Ultra-marathoner passes through streets of Baltimore

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - With a goal of 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days, Dean Karnazes has been an inspiration to those around him on his North Face Endurance 50 tour.

However, no one could have guessed that after running 1,181.2 miles, he would be in exactly the right place at exactly the right time to help save a life.

Re-running the Under Armour Baltimore Marathon, his 46th stop, on Wednesday, Karnazes and 28 other supportive runners were followed by a police escort. At the 2.2-mile mark, they came across a blazing house. A family was trapped inside, and if not for Karnazes’ police escort reacting quickly and calling for help, the family might not have survived.

“The officers with us told me that if they wouldn’t have been with us right there to get help, that [the fire department] wouldn’t have been able to get there in time,” Karnazes said.

Being a hero is just another day in the life of Karnazes, who has embarked on his quest to raise awareness about the declining health of Americans and to inspire them to do something about it.

“We are becoming a very complacent country,” Karnazes said. “We need to reclaim our health. Collectively, we’d be a whole lot happier as a society if we were healthier.”

In addition to having a hand in the fire rescue, Karnazes also did a radio interview while running today, had time to soak in the local history from accompanying runners and even slowed down a bit so some companions could get a free beer sample from a local brewery.

“Baltimore was incredible,” Karnazes said. “The spirit out there was tremendous.”

Karnazes said he has greatly enjoyed his cross-country endeavor.

“There’s been good mornings and bad mornings,” he said, “and today was a terrific morning.”

For more information on Karnazes’ tour, visit www.endurance50.com.