© Ben Jones
Dean Karnazes, the Ultramarathon Man
For over 30 years, American ultrarunner Dean Karnazes has been living his dream: running endlessly while constantly pushing the limits of endurance—both physical and mental. Born to Greek parents, he was in Italy in late March for the GOMU Ultramarathon World Championship, with one goal: “no time goal, just enjoyment.”
Fans of ultra distances definitely know him. Dean Karnazes has run in the desert, in Arctic cold, completed 50 marathons in 50 days across all 50 U.S. states (2006), and holds the record for one of the longest continuous runs: 563.27 km (350 miles) without sleep, in 80:44. With him, the numbers are always staggering. Notably, he won the Badwater 135 in 2003 and 2004. The American runner of Greek origin has devoted his life to running. Since 1992—and one defining night in San Francisco—Dean has been running. Before that, the California native was a corporate executive living comfortably. But something was missing.
That night, while celebrating his 30th birthday with friends, Dean suddenly decided to leave the party and run through the entire night. Alone under the stars, he realized that nothing would ever be the same again. He left behind his corporate career and its material comforts. Now, he wanted to truly feel life. In the months following that night, meeting two long-distance runners would definitively push him toward ultrarunning.
Numerous reports and documentaries are available online. The most famous is likely UltraMarathon Man: 50 Marathons – 50 States – 50 Days (2006), directed by JB Benna. It shows Dean Karnazes—author of the bestseller Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner (2005)—riding the wave of his success and bringing many runners along with him on this U.S.-wide challenge. That wave carried him far, even to an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman hosted by David Letterman. It was October 24, 2007, and that iconic moment cemented his fame.
We are now in 2026, and Dean is still not satisfied. He remains just as passionate and continues to run all over the world. Since the start of the year, he has raced in Portugal, Greece, and Italy, where Marathons.com met him the day before the start of the Cinisello Balsamo Running Festival.
Approachable and extremely courteous, he spoke to us about his passion, his desire to keep running, and Greece—his ancestral homeland, of which he is deeply proud. A country whose history has strangely shaped him. It almost feels as if the spirit of Pheidippides had been reincarnated in Dean. While the well-known legend tells of Pheidippides running from Marathon to Athens to announce victory, there is also an ultra-distance version of the story. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, Pheidippides ran about 250 km (155 miles) in 36 hours between Athens and Sparta to seek help. This feat has been commemorated since 1983 by the Spartathlon, a race in which Dean has, of course, participated. Greece is also at the heart of his latest book, published in 2016 and not yet translated into French: The Road to Sparta: Reliving the Epic Run of the Ancient Messenger Pheidippides.
| How do you feel before the start of this race?
A bit tired from the travel—it was a long trip—but I can always find energy when I need it. I’m happy to be here, in a new environment. I’ve been to Milan before, but never this part of the city. I’ve also been to Rome, Venice, and Cortina several times. I really enjoy Italy.
| We read that you don’t always look at your watch when you run. What about this weekend?
No watch. Just the body. This is about enjoyment. It’s not a goal race for me. It’s a moment to appreciate and share. Other runners are happy I’m here, and I want to support them.
| You seem to be someone who seeks simplicity in your relationship with the world…
Thank you. More and more, I realize that I feel a human connection with all the people who come together to run. Running in circles for 48 hours is boring—but doing it together gives you strength. People come from all over the world. There’s a community with the same mindset—even if it’s not exactly a common one! There’s a bond between us.
| It’s been over 30 years since your ultrarunning journey began. What still drives you today?
I still love running, simply! It’s an internal motivation that’s sometimes hard to describe. Running is always a form of release for me. It gives me an unmatched sense of freedom. I feel renewed when I run. Running is such a simple thing, isn’t it? It’s just you and the outdoors. Modern life feels so complicated today. Doing something simple makes you feel alive again.
| Is the current ultrarunning wave a reaction to that modern life?
That’s absolutely right. There’s such a contrast. Sometimes people—especially younger ones—ask me, “Isn’t running boring?” Life can be hard, but you have to keep moving forward and progressing. Running is a metaphor for life—that’s why I love it so much. Life isn’t boring, and I want to stay connected to myself. I tend to think too many people live in a cave—reacting to things all day long. That’s exhausting. When you run an ultramarathon, you have one goal for maybe 24 or 48 hours. One single focus. And I think that’s purifying.
| You often describe a state close to Zen, and you’ve said that running is more of an inner journey than an outer one. Why is ultrarunning so introspective?
Running is hard—you have to push past your resistance to stopping. You’re constantly testing yourself. You’re free. When you run, you can listen to music, audiobooks… But if you just want to listen to yourself—your own heartbeat—you can go out and run, and you get a sense of who you are. We learn who we are. Not by sitting on a couch eating pizza, right? But by going out to run and pushing our limits—that’s how we learn.
“if you just want to listen to yourself—your own heartbeat—you can go out and run, and you get a sense of who you are. We learn who we are”
Dean Karnazes
| Have you found something, or are you still searching?
It’s a journey. You never truly arrive. As I get older, the challenge is continuing to run hundreds of kilometers. That’s the new challenge. But you don’t have to run ultras—even a 10K can test your limits. Running helps us explore what we’re capable of.
| Is there a feeling you want to relive?
Suffering. Yes. In my book Run!, I wrote: “There’s magic in misery.” I can’t fully explain it. When you suffer and push through, those are the best moments of your life. When I think back on my races, it’s not the finish line I remember—it’s being alone in the mountains, sick, vomiting, muscles aching (laughs)… I love that. There’s something about suffering that makes you feel so alive.
| What does your training look like today?
My training is adapted to my age and physical capacity. I used to run around 200 km per week, but my body can’t handle that anymore. Travel doesn’t help either. So I’ve adapted. I do much more strength training and indoor cycling—less impact. When I run, I prefer trails—they’re gentler. I adapt as my body changes.
| Do you still have dreams?
Many…
| Can you share one?
It’s difficult to share. My partner has heard it many times… I’m trying to organize a race from the lowest point on Earth to the highest. There’s already the inspiring Badwater race, from the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere to the highest point in the U.S. Could we do that globally? From the Dead Sea in Jordan to Mount Everest. That’s my dream. But it’s very complicated given today’s world and political instability. The most direct route goes through Iran and Iraq. So maybe 2029, maybe 2030. But I’ll keep dreaming until…
| Do you have another book in mind, since the last one about Greece ?
Yes, I plan to write another book. I love reading and writing. The idea is slowly growing inside me—it’s something beautiful. There’s a Greek expression that i love: “I don’t play the bouzouki—the bouzouki tells me when to play.” Writing is the same. I don’t control it—the idea comes to me. It’s like a grain of sand entering an oyster and becoming a pearl. The grain of sand is there—but it’s not yet a pearl (smiles). Books are harder to write today, though—people read much less than before…
| What message would you like to share with younger people?
You don’t need to be fast—you just need to move forward. Don’t compare yourself to others. Be the best version of yourself. Find the best in you and live up to your potential. I think the greatest mistake in life is not reaching your full potential. We won’t all be Albert Einstein, but we can all be the best version of ourselves. And once you reach your potential, you feel a deep inner fulfillment.
➜ To go further, books written by Dean Karnazes
– Ultramarathon Man : Confessions of an All-Night Runner – 2005
– 50/50 : Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days, and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance – 2008
– Run! : 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss – 2010
– The Road to Sparta : Reliving the Epic Run of the Ancient Messenger Pheidippides – 2016
Charles-Emmanuel PEAN
Journalist
