “Is that far?” Perhaps the noise of the plane’s…