David Goggins is an iconic American ultra marathon runner renowned for his motivational speaking and remarkable commitment to physical fitness.
Born in Buffalo, New York, Goggins has completed several of the most brutal endurance events the US has to offer and has also finished ultra running’s most esteemed event, Ultra-Trail Du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), as well as triathlon’s IRONMAN World Championship in Hawaii.
He is famed for his outrageous pull-up record and annual 4x4x48 challenge, while he has published two books and holds a huge presence on social media, boasting over six million followers on Instagram.
Goggins is also the only member of the US Armed Forces to complete Navy SEAL training, Army Ranger School, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller training, and works as an Advanced Emergency Technician and wildland firefighter when he isn’t public speaking.
Goggins suffered a difficult upbringing and has revealed that he and his family suffered a torrent of abuse at the hands of his alcoholic father.
After moving to Brazil, Indiana, with his mother, he worked as a pest control fumigator and had little concern for his physical condition until a remarkable change in his attitude as a 24-year-old.
David Goggins weight loss
David Goggins joined the US Air Force Pararescue as a 19-year-old and weighed around 200lbs, but he was diagnosed with sickle cell trait and subsequently removed from training.
He later admitted that he saw the diagnosis as an excuse to get out of the swimming element of the training, which he hated due to his lack of confidence in the water.
Goggins completed the rest of his Air Force contract as a Tactical Air Controller but was mentally consumed by his Pararescue drop-out and gained weight as he returned to civilian life.
While working night shifts as a pest control fumigator, regular fast food and a lack of exercise saw him balloon to 297lbs (135kg).
However, at the age of 24, a TV programme about Navy SEAL training inspired a change in Goggins’ lifestyle – after discovering he needed to be 191lbs (87kg) to make the cut, he set out on an incredible transformation.
In less than three months, Goggins lost 106lbs (48kg), burning 5,000 calories a day with a grueling fitness regime while consuming just 800.
He would wake up at 4:30am and fueled by just a single banana and water, ride for two hours on an exercise bike, swim around two miles in two hours at a local pool before a three-hour, high-rep full body workout.
Another hour on the bike followed before a run of between two and six miles, finishing the day with a high-protein, low calorie dinner and another stint on the bike.
Goggins repeated that routine for 85 days straight, meaning he lost more than 1lb (0.45kg) a day on average.
Time in the Navy SEALS
David Goggins joined the US Air Force Pararescue as a 19-year-old and weighed around 200lbs, but he was diagnosed with sickle cell trait and subsequently removed from training.
He later admitted that he saw the diagnosis as an excuse to get out of the swimming element of the training, which he hated due to his lack of confidence in the water.
Goggins completed the rest of his Air Force contract as a Tactical Air Controller but was mentally consumed by his Pararescue drop-out and gained weight as he returned to civilian life.
While working night shifts as a pest control fumigator, regular fast food and a lack of exercise saw him balloon to 297lbs (135kg).
However, at the age of 24, a TV programme about Navy SEAL training inspired a change in Goggins’ lifestyle – after discovering he needed to be 191lbs (87kg) to make the cut, he set out on an incredible transformation.
In less than three months, Goggins lost 106lbs (48kg), burning 5,000 calories a day with a grueling fitness regime while consuming just 800.
He would wake up at 4:30am and fueled by just a single banana and water, ride for two hours on an exercise bike, swim around two miles in two hours at a local pool before a three-hour, high-rep full body workout.
Another hour on the bike followed before a run of between two and six miles, finishing the day with a high-protein, low calorie dinner and another stint on the bike.
Goggins repeated that routine for 85 days straight, meaning he lost more than 1lb (0.45kg) a day on average.
David Goggins running & ultramarathons
David Goggins began ultra running as a means of raising money for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation after 12 Navy SEALs died during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan in 2005.
He has raised more than $2million for the charity since his first ultra challenge that year – the San Diego One Day, where he ran 101 miles in 18 hours and 56 minutes.
In 2006, Goggins finished second at both the Lake Hodges 50K and PCT 50 in Cleveland, before picking up third at Shadow of the Giants 50K and winning at Holcomb Valley Trail Run.
Another victory came at Twin Peaks Ultras in 2007 as well as a third-place finish at Old Pueblo Endurance Runs.
Later that year, he also finished inside the top 30 at Western States 100, one of the US’ most elite ultra events, and came home second at Plain Endurance Runs in Leavenworth.
He rounded off 2007 with third at the World of Hurt 50K and a triumph at the UltraCentric Gold Rush 48-hour race in Grapevine, Texas.
In 2008, he won the McNaughton Park 150 Miler and finished second at the Angeles National Forest Trail Race before placing in the top-100 at UTMB in Chamonix, France.
Goggins’ next ultra victory came in 2011 when he reigned supreme at the Running for the Bay Ultra Marathon 50K, and he was then triumphant at the 2013 Potato Creek Trail Runs and 2014 Frozen Otter Ultra 64 Miler.
2016 saw him win at Music City Trail Ultra and then Strolling Jim, the brainchild of Barkley Marathons mastermind Gary ‘Lazarus Lake’ Cantrell who Goggins fondly refers to as a “sick, sick man”.
Also in 2016, he won the Infinitus 88k, finishing in 12 hours and almost 20 minutes clear of his nearest challenger.
He has twice finished inside the top 35 at the JFK 50 Mile – in 2016 and 2021 – and before the latter, he claimed victory at the 2020 Across Florida 200.
