Hey everybody! Recently my good friend Bart Yasso was off running the famed Comrades Marathon. He left an absence in his seat at the Pure Fit Radio podcast. Chuck Engle (no relation) asked me if I would give him an interview on the show, and then hang around and fill in for Bart afterward. I happily obliged. He and I talked about Running the Sahara, Running America and how everyone always gets us confused. We got a chance to interview a fellow ultrarunner, Scott Jurek. We talked with Scott about his newly set american 24 running record. All in all, it was a great time and I enjoyed chatting about running.

You can download the episode here: http://www.purefitradio.com/programwave/programs/PFR-05-30-2010.mp3

News 14 Carolina did a feature story on the Running America movie debut. They even put together a little video with the story, which includes an interview with me at the premiere. Be sure to read the story, watch the video and share it with your friends.

Here is the link: http://news14.com/charlotte-news-104-content/top_stories/626094/ultra-runner-charlie-engle-debuts-latest-movie

Hey everybody, it has been a little while since my last post. I have been busy traveling and training. I do want to be sure to announce that I will be at the Running the Sahara screening on May 13th in Pittsburgh, PA. You can purchase tickets for the event at the Nehst studio site here: http://store.nehst.com/rtsscr51310pa.html.

Even for those of you who have seen the movie already, if you are in the area you should come by. I will be there to answer questions and meet everyone in person. That is something you don’t get on the DVD. Also, Nehst studio is arranging for every attendee to get a digital download of the Running the Sahara movie, so you can watch it on your computer.

Anyhow, if you are in Pittsburgh, come by and see Running the Sahara.

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Here is the event data for those curious about details:

Meet Ultra Marathoner Charlie Engle at the Pittsburgh Premiere of Running the Sahara.

Your ticket includes admission to the screening, virtual swag bag with free movie download, and a post film Q & A with Ultra Marathoner Charlie Engle. Charlie will be available to sign autographs.

Advance online tickets will be available up to 5:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, May 13, 2010. At the door tickets are $25.00 and do not include the virtual swag bag.

Theater: Southside Works Cinemas
Theater Address: 425 Cinema Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15203
Phone: (877) 286-7610
Website: Southside Works Cinemas
Show Date: Thursday, May 13, 2010
Start Time: 7:00 PM
Runtime: 102 min.
Genre: Documentary
Language: English
Talent: Charlie Engle

Nehst Studios has released the first Official Running America movie trailer. I attended a premiere the other day in Pittsburgh, PA and the movie was exciting to see on a big screen with a theater full of people. For those of you who don’t have the ability to see it on the screen, you can at very least get a taste for the film through this trailer. It is very well cut, and paints a beautiful picture for the full length movie.
You can purchase a DVD copy or buy box office tickets on the Running America homepage.

Now I am less than 24 hours from the start and I am actually freaking out a bit. But I actually love the feeling. What could be more exhilarating than trying something that almost certainly will end in failure. It causes me to examine the reasons behind my adventures. Ego is useless at times like this. Humility needs to dominate. Gratitude is the overwhelming feeling right now. I am lucky to be sober, lucky to be going out in the woods for a test of will, lucky to have kids that are wonderful, lucky to be loved by an amazing woman. In short, I am lucky just to have the chance to suffer. In this way, I know that I am truly living.

My girlfriend Norma arrives today to support me. She will be updating on Facebook and Twitter when she can. There is not much of a signal and runners are actually gone for up to 12 hours at a time so information is in short supply sometimes. Thanks to all of you for your amazing support.

Barkley Marathons

Frozen Head State Park, Tennessee



I have been running and racing and adventuring (is that a word?) for a very long time. I like to think that I have a pretty good perspective on the world. I don’t take myself or my running too seriously. I try not to complain too much about my aches and pains because I choose to do these events so complaining about it doesn’t make sense. I think that I have a good way with words when describing how I feel and what I am experiencing.

All that said, let me just say these two urgent words; HELP ME!!!

