He’s the man who has created two of ultrarunning’s most infamous formats and over the weekend Lazarus Lake – real name Gary Cantrell – completed an incredible endurance challenge of his own.
The fiendish Barkley Marathons was his first creation. Known as ‘The Race That Eats Its Young’, just 20 different people – including one woman in Jasmin Paris – have completed it since the race began in 1986.
And the Backyard Ultras is his second great gift to the ultra scene, where competitors repeat ‘yards’ of a 4.167-mile (6.706 km) loop on the hour, every hour, until just one person is left standing.
Third time’s a charm
Laz is now in his 70s and has been attempting to complete a coast-to-coast walk across America, from Delaware in the east to San Francisco on the west coast, which is a distance of around 3,000 miles.
For a variety of reasons he ended up splitting it into three parts and the last 1,000 miles section from the Colorado / Utah border saw him work his way towards San Francisco.
The Golden Gate bridge came into view last week as he went on to achieve a second transcon – or ‘Lazcon’!
‘My body needs to rest and heal’
Writing in his own inimitable style on Facebook, he described the emotions on the final stage of the journey: “i was surprised to see several people there at the bridge,
and others joining us as we went across.
after all the anticipation,
the actual crossing was (as usual) almost anticlimactic….
.
“the bridge was high,
and i preferred to stay as far inside as possible.
i was sure not a potential jumper!
actually it was more enjoyable to talk to the people who had come out to walk.
they were more interesting,
and i had been walking alone with my thoughts for a long time!
.
“up over one last rise,
and i finally saw the pacific for the first time.
then it was down to the beach to stick my walking stick in the ocean…
.
“and then sit down and try to grasp the fact that it was over.
.
“the rest of the day has been spent trying to get used to two things…
one is that i dont have to hurry any more.
the other is that i can’t…
,
“and i knew to expect this from the last time.
once the pressure is gone,
the body just kind of shuts down.
things (like that ankle) that had performed admirably this morning
were no longer going to suck it up and work.
.
“my body needs to rest and heal
and now it is going to demand it!
.
“i owe it that much.”
