The Atlas Obscura Podcast · Thursday, July 9, 2026
Ultra-marathoner Dean Karnazes shared that a life-changing moment on his 30th birthday, fueled by bad tequila, led him to quit his corporate job. He recounted a 30-mile run he impulsively started after leaving a bar, which solidified his decision to pursue a life of adventure and endurance running.
“Well, I walked out of a bar, uh, in San Francisco, high end tequila and said, I'm going to run 30 miles to celebrate instead of having another round of tequila to celebrate.”
“Quit my corporate job and that was three decades ago.”
“I kind of hated my life. I was a corporate businessman, and I kind of did everything I thought would bring me happiness, fulfillment. I, you know, went to good college, went to business school, I landed a great corporate job, you know, stock options, uh, you know, 401k matching, everything that's supposed to make you happy. And I was just empty inside.”