The Atlas Obscura Podcast · Thursday, July 9, 2026
Dean Karnazes described his career shift to ultra-marathoning as a moment of profound "divine intervention." After impulsively starting a 30-mile run on his 30th birthday, he experienced a moment of clarity on a dark road, realizing his true calling.
“No, I, you know, I started sobering up, uh, you know, about 10 miles down the road. And, um, you know, it was the middle of the night, you know, on this back country road and, um, you know, I could see SF O and the distance, you know, San Francisco airport with the flights taking on the runway lights and, and I looked up and I remember seeing the stars in the heavens and, and it was as though God spoke to me and just said, dude, you're a runner. Be who you are. Just run.”
“And I thought, wow, that was kind of like a divine intervention. It kind of said, just do what you love and you'll be fulfilled.”