HURT 100
Goggins has taken on the HURT 100 four times, completing the brutal Honolulu race in 2006, 2007 and 2009 and failing to finish in 2012.
The 2006 event was only his second ultra marathon, but he managed a ninth-place finish as he crossed the line in 33:23:00. He says that effort was the inspiration behind his 40% rule, which argues that the body has 60% more to give when the mind begins to give up.
In 2007, he was over five and a half hours quicker as he picked up fifth place, and in 2009, he went one better, finishing fourth in a time of 25:28:00.
Badwater Ultramarathon
Goggins has finished the iconic Badwater Ultramarathon three times, in 2006, 2007 and 2013, and was a DNF in 2008 and 2012.
He was fifth on his first attempt at the 135-mile race through California’s Death Valley, which describes itself as the ‘world’s toughest footrace’, finishing in 30:18:54.
In 2007, he achieved a podium finish as he came home third in 25:49:40, and after his two failed attempts, he was 18th in 2013, stopping the clock at 32:44:10.
Moab 240
Goggins finished second at the Moab 240 in 2020, a year after he was a DNF at the famous 238-mile event in Utah.
Records and challenges
A former Guinness World Record holder, David Goggins has also pioneered the 4x4x48 running challenge.
Pull up record
Goggins set the Guinness World Record for most pull ups in 24 hours in 2013, beating the previous record by 10 as he completed 4,030 in 17 hours.
He spent six months preparing for his first attempt in September 2012, completing 40,000 pull ups during the course of his training.
His attempt, which was aired on the Today Show, fell short as he retired after 2,588 in five and half hours amid a partially torn muscle in his forearm.
Goggins tried again in November 2012 and completed 3,207 reps on that occasion, retiring due to third-degree burns on his hands.
He finally broke the record two months later in Nashville, Tennessee, which saw him eclipse 67,000 pull-ups in nine months between his training and attempts.
The record has been broken multiple times since Goggins’ effort.
4x4x48 challenge
Goggins popularised the 4x4x48 challenge which dares runners to complete four miles every four hours over a 48-hour period.
He first began promoting the demanding test in March 2020 in order to raise money for charity, and it has since become an annual event which mobilises thousands of people around the world.
In the past, Goggins has travelled to several locations across the US to join those taking on the 4x4x48 challenge.
David Goggins family
David Goggins’ fiancé is Jennifer Kish, a New York-based executive director. He split from his wife Aleeza, a Japanese nurse in 2007 after around two years together. In his first book he revealed he had a child with a previous girlfriend called Pam.
Goggins grew up with his mother Jackie Goggins and father Trunnis Goggins, whom he describes as an alcoholic who dealt him, his brother Trunnis Jr. and other members of his family constant abuse.
Published books
David Goggins has published two books, with ‘Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds’ released in December 2018 and its sequel, ‘Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within’, hitting the shelves four years later.
Can’t Hurt Me
Can’t Hurt Me sees Goggins detail his life story and how he overcame personal challenges to become one of the world’s most renowned endurance athletes and motivational speakers.
He recalls his childhood trauma, rapid weight loss, his time with the Navy SEALs and his feats in various endurance events.
He conveys his theory that most people only tap into 40% of their physical capabilities and that mental resillience can unlock further potential.
Never Finished
Never Finished delves further into Goggins’ mindset – which he describes as his Mental Lab – explaining how he developed his approach to endurance events and training.
He reveals more about his personal life as he offers a blueprint for how to continue fighting through adversity when goals seem unattainable.
David Goggins quotes
Given his motivational speaking and elite mindset, David Goggins is credited with an abundance of amazing quotes, some of which we have collated below.
“The most important conversations you’ll ever have are the ones you’ll have with yourself.”
“I don’t stop when I’m tired. I stop when I’m done.”
“The things that we decide to run from are the truth. When you make excuses, you’re running from the truth.”
“Motivation is crap. Motivation comes and goes. When you’re driven, whatever is in front of you will get destroyed.”
“You are in danger of living a life so comfortable and soft, that you will die without ever realising your true potential.”
“Life is one big tug of war between mediocrity and trying to find your best self.”
“Pain unlocks a secret doorway in the mind, one that leads to both peak performance, and beautiful silence.”
“Your entitled mind is dead weight. Cut it loose. Don’t focus on what you think you deserve. Take aim on what you are willing to earn.”
“Nobody cares what you did yesterday. What have you done today to better yourself?”
“Only you can master your mind, which is what it takes to live a bold life filled with accomplishments most people consider beyond their capability.”
FAQ’s
Just in case we haven’t provided you with the information you need here are series of commonly asked questions about Goggins.
David Goggins shares little about his private life but is US-based. He reportedly lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and owns a house in Buffalo, New York.
While in the Navy SEALs, David Goggins deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan with SEAL Team 5.
David Goggins is no longer married after splitting from wife Aleeza, a Japanese nurse, but is engaged to New York-based executive director Jennifer Kish.
David Goggins revealed in his first book, Can’t Hurt Me, that he had a child with a girlfriend called Pam.
David Goggins is 1.85m (6ft1in) tall.
David Goggins lost 106lbs in less than three months as a 24-year-old, burning 5,000 calories a day with a grueling fitness regime including swimming, running, cycling and circuits.
David Goggins weighs around 190lbs (86kg).
David Goggins’ varies depending on his training, but he typically follows a ketogenic diet made up of around 40% protein, 40% healthy fat and 20% carbohydrates.
David Goggins typically runs 10-15 miles a day.
