The Endurance Artist sheds light on the creator of ultrarunning’s iconic races, the Barkley Marathons and Big’s Backyard Ultra
Updated October 10, 2025: 80/20 Publishing and author Jared Beasley announce a book tour featuring The Endurance Artist: Lazarus Lake, The Barkley, and a Race with No End, the first authorized biography of “Lazarus Lake,” the enigmatic creator of two of the world’s most difficult ultramarathons, the Barkley Marathons, and Big’s Backyard Ultra. The book tour includes a dozen free and ticketed events in Tennessee, Alabama, Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
In The Endurance Artist, author and journalist Jared Beasley embeds himself in the backwoods culture of the Barkley Marathons and Big’s Backyard Ultra to shine light on their elusive race director, the man known as Lazarus Lake.
As the first biography authorized by Laz himself, The Endurance Artist offers runners an unprecedented, fascinating, insider view into the man behind ultrarunning’s most feared and revered races. Through in-depth reporting and interviews with Gary Cantrell and his inner circle, Beasley reveals how this iconoclastic innovator has upended beliefs about human endurance, failure, and redemption—and pushed the world’s toughest runners to new limits.
The Trail Running Film Festival, Nashville with Harvey Lewis and Jared Beasley presented by UltraSignup and HardWin Adventures
Saturday, September 6th at 4 pm CDT
Percy Warner Park
50 Vaughn Rd, Nashville, TN 37221
Tickets required from Ultrasignup. More info
Join author Jared Beasley and special guest Harvey Lewis for a conversation on The Endurance Artist. Enjoy a selection of trailrunning films as they tour the globe, while getting a sneak peak into the making of Beasley’s latest book, the grueling nature of Backyards, and Harvey Lewis’s personal journey. Tickets required.
The Endurance Artist with Lazarus Lake, Jared Beasley, and David Callahan presented by Hoka, Fleet Feet, Parnassus Books, and UltraSignup
Wednesday, September 10th at 6:00 p.m. CDT
Clementine Hall
4710 Charlotte Ave, Nashville, TN 37209
Tickets required from UltraSignup. More info
Join fellow runners and ultrarunners for an evening filled with incredible conversation between ultrarunning’s iconic race director, Lazarus Lake and author and journalist Jared Beasley, moderated by UltraSignup’s David Callahan. This event launches The Endurance Artist book tour in an intimate, 300-seat venue for an unforgettable evening. Book signing and special giveaways. Tickets required.
Book Talk and Book Signing with Lazarus Lake, Jared Beasley, and Rob Apple presented by Ultrasignup and Fleet Feet
Friday, September 12th at 6:00 p.m. CDT
Barnes & Noble Booksellers
2615 Medical Center Pkwy, Murfreesboro, TN 37129
Tickets required from UltraSignup. More info
The second of two scheduled talks with Lazarus Lake, join author Jared Beasley with special guest Rob Apple, the most prolific ultrarunner in history with 725 ultras run. Book signing and special giveaways. Tickets required.
Book Talk and Book Signing with Lazarus Lake and Jared Beasley, presented by Fleet Feet
Sunday, September 14th at 6:00 p.m. CDT
Monte Sano Mountain Lodge
5105 Nolen Ave. Huntsville, AL 35801
Join fellow runners after the Fleet Feet Trailhead 5k for a rare evening with ultrarunning’s iconic race director, Lazarus Lake, and author and journalist Jared Beasley, moderated by Behind the Bib podcaster Lisa Watkins. Set in the spectacular Monte Sano Mountain Lodge, this intimate event will give attendees a chance to get the book two days before its official release date and have their copies signed by Laz and the author. No tickets required.
Book Talk and Book Signing with Jared Beasley presented by Fleet Feet
Monday, September 15th at 6 pm CDT
2750 Carl T Jones Dr SE Ste 750, Huntsville, AL 35802
Come for a run with the author. Book signing and special giveaways. This event is free and open to the public with no registration required.
