Lazarus Lake, the mastermind behind some of the toughest and quirkiest ultramarathons in the world, is a name that both inspires and terrifies runners. From the notorious Barkley Marathons to the relentless Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra, his races test not just physical endurance but also the sheer willpower of those who dare to take them on.
But who exactly is Lazarus Lake? What drives him to create races that border on impossible? And why do runners keep coming back for more, despite the near-certain likelihood of failure?
Let’s dive into the world of Lazarus Lake—also known as Gary Cantrell—and explore the mind behind these legendary events.
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Who is Lazarus Lake?
Lazarus Lake is the pseudonym of Gary Cantrell, an ultrarunning legend and race director responsible for designing some of the hardest endurance races ever attempted.
His events are infamous for their difficulty, unpredictability, and often bizarre entry requirements. Lake has built a reputation as an innovator in ultrarunning, blending grueling challenges with a unique sense of humor.
The alias “Lazarus Lake” came about in the mid-1980s when Cantrell stumbled across the name in a phone book during a journey run. Finding it amusing, he adopted it as an email handle and, over time, it simply stuck.
Now, most people in the ultrarunning world know him as “Laz.”
“On a journey run, you do the three Rs—run, rest, and refuel. I was doing my 5 minutes of resting when I saw the name ‘Lazarus Lake’ and thought it sounded pretty cool,” he said.
Lake was born in 1954 and grew up moving frequently due to his father’s military career. He later attended Middle Tennessee State University, where he studied accounting. It was there that he met his wife, Sandra, who also pursued accounting. The two went on to have three children and several grandchildren.
Before becoming a full-time race director, Laz worked as an accountant for 35 years before retiring in 2011. However, he has often joked that he “failed at retirement” as his involvement in the ultrarunning world only grew after stepping away from accounting.
Is Lazarus Lake a Runner?
Yes. While he may be better known for creating ultra races, Lazarus Lake started as a competitive runner himself. In high school, he wanted to play football but was deemed too small. Instead, he turned to running, where his endurance became his strength.
He ran multiple marathons each year and logged up to 140-mile weeks in college. While he was never an elite runner, he loved the sport and transitioned into race organizing when he realized he was better at designing races than competing in them.
Although he no longer runs due to health reasons, Lake still walks thousands of miles annually. In 2018, he completed a cross-country walk from Rhode Island to Oregon, covering over 3,300 miles.
What Races Does Lazarus Lake Direct?
Lazarus Lake has created and directed several of the most challenging ultramarathons on the planet, including:
- The Barkley Marathons – A brutal, five-loop, 100+ mile race in Tennessee’s Frozen Head State Park. Only 20 runners have ever finished since its inception in 1986.
- Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra – A last-runner-standing event where participants must complete a 4.167-mile loop every hour until only one remains.
- Vol State 500K – A grueling 314-mile race across Tennessee.
- Heart of the South Road Race – A mysterious, self-supported ultra that changes routes every year.
- Strolling Jim 40 – One of the first ultramarathons in the U.S.
- Barkley Fall Classic – A more “manageable” version of the Barkley Marathons, though still incredibly tough.
- Race Across Tennessee (GVRAT) – A virtual race that became hugely popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, challenging runners to cover 1,000 kilometers.
- Race for the Ages – A unique timed race where a runner’s age determines how much time they get to run, giving older competitors a chance to outlast younger ones.
- Bitter End 100 – An ultramarathon designed to push runners to their absolute limits, featuring brutal terrain and extreme weather conditions.
- The Idiot’s Run – A 123-mile race entirely on gravel roads, known for torturing runners’ feet over its grueling distance.
- The Circumpolar Race Around the World (CRAW) – A global team-based endurance challenge that takes participants on a virtual race covering over 30,000 miles around the world.
- Nick Marshal 24-Hour Track Race – A grueling track event that tests a runner’s ability to endure monotonous loops for an entire day.
Why Did Lazarus Lake Create the Barkley Marathons?
The Barkley Marathons was inspired by the failed 1977 prison escape of James Earl Ray, the assassin of Martin Luther King Jr. Ray spent 55 hours in the rugged wilderness of Frozen Head State Park but only managed to travel eight miles before being caught.
Hearing this, Cantrell—familiar with the area—laughed, believing he could cover at least 100 miles in the same amount of time. From this idea, the Barkley Marathons was born: a race designed to be so difficult that finishing it would be nearly impossible.
To this day, the race remains one of the toughest ultramarathons ever conceived, with no aid stations, no GPS, and a deliberately unclear start time, signaled only by the sound of a conch one hour before and Laz lighting a cigarette at go time.
2025 Barkley Marathons
The 2025 Barkley Marathons began at 11:37 A.M. Eastern on March 18, 2025, at Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee. Race founder Gary “Lazarus Lake” Cantrell marked the start by lighting a cigarette, a traditional signal for this notoriously challenging ultramarathon.
Notable Participants
This year’s lineup includes several prominent ultrarunners:
- John Kelly: A three-time Barkley finisher, Kelly aims to join Jared Campbell as the only individuals to complete the race four times.
- Aurélien Sanchez: The first finisher in 2023, Sanchez returns after a previous attempt where he was ‘tapped out’ on the third loop.
- Max King: Making his Barkley debut, King is the 2024 Dragon’s Back winner, a six-day race in Wales known for its tough terrain.
- Claire Bannwarth: A French ultrarunner and two-time Spine Race winner, Bannwarth is among the female participants striving to emulate Jasmin Paris’s historic finish in 2024.
Weather Forecast
Looking ahead, participants may face high winds and freezing temperatures, adding to the race’s inherent challenges. Such conditions could significantly impact the runners’ progress and the overall completion rate.
Historical Context
The Barkley Marathons have seen an unprecedented number of finishers in recent years, with three in 2023 and a record five in 2024, including the first female finisher, Jasmin Paris. These developments have sparked discussions about the race’s evolving difficulty and the potential for the course to “bite back” this year.
As the 2025 Barkley Marathons unfold, the ultrarunning community watches closely to see how these factors will influence the outcomes and whether any participants will overcome the formidable challenges to finish this legendary race.
🔴 Follow Our Live Updates: The 2025 Barkley Marathons
So, Why Do People Love Lazarus Lake’s Races?
Despite their brutal difficulty, runners flock to Lazarus Lake’s races year after year. Why? Because they offer something rare: a true test of endurance, resilience, and spirit.
Laz doesn’t design races for people to win easily. He creates them so people can find out what they’re truly made of. And whether they finish or not, every participant walks away with a deeper understanding of themselves.
As Laz puts it: “Your job as a race director is to provide a platform for runners to find greatness in themselves. If they do that, they walk off feeling like winners.”
For many, that’s more valuable than any medal or prize money could ever be.
