The Atlas Obscura Podcast · Thursday, July 9, 2026
Dean Karnazes decided to run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days after hearing about the "50 state club" from a speaker before the Boston Marathon. Intrigued by the idea of running in all 50 states, Karnazes aimed to condense the achievement, which typically takes 18 years for others, into a more dramatic and compact timeframe.
“I love exploration and travel. And I always want to see all of the US. And I was running the Boston marathon. And before the marathon, you know, they have guest speakers the day before. And I was listening to a speaker and he said, at the end of his talk, that I'm part of the 50 state club.”
“And I went up to him afterwards and I said, what is the 50 state club? He said, well, I've run a marathon in all 50 states.”
“And I thought, I don't know if I'll be alive in 18 years. So let's see if, you know, make a little more, you know, compact and, and add an element of drama, you know, and, uh, by putting a timestamp on it.”