I have spent the past couple of days in Frozen Head State Park, Tennessee. I have been trying to learn around some of the trails in the park. This is the location of the Barkley Marathons. There is a story behind the name and the fact that it is plural but I will tell that one later.

The Barkley is a 100+ mile adventure. Here are a few basic facts.

- Barkley is actually 5 loops of about 26 miles per loop

- The course is unmarked and changes every year

- There is more than 52,000 feet of climbing in the Barkley and 52,000 of descending

- More than 700 runners have attempted Barkley but only 8 have ever completed the entire race

- On average, more than half of the runners will break down in tears at some point (okay I just made this one up but it seems likely)

- The race director changes the course every year specifically to prevent runners from finishing

- The race begins with the lighting of a cigarette

- Virgins (that would be me in this case) DO NOT finish this race unless they have extensive experience in Frozen Head State Park

- I am in way over my head.

Why did I think this was a good idea? I don’t know. Doesn’t it always sound good when we are sitting comfortably on the sofa? I have known of Barkley for many years and have always wanted to give it a try.

Here are a few pictures of what this weekend holds for me:






I have my checklist all made out. I have some of the best possible partners helping me these days and I am very grateful for their support and guidance.

-Mission Skincare for SPF and the all important Anti Friction lube

-Newton Running for amazing shoes

-Balega Socks keep my feet blister free and happy

-Infinit Nutrition is huge for a race like Barkley because nutrition is critical for a 60 hour race

-Princeton Tec lights the way. Darkness is a bad thing at Barkley

-I have been using a special knee brace at night that sends a low level electric charge to the knee all night. This has saved me so far this year. VQ Orthocare provides that.

I am sure there are others but I am off to Frozen Head now.

I literally JUST did this interview with Endurance Planet and they posted it. Whoa, these guys are fast.
You can listen to the interview online right here: http://www.enduranceplanet.com/charlie-engle-on-running-the-sahara We talked about Running the Sahara.
Big thanks to Kevin Patrick and the Endurance Planet crew, I really enjoyed the interview!

Beast of Burden 100 – Lockport, NY



February 27, 2010

A few months ago, I was visiting a friend in Portland and I received an email from someone I didn’t know. Basically it was an invitation to come and run a 100 miler in February. It was a first year race being put on by a novice race director. I had my finger poised above the delete button when I saw one word that caught my eye; BUFFALO!
No, not the animal, the city. In New York. Hmmmm, a 100 miler outside of Buffalo NY in February. That sounds awful. I should check it out.

Twenty minutes later I am talking on the phone to the race director, Sam Pescari. He has never directed a race before and he doesn’t have the proper permits yet. He is still working out the details of the course itself. He doesn’t own a running or triathlon shop. In fact, he’s a barber. Red flags should have been smacking me in the face because this has the makings of a disaster. But something about Sam’s enthusiasm and matter-of- fact determination kept my attention. He was passionate and excited and he really wanted me to come and run his race. I told him I would think about it. I didn’t really mean it.

A couple of weeks later, Sam called to say that he had just brought in a great new sponsor. Rohto, a Mentholatum brand that makes eye drops, has just decided to support the race. Rohto has products that are specifically designed for athletes and non athletes alike. Sam wants to know if I have made up my mind about the race. Honestly, I had decided not to run it. Too cold, too new, too many unknowns. Then I realized that I had just given myself all of the reasons that I should be doing this race. The Beast of Burden would be an adventure, a race completely out of my comfort zone. So I said yes. What had I done?

I arrived in Buffalo on Thursday afternoon. It was snowing lightly and the temperature was around 25 degrees. Not too bad really. Sam picked me up and we drove to his house in Lockport, about 45 minutes from Buffalo. Sam lives about 2 minutes from the Erie Canal towpath, the location of the race. This was the path that Sam has been running for years and a very popular path for local runners and walkers.
At Sam’s house, I met his wife and two kids, Dominic and Sarah. Everyone was very welcoming but Sarah, aged 7, seemed to be the happiest about having company. She became my helper and waitress for the weekend. And when it came to talking, I had found my equal. I loved it.
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