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.
“Captivating. Irresistible. Why does anyone do this?” —Tom Foreman, Emmy-award-winning journalist, CNN
“A cast of characters as exceptional as they come.” —Marshall Ulrich, Best-selling author of Running on Empty
“Gripping. I could barely put it down! Laz emerges as a compassionate and complex character, his story is utterly fascinating. Brilliant.” —Lord Bishop Helen-Ann Hartley, 13th Bishop of Newcastle, Member of the House of Lords
“If you’re a runner—you’ll devour it. If you’re not a runner—you’ll devour it. Beasley finally delivers the tale so many of us have waited to read, a book as rambunctious, bloody and—yes, beautiful—as its subjects.” —Chris Solomon, former contributing editor at Outside magazine, writer for The New York Times, National Geographic
“A triumph! Barkley and backyard devotees around the world will delight in this definitive volume on the mastermind behind some of the world’s weirdest–and most diabolical–ultras.” —Canadian Running
“Compulsively readable; fans will devour it in one sitting.” —Anne Francis, Canadian Running
“A superb exploration of one of the most interesting people of our times.” —Jared Campbell, 4-time finisher of the Barkley Marathons
“One of the most compelling narratives to emerge from the running world in years. This book transcends the running community. This is a story about human complexity, about the paradoxes we all carry, about how the most interesting lives are often within normal people who just need to be tested beyond perceived limits.” —David Callahan, CEO of UltraSignup
“A Tour de Force! This book finally reveals many of the missing pieces of the jigsaw. A fantastic biography – worthy of its subject – and highly recommended.” —Run 247
“In The Endurance Artist, Jared Beasley dives into the stories and psychology behind Laz’s infamous races, revealing what drives runners to push beyond their limits and why we’re so fascinated by voluntary suffering. Together, they unpack how Laz’s events became legends of endurance, absurdity, and art.” —Trailhead Podcast with Zoe Rom and Brendan Leonard
“The Endurance Artist is a biography of Lazarus Lake, an American original who has designed some of the strangest endurance races in the world. Lake may be a sadist, but he isn’t a simple trickster. He’s lived an epic and full life, which has somehow made him into a savant of human agony. He’s dealt with medical torture, profound penury, and relentless pain. He’s turned it all into creation and inspiration. His story is mesmerizing and tangled—and it is expertly told in this wonderful book by Jared Beasley.” —Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic and author of The Running Ground
“Without debate, the man, Lazarus Lake, has changed the face of ultrarunning. Yet having contributed so much to the world of ultra racing, he remains an enigma. When I met Laz he seemed reserved, thoughtful, and introspective. He shared primarily antics and fun stories, a good laugh, and some thoughtful remarks. No pomp. No chest pounding. Inexplicable modesty. So when asked if I would read and write a book review of The Endurance Artist by Jared Beasley, I jumped at the offer. Honestly, I figured there wouldn’t be much I didn’t already know written in this book…I was both right and wrong. What I didn’t know was the true Laz. The Endurance Artist is an engaging compilation of the life led by both Gary Cantrell and Lazarus Lake…Cantrell’s ultrarunning innovations and his life as an endurance artist swirl the pages seamlessly… Beasley discovered…thoughts, feelings, and ‘moves’ from Laz that maybe even Laz himself didn’t think he was sharing. These insights into character both heightened and further mystified my understanding of the endurance artist, Lazarus Lake. We know the Barkley, we know Big’s. But we don’t know the depth and complexity of a man who stays out of the spotlight. That’s really what The Endurance Artist is about. Read this book. It’s amazing.” —Anita Ortiz, American Trail Running Association
“Jared Beasley spent hundreds of hours with Laz and interviewed almost everyone around him, creating a mountain of material that had to be chiseled to fit under 300 pages. On social media, Jared called the process of getting the story and writing the book “my own private Barkley.” The writing in The Endurance Artist made me visualize each scene and Jared’s similes stuck in my head. I relished all the ultrarunning history told along the way. Jared’s ability to recreate scenes based on research and interviews made me feel I was at one of Cantrell’s early odd races in the 1980s. The Endurance Artist also put me in the shoes of some of the celebrated athletes, like John Kelly or Harvey Lewis, whose stories Jared detours to tell.” —Sarah Lavender Smith, ultrarunner and journalist
“As much as it’s about the running, you can tell it’s not about the running. It’s about self-exploration. That’s what (Laz) is trying to create…The explosion of the Backyard format. It’s never going away. It will be his legacy.” —Troy Meadows, Midpacker Podcast
“Author Jared Beasley can tell a great story! Including his encounters with Lazarus Lake, where he earned access to cover the Barkley and Backyard World Championship. Jared shares what he learned: Laz isn’t testing fitness—he’s testing willpower. Jared’s new book The Endurance Artist covers all this and more.” —The Cultra Podcast
“The Endurance Artist makes it really fascinating to see how the story of the Barkley comes together and then Big’s and the characters that are in it…It’s just a great read for anybody that wants to embody what it takes to give everything you have in whatever the endeavor.” —Telich Talks Podcast
“There’s an obsession with ‘everything has to be fair, and everyone has to come out equally. There can be no one left behind’… but people like Lazarus, who struggled early with a tumor that he couldn’t control, came out setting up these kinds of events because he was able to take all the pain and suffering and turn it.” —The Frogcast