This year we have highlighted several runners who have logged incredible achievements in longer distance events at a young age. Remember Lauryn Wojcik, who had never raced longer than 6K and yet crushed the Leadville Trail 100? This next performance caught my eye, and the guy is right in my backyard. Boulder-based Charlie Lawrence last month broke the 50-mile world record previously held by veteran ultrarunner and current UTMB champion Jim Walmsley. Charlie is 28, self-coached, and his previous longest run had been 35 miles. He completed the distance in 4:48:21 at the Tunnel Hill 50 Mile in Illinois, averaging 5:46 per mile. I like that Charlie didn’t run it on a track or in an artificial environment, but in an actual race, on a mostly gravel surface with some hills. Charlie, a native of Foley, Minn., got the inspiration to challenge the record, which he was actually confident he would secure, from American two-time Olympian Des Linden after helping pace her to a 50K world record. After sitting out most of 2022 with a sacral stress fracture, Charlie left his running group and set out on his own, upped his volume into the 140 miles per week range, and added some beastly track workouts as well. Charlie, who will line up to run the Olympic Trials Marathon this February, feels that the speedwork he does for 26.2 miles definitely helps him at longer distances as well. It’s a fun story as Charlie rose from a decent high school runner who took two Minnesota state titles in the 3200 meters, to being a contributing all-Big Ten performer for the University of Minnesota, to being good enough to run in the Olympic Trials marathon in 2020 yet not threaten to make the team, to busting through with a world record at a totally new distance for him. We hit on everything here including his pacing strategy, his fueling, his extraordinary focus, his upcoming goals, and even the stories behind his tattoos. He’s a really nice and engaging guy, so I hope you enjoy this!

Charlie Lawrence
Instagram @lawrence_char

Bill Stahl
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