Mark Godale

About

Mark Godale was an American ultrarunning legend from Ohio (a University of Akron alumnus) whose 28-year career made him one of the most decorated and consistent competitors the sport has seen. He broke out in 1999, setting an American 24-hour road record of 162.4 miles at Olander Park and earning both the USATF Ultradistance Runner of the Year and UltraRunning Magazine's Ultrarunner of the Year honors. He won the Mohican Trail 100 in 2003, took the Burning River 100 title multiple times (2007, 2009), and captured the Masters World 100K Championship in Argentina in 2005 in 8:28. Also a five-time Buckeye Trail 50K champion and the first American finisher at the 2003 Comrades Marathon, Godale completed more than 25 hundred-mile races and ran 29 consecutive Boston Marathons over the course of his career. He died suddenly on June 13, 2022, at age 51.

Notable Wins

• — American 24-Hour Road Record 162.4mi (1999)
• — Masters World 100K Championship 2005 (8:28)
• — Mohican Trail 100 2003
• — Burning River 100 (2007
• — 2009)
• — USATF Ultradistance Runner of the Year 1999

Race History