One of my goals in life is to run a marathon in every state. I do not have any interest (right now) in races longer than the marathon. I have previously written about Dean Karnazes when I reviewed his book Ultramarathon Man. Things do not seem to have changed much in his life.
His latest challenge for himself is to run a marathon in every state. Back to back. On consecutive days. Starting in St. Charles on September 17th, and finishing with the New York City marathon on November 5th, he is going to run the race course of a marathon in each state one after another. You can find more details about it at the North Face Endurance 50 website.
He stops into Portland for the Maine Marathon course on October 17. I wonder if he is going to be looking for company on the course, and at what pace he’d be running? I think that I am going to run the New York City marathon, and I am not sure that I want to do a 26 mile run only 2½ weeks before it, but it may be worth doing anyway. Or at least running for 18 to 22 of it. The Maine Marathon course is one of the tougher marathons that I have run.
(Thanks to Musings of a Runner for bringing this to my attention)
Dean K’s coming to my city on June 4, and supposedly doing something like a 60-mile warmup (thought that could just be marketing hype). I met him last year and was struck by what an ordinary guy he seems to be, though anyone that can do that kind of mileage and have never incurred an injury ain’t ordinary.
And thanks for giving me an excuse to dust off my copy of “This Running Life.” I used to religously read Sheehan just before a race and it always had a positive effect on my performance.
I have not met him yet, but I would like to. I have no doubts that he will be doing a 60 mile warm up before the race; he is known for doing kooky things like that.
Hopefully he won’t mind a little company when he does his Maine run; I’m thinking more and more that maybe a 26 miler a few weeks before the actual race won’t be so bad after all. Assuming I can take half the day off from work, anyway, as it will fall on a Tuesday.
Hey. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Karnazes is going to be in my neck of the woods this weekend, running the Big Sur Marathon. Rumor has it he’ll run down the coast at 3:00 AM to reach the start line at 6:45 to turn around and do the “real” marathon.
I emailed him; hopefully he doesn’t mind a little company.
Dean did that in Boston as well. ran 26.2 to the start (3:45) then cruised back in 3:40, he said his legs were heavy from a 120 miler the previous weekend (he ran 120 of the 199 miles at The Relay)
He has run a lot of crazy stunts before. Running a marathon on 50 consecutive days is just the latest one.
Check out Sam Thompson, an amateur running on a similar schedule already and for an excellent cause. I hope he gets more press than Karnazes.
Sorry – Sam’s website is 50in50in50.com
Inspring man and his book. I read it two years ago in Perth, then I ran my first marathon and a few half-marathon, I am thinking of him and his book again today as I just finish another marathon in Geneva. although it is not as fast as last time in Perth, but I am still running as I can.