Book Talk and Book Signing with Jared Beasley presented by Wagner’s RunWalk
Tuesday, September 16th at 12:00 p.m. EDT
Wagner’s RunWalk
420 Queen City Avenue, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Celebrate the official publication release of The Endurance Artist with author Jared Beasley. Book signing and special giveaways. A trail run in the afternoon. This event is free and open to the public with no registration required.
“Five Years with Laz” Book Talk with Jared Beasley presented by Fleet Feet
Tuesday, September 16th at 6 p.m. CDT
Fleet Feet
3060 Healthy Way Ste 100, Birmingham, AL 35243
Stop in for the official launch night of The Endurance Artist with author Jared Beasley presented by Fleet Feet Birmingham. Come hear about getting to know the infamous ultrarunning race director Lazarus Lake at the Barkley Marathons, the Backyard Ultra World Championship, and as crew for his “Walk Across America.” Book signing and special giveaways. This event is free and open to the public.
Book Signing at the Barkley Fall Classic 50K Trail Ultramarathon presented by Union Avenue Books, Knoxville
Friday, September 19th, 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, September 20th, 5:00 a.m. – 8:20 p.m. EDT
Brushy Mountain State Prison
9182 TN-116, Petros, TN 37845 More info
Meet author Jared Beasley and Lazarus Lake during packet pickup for the Barkley Fall Classic at the iconic Brushy Mountain State Prison. Books available for signing and sale. Registration is not needed to spectate or attend. Advance registration required to participate in the race. A catered dinner will be served for entrants from 4 pm to 7 pm.
Book Talk and Book Signing with Jared Beasley
Saturday September 27th, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. EDT
Barnes & Noble Booksellers
1145 High Ridge Road, Stamford, CT 06905
Meet Jared Beasley, author of The Endurance Artist, and hear about ultrarunning, Lazarus Lake and his infamous Barkley Marathons and the Backyard Ultra movement. This event is free and open to the public.
Book Signing with Jared Beasley
Saturday October 4th, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EDT
Barnes & Noble Booksellers
55-59 S. Moger Avenue, Mount Kisco, NY 10549
Meet Jared Beasley, author of The Endurance Artist, and hear stories from Out There!! Get signed copies of Beasley’s new narrative nonfiction dive into Lazarus Lake, his infamous Barkley Marathons and the Backyard Ultra movement. This event is free and open to the public.
Book Talk and Signing with Jared Beasley
Saturday October 11th, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. EDT
Arcadian Shop
91 Pittsfield Rd, Lenox, MA 01240
Come to the hub of all things trail in the Berkshires to hear author and journalist Jared Beasley tell stories from Out There!! Get signed copies of Beasley’s new narrative nonfiction dive into Lazarus Lake, his infamous Barkley Marathons and the Backyard Ultra movement. This event is free and open to the public. Snacks and drinks provided.
Recorded Interview & Book Auction with Jared Beasley and Lazarus Lake
Saturday, October 18th
Big’s Backyard World Championship
Releases during live coverage of Big’s Backyard Ultra World Championship on the Backyard Ultra YouTube Channel.
Book Talk and Book Signing with Jared Beasley and “Gagz” Gagliardi
November 4th, 6:00 p.m. EST
Philadelphia Runner
1711 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19103 More info
Meet author Jared Beasley at Philadelphia’s well-known running store during this free, public event. Books available for signing and sale as well as special giveaways. With special guest and local running legend Michael “Gagz” Gagliardi. Run to follow. This event is free and open to the public with no registration required.
The Endurance Artist with Jared Beasley presented by Bull City Running, Fleet Feet, and Little River Trail Runs
November 20th, 6:30 p.m. EST
Bull City Running
202 W N Carolina Highway 54 Ste 109, Durham, NC 27713
Meet author Jared Beasley for a slideshow and lively discussion about ultrarunning, Gary Cantrell, the Barkley Marathons, and Big’s Backyard Ultra. Books available for signing and sale. This event is free and open to the public with no registration required.
The Endurance Artist with Jared Beasley presented by Pace Yourself Run Co. and The Country Bookshop
November 21st, 6:00 p.m. EST
Pace Yourself Run Co.
