Lazarus Lake

rdf:langString Lazarus Lake

rdf:langString Lazarus Lake

rdf:langString Lazarus Lake

rdf:langString Gary Cantrell

rdf:langString Laz lights a cigarette to signal the start of the Barkley Marathons in 2009

rdf:langString Gary Cantrell, known as Lazarus "Laz" Lake, is an endurance race designer and director. His races include the Barkley Marathons, Big's Backyard Ultra, Barkley Fall Classic, Vol State 500K, and Strolling Jim 40. In 2018, Lake covered the United States on foot, starting in Rhode Island and ending in Oregon. A largely fringe figure known only within the world of ultrarunning, Cantrell gained worldwide recognition following a 2014 documentary called The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young. His races are known to be especially grueling. Trail Runner magazine called him an "evil genius," "The Leonardo da Vinci of pain," "A master of sadomasochistic craft." Yet, his races have developed an almost cult-like following. The Bitter Southerner magazine described Cantrell as a "Bearded Saint. The Godfather of the Woods." In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he organized the Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee (#GVRAT), which started on May 1 and ended four months later. During that period (123 days), the more than 19,000 participants - from all over the world - averaged over 5 miles per day to run (virtually from their hometown/country) a total of 635miles / 1021 km, and so crossing virtually the entire state of Tennessee. That same year, he held the first Big Dog's Backyard Satellite Team Championship, where 25 countries competed against one another remotely from their respective homelands. By 2022, the number had ballooned to 37 countries, which The New York Times called "an international battle royale," encompassing "qualifiers, hype videos and a livestream broadcast." He lives with his wife Sandra in Bell Buckle, Tennessee.

rdf:langString Gary Cantrell