We’ve got the latest updates from the mastermind behind the Barkley Marathons, Lazarus Lake, as he takes on Lazcon, his walk across America.
Recently passing through the Alleghenies and making his way past Cincinnati, Ohio, he’s now approaching the Indiana border, marking nearly 40 days into his incredible journey that began on April Fool’s Day.
Originally aiming to complete his trek in 150 days, concluding in August for his 70th birthday, Lazarus now anticipates a finish date closer to October, as reported by Jared Beazley, a writer and friend who crewed Laz for 10 days in April.
This is due to various health challenges, including a blocked femoral artery, Graves’ Disease, and even a makeshift remedy of cutting a hole in his shoe for a troublesome toenail.
From the shores of the Atlantic to the rugged terrain of the Alleghenies, Lazarus has conquered diverse landscapes, all with a supportive community following and documenting his every step.
Here are some of the latest updates on Laz’s epic adventure from his Facebook group, which he posts on regularly:
May 8, 2024
I can’t believe it is 2030 already.
the days go so fast.
the only time to relax is during the actual walking.
then all i have to do is keep moving
stay under control
and don’t get hurt.
nothing i can do on any individual day can effect my attempt
unless it is negative.
Look and observe
take photos
think about what i am seeing.
the road is the only place there is no pressure…
Except i am going too slow and need to go faster.
It doesn’t sound like much.
Walk across the country.
but it is hard.
Today was a sweet day.
we reached cincinnati.
even after all we have done
even as close as it felt like we were
It still took a long time to reach the real city of cincinnati.
God,
I can’t believe it is 2140.
May 6, 2024
I reached a landmark today!
the end of the allegheny plateau came with a bang.
It was still pretty early in the morning when we reached measley ridge.
It wasn’t a huge climb from the plateau side,
but when we reached the top it had the best rock cuts we had seen in several days,
and the view out in front of us was almost as stirring as when i topped the last of the allegheny mountains and looked down at the hills of the plateau.
It didn’t mean there were no more climbs.
it wasn’t that long before i went down into a deep river valley
and had a pretty stiff climb out of that.
but the rest of the day we were passing thru rolling farmland.
May 5, 2024
Moving day.
it is moving day again.
i wake up tired.
dress
fix my feet
pack my stuff that i just unpacked last night
we load up and head out.
Every day is moving day.
where will i stay tonight?
what will we eat?
Every day is a race.
get up early and get out on the road.
fight for every mile on weary legs.
walk thru the rain
walk in the sun
walk when it is cold
walk when it is hot.
Early in the afternoon we made the ascent of union hill,
the biggest climb in ohio so far
before sitting down for a hasty lunch
interrupted by yet another rain
then spent the rest of the afternoon finally walking under clouds that decided not to dump on us! The most amazing thing about this trek has been the number of people who have contributed.
i cant even try to name all the people who have pitched in one way or another
but i can tell you i would not be 700 miles down the road without them.
the crew chiefs, tho,
i have come to rely on them to take care of pretty much everything that needs to be done
coordinating everyone else,
(including moving day!)
as my own ability to focus has gradually shrunk to just the map and the miles.
