Octagon Speakers

An internationally recognized endurance athlete and New York Times bestselling author, Dean Karnazes (www.UltramarathonMan.com) has pushed his body and mind to inconceivable limits.  TIME magazine named him as one of the “Top 100 Most Influential People in the World,” Men’s Fitness hailed him as the fittest man on the planet and he was the winner of the 2008 ESPY Award for “Best Outdoor Athlete.”

Among his many accomplishments, he has run 350 continuous miles, foregoing sleep for three nights. He’s run across Death Valley in 120-degree temperatures, and run a marathon to the South Pole in negative 40 degrees. On ten different occasions, he’s run a 200-mile relay race solo, racing alongside teams of twelve. His long list of competitive achievements include winning the world’s toughest footrace, the Badwater Ultramarathon, running 135 miles nonstop across Death Valley during the middle of summer.  His most recent endeavor was running 50 marathons, in all 50 US states, in 50 consecutive days, finishing with the NYC Marathon, which he ran in three hours flat.

As an author, his first book was Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner.  His 50-marathon feat was the basis for 50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days -- and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance!  And on March 1, Rodale Books will publish Run! 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss, Karnazes's new inspirational memoir, told in 26.2 chapters that take readers inside the heart and mind of someone who pushes himself to the limits of physical achievement.