Dean Karnazes is a prominent ultramarathon runner renowned for his remarkable endurance feats including running 350 miles without sleep winning multiple ultramarathons and completing 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days.
Born in California to Greek parents his love for running was evident from kindergarten and led him to numerous achievements in long-distance running from a young age.
Despite facing criticism for self-promotion Karnazes has received awards from Competitor magazine and ESPN.
Apart from running he has authored books founded Energy Well Natural Foods and opened a frozen yogurt shop.
Married to Julie with whom he has children Karnazes continues to inspire many with his incredible stamina and dedication to running.
Below you will find some of the inspiring quotes by Dean Karnazes.
Best Dean Karnazes Quotes
Sometimes you’ve got to go through hell to get to heaven. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Life is a series of obstacles and setbacks; living is overcoming them. ~ Dean Karnazes.
I didn’t go up there to die, I went up there to live. ~ Dean Karnazes.
I run because it always takes me where I want to go. ~ Dean Karnazes.
I run to breathe the fresh air. I run to explore. I run to escape the ordinary. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Running is about finding your inner peace, and so is a life well lived. ~ Dean Karnazes.
We have killed our souls with comfort instead of seeking fulfillment and achievement. ~ Dean Karnazes.
The only one who can tell you “You can’t” is you. And you don’t have to listen. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Pain is the body’s way of ridding itself of weakness. ~ Dean Karnazes.
When all else fails, start running! ~ Dean Karnazes.
Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Go out hard and finish harder. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Famous Dean Karnazes Quotes
The human body is capable of amazing physical deeds. If we could just free ourselves from our perceived limitations and tap into our internal fire, the possibilities are endless. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Endurance running was my passion, my ride. So here, I was in the driver’s seat, running for two days straight pushing the mental and physical limits striving to be better, to go farther, to give more. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Don’t run with your legs, run with your heart. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Running is a simple, primitive act, and therein lays its power. For it is one of the few commonalities left between us as a human race. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Don’t confuse comfort with happiness. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Once you permit yourself to compromise, you fail yourself. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Top Dean Karnazes Quotes
Running back-to-back races requires a certain tactical prudence. Going too hard in any one race might jeopardize your performance in another. Maintaining proper hydration and caloric equilibrium also becomes increasingly critical. ~ Dean Karnazes.
I love to run and I have some tips to keep it fresh and novel. I rarely use the same route twice. That keeps things new. ~ Dean Karnazes.
A lot of ultramarathoners are soloists. They’re single and live lives off the grid. ~ Dean Karnazes.
I run because long after my footprints fade away, maybe I will have inspired a few to reject the easy path, hit the trails, put one foot in front of the other, and come to the same conclusion I did: I run because it always takes me where I want to go. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Toeing the starting line of a marathon, regardless of the language you speak, the God you worship or the color of your skin, we all stand as equal. Perhaps the world would be a better place if more people ran. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Adventure books are my personal favorites. ‘The Endurance,’ a story about Ernest Shackleton’s legendary Antarctica expedition, or ‘Into Thin Air,’ Jon Krakauer’s personal account of the 1996 disaster on Mt Everest, are two notables. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Runners are competitive folks. I think some might feel slighted they haven’t got more recognition. I think they have a point. In running, you won’t necessarily get noticed just for turning in good performances. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Sure I’m cut but not for the sake of vanity… ~ Dean Karnazes.
I have my whole office set-up at waist level; I don’t sit at all during the day. Sitting, to me, is the devil. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Inspiring Dean Karnazes Quotes
I never feel more alive than when I’m in great pain, struggling against insurmountable odds and untold adversity. Hardship? Suffering? Bring it! ~ Dean Karnazes.
If you keep chasing your dreams, one day you’ll catch them. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Struggling and suffering are the essence of a life worth living. If you’re not pushing yourself beyond the comfort zone, if you’re not demanding more from yourself – expanding and learning as you go – you’re choosing a numb existence. You’re denying yourself an extraordinary trip. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Even if you’re inches away from the finish, never take success for granted. ~ Dean Karnazes.
