30 years later, “Ultramarathon Man” recreates the all-night run that launched career and powered sport – NBC Bay Area

On his 30th birthday, in August 1992, Dean Karnazes’ celebration got off to a rather typical start: at a San Francisco bar with friends, over a shot of tequila.

What happened next was anything but typical and changed the course of Karnazes’ life forever.

“Around 11pm they said to me, ‘Let’s order another round.”’

“I said, ‘No, instead of celebrating with another round of tequila, I’m going to celebrate by running 30 miles.'”

Well, at that time, Karnazes was far from the world-class ultramarathoner he would become. Although he competed in high school, Karnazes hadn’t run a significant run in 15 years. What he was, however, was unsatisfied with his life. A career in marketing had left him stressed and unfulfilled.

Karnazes, unsure whether he was running toward or away from something, stripped down to his silk boxer shorts and ran south. About ten miles later, when Karnazes suspected the tequila had worn off, he began to wonder if he’d made a big mistake.

“Then I looked up and saw the stars and it was like God was speaking to me. I felt like, for the first time in my life, I should be exactly where I was in the universe at that time.”

Karnazes stopped running after 30 miles at Half Moon Bay, where he called his wife (collecting, from a payphone) to pick him up. The next day he quit his job and devoted himself to long-distance running.

Karnazes says the outcome of the decision he made that night was an amazing life. Not only did he become one of the world’s best ultramarathoners, he also played a crucial role in bringing an obscure sport into the public spotlight.

“I’ve lived a remarkable life. I’ve been to all seven continents twice. I ran a marathon to the South Pole and I ran across the Sahara. The things I’ve done and the experiences I’ve had are phenomenal.”

This all explains why Karnazes and a group of friends returned to the same place on his 60th birthday (exactly 30 years to the day after that fateful run) to retrace his journey. “This is an emotional moment for me,” Karnazes said after downing a single shot of tequila and preparing to take off.

The crew meandered through the night from San Francisco down the coast to Half Moon Bay, arriving just after 8am. This time his wife was waiting for him.

While Karnazes was celebrating his running career, there was something else he was grateful for. After Karnazes wrote his memoir Ultramarathon Man in 2006, he received cards, letters and emails from people around the world who had read his book. Thousands of people have reached out to tell him that his words have changed their lives: They’ve either started running, rediscovered running, or just been inspired to do what they once thought was “impossible” in their lives.

“I thought, ‘Now I have a purpose.’ I’m not just hitting my chest. Running is very selfish and can be very egotistical, and I thought this was a bigger calling for my running. What other gift can you give someone other than the gift of inspiration?”