205 NE Broad St, Southern Pines, NC 28387 More info
Meet author Jared Beasley for a slideshow and lively discussion about ultrarunning, Gary Cantrell, the Barkley Marathons, and Big’s Backyard Ultra. Books available for signing and sale. This event is free and open to the public with no registration required.
The Endurance Artist Book Talk and Book Signing with Jared Beasley
November 28th, 12:00 p.m. EST
Litchfield Bookstore
11421 Ocean Hwy Unit D, Pawleys Island, SC 29585 More info
Meet author Jared Beasley to learn about ultrarunning, the Barkley Marathons, the backyard ultrarunning movement during this free event, open to the public. Slideshow and special giveaways. Books available for signing and sale.
The Endurance Artist Book Talk and Book Signing presented by Howe2Run
December 3rd, 6:00 p.m. EST
11 Gateway Blvd S Ste 54, Savannah, GA 31419 More info
Meet author Jared Beasley to learn about ultrarunning, the Barkley Marathons, the backyard ultrarunning movement during this free event, open to the public. Slideshow and special giveaways. Books available for signing and sale.
The Endurance Artist Book Talk and Book Signing with Jared Beasley
December 4th, 6:00 p.m. EST
The Itinerant Literate Bookstop
4824 Chateau Ave, N Charleston, South Carolina 29405
More info
Meet author Jared Beasley to learn about ultrarunning, the Barkley Marathons, the backyard ultrarunning movement during this free event, open to the public. Slideshow and special giveaways. Books available for signing and sale.
The Endurance Artist Book Talk and Book Signing with Jared Beasley
December 8th, 6:00 p.m. EST
Tidal Creek Brewhouse
3421 Knoles Street (corner of Johnson), Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Meet author Jared Beasley to learn about ultrarunning, the Barkley Marathons, the backyard ultrarunning movement during this free event, open to the public. Books available for signing and sale. Slideshow.
J. Anderson’s Books presented by NewRo Runners
January 10th, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. EST
96 Chatsworth Ave Ste 1, Larchmont, NY 10538
Meet author Jared Beasley to learn about ultrarunning, the Barkley Marathons, the backyard ultrarunning movement during this free event, open to the public. Slideshow and special giveaways. Books available for signing and sale.
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ULTRARUNNING TRENDS
The publication of The Endurance Artist is timed with the worldwide surging popularity of ultrarunning and trail running–and with Gary Cantrell’s 2025 Backyard Ultra Individual World Championship scheduled to start on October 18 in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. Ultrarunning has boomed 345% over the past ten years, with explosive 772% growth in the number of ultramarathon races, according to iRunFar. Recreational trail running jumped to 14.8 million participants in the U.S. in 2023, a one-year growth of 12% over the prior year, according to SFIA. Growth in these activities comes on the heels of an extended boom in marathon and half-marathon participation dating back to 2010 with a surge in 2016 after the publication of Christopher McDougall’s best-seller Born to Run and another jump during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today’s ultrarunners are past marathoners who are seeking new challenges and the enjoyment of running through natural, scenic terrain.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jared Beasley is an author and journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Runner’s World, Trail Runner, Canadian Running, and Ultrarunning. His book In Search of Al Howie earned a Kirkus starred review for literary merit and was selected by Kirkus as one of the best indie books of 2019. Beasley lives in New York City. Learn more at jaredbeasleyny.com.
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
80/20 Publishing is a boutique publisher specializing in works that explore the world of endurance sports–from the science of training to inspiring stories. Built on the success of best-selling author and coach Matt Fitzgerald and his partnership with 80/20 Endurance, our catalog of guides taps world-leading experts, coaches, and writers to chart a course toward better performance, deeper passion, and a richer understanding of the human spirit. Learn more at 8020books.com.
MEDIA & EVENT CONTACT
Beasley and Cantrell are available for in-person and virtual events and speaking engagements, as well as interviews in print, podcast, and video. Media review copies of The Endurance Artist are available for a limited time. Excerpts from the book are available for republication in print and online with advance, written permission of the publisher.
Renee Jardine
Publisher
80/20 Publishing
renee@8020books.com