The human body has limitations. The human spirit is boundless. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Listen to everyone, follow no one. ~ Dean Karnazes.
If it felt good, you didn’t push hard enough. It’s supposed to hurt like hell. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Want a strong, solid relationship that is willing to go the distance? Get to know your running shoes. ~ Dean Karnazes.
When I ran across America, for 75 days I ate 10,000 calories a day. I still lost about five pounds. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Inspirational Dean Karnazes Quotes
You cannot grow and expand your capabilities without running the risk of failure. ~ Dean Karnazes.
I run with a credit card and a cell phone, so when there is not a 7-Eleven around, like some of the country roads out there, I can get him to deliver a pizza to me. And I kind of give them a coordinate, a corner. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Regardless of how distant your dreams may seem, every second counts. ~ Dean Karnazes.
There is magic in misery. Just ask any runner. ~ Dean Karnazes.
You cannot grow and expand your capabilities to their limits without running the risk of failure. And failure can provide invaluable lessons. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Any goal worth achieving involves an element of risk. ~ Dean Karnazes.
I love surfing, rock climbing, cycling – all that stuff. But it’s just amazing that I can inspire people with my running. It’s humbling, really. ~ Dean Karnazes.
I’ve raced on all seven continents at least twice. I’ve probably run thousands of races. But the single race that I’m most proud is a 10K. Yes, a 10K. I ran it with my daughter on her 10th birthday. ~ Dean Karnazes.
For me, as for so many runners, there really are no finish lines. Runs end; running doesn’t. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Motivational Dean Karnazes Quotes
If you just go out there and run 100 miles, it breaks down a lot of barriers in terms of self-imposed limitations. ~ Dean Karnazes.
I have an ElliptiGO. It’s a standup bicycle. You don’t pedal; you stride on it. It allows me to have the same striding motion as running without the impact. ~ Dean Karnazes.
The marathon is an opportunity for redemption. Opportunity, because the outcome is uncertain. Opportunity, because it is up to you, and only you, to make it happen. ~ Dean Karnazes.
I have found my church, and it is at the end of a long trail on a distant mountainship. It is there that I feel most at peace, entirely content and whole. ~ Dean Karnazes.
If you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon. If you want to talk to God, run an ultra. ~ Dean Karnazes.
I do a lot of marathons as training runs. If I’m somewhere and there’s a marathon, I’ll sign up and just go run it. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Most people never get there. They’re afraid or unwilling to demand enough of themselves and take the easy road, the path of least resistance. But struggling and suffering, as I now saw it, were the essence of a life worth living. If you’re not pushing yourself beyond the comfort zone, if you’re not constantly demanding more from yourself – expanding and learning as you go – you’re choosing a numb existence. You’re denying yourself an extraordinary trip. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is the one who endures that the final victory comes. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Most dreams die a slow death. They’re conceived in a moment of passion, with the prospect of endless possibility, but often languish and are not pursued with the same heartfelt intensity as when first born. Slowly, subtly, a dream becomes elusive and ephemeral. People who’ve lost their own dreams become pessimists and cynics. They feel like the time and devotion spent on chasing their dreams were wasted. The emotional scars last forever. ~ Dean Karnazes.
When we pass them, show no signs of weakness. Look strong. ~ Dean Karnazes.
How to run an ultramarathon? Puff out your chest, put one foot in front of the other, and don’t stop till you cross the finish line. ~ Dean Karnazes.
I started running to escape the memories that drinking couldn’t cover up. ~ Dean Karnazes.
Some seek the comfort of their therapist’s office, other head to the corner pub and dive into a pint, but I chose running as my therapy. ~ Dean Karnazes.
So these were the 62 top Dean Karnazes quotes and sayings.
If you like these quotes and sayings, then you can also read my other posts on David Jeremiah quotes and Dallas Willard quotes.
