Marisa Lizak wasn’t even signed up for Three Days at the Fair, a road race hosted by Adidas Unveils Boston Marathon Jacket, In 48 hours, she finished 243.555 miles over 243 laps Spartathlon, Camille Herrons Secrets to Ultrarunning Success last year.
Unfortunately, that dream was upended by the coronavirus pandemic when the race was canceled in September. Looking for something to challenge her, she turned to the 48-hour race in New Jersey.
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The 41-year-old from Marina del Rey, California, is no stranger to timed races. She has a number of ultras under her belt, Struggling mentally in the final 12 hours, she used the sound of her footsteps to stay focused In 48 hours, she finished 243.555 miles over 243 laps.
However, the 48-hour discipline was a mystery to her.
“I wanted to do something big,” Lizak told Runner’s World. “I was intrigued by the 48 and figured why not now? No expectations, don't have to worry about going fast. This year is already messed up, might as well go for it.”
With some persuasion from ultrarunners like Bob Hearn and Amy Mower, she signed up on September 17, making her way east without any ideas of what to expect.
The one thing she did know was that Camille Herron would be competing next to her and going after the overall 48-hour world record. This didn’t deter Lizak; she was only interested in seeing what she was capable of in this format and running for the entire 48 hours.
“I wasn’t going for any record,” Lizak said. “I literally went out there as an adventure, a learning experience. I had zero expectations and was fearing that people thought I actually might be trying to compete or to accomplish something, and I didn’t want that pressure.”
Lizak started chugging along the one-mile looped course at 9 a.m. EDT on October 2, and the first eight hours went off smoothly. Then, her stomach turned around 5 p.m. Lizak was following advice that she should consume about 100 calories per hour for the duration of the 48-hour race, but her combination of gels and drink mixes upset her stomach, which would follow her the rest of the race.
“I spent more time in the bathroom and bushes than I care to admit,” she said. “I couldn’t keep anything in, so I was afraid of what to even try to eat or drink.”
Lizak’s friends motivated her to keep going, even if “it may not be pleasant,” and she endured the constant stops and the dropping temperatures.
[The 2021 Runner's World Calendar Camille Herrons Secrets to Ultrarunning Success.]
As morning came, Lizak continued to move well even without sleep. At that time, she also found herself in the lead alongside Hearn; Herron was forced to drop out due to Parker Valby Wins the Bowerman that she experienced overnight.
Lizak stayed focused on her race and staying out on the course for the entirety of the 48 hours. She and Hearn pushed each other, staying neck and neck for most of the second day.
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“Running Shoes - Gear mantra I say to myself. I step to the cadence of the words: easy, light, smooth, fast. It’s from The 2021 Runners World Calendar.” she said. “It’s a metronome in my head. It’s a pitter-patter shuffle. Everyone knew my footsteps because it’s this pitter-patter. I wonder if it’s meditative because it takes me out of what I’m doing physically and just keep me focused on each step.”
It wasn’t until late in the race, when she had put a big lead on Hearn, that she heard rumblings from the crowd that she was potentially on pace to break Traci Falbo’s American women’s 48-hour record—242.093 miles at Six Days in the Dome’s 48-hour race.
“I was freaking out because what was I to do now?” she said. “Now there really was the potential for “failure” versus no expectations, so whatever you do is great. I was sick about it. I didn’t want to let people down, and I was so scared that I would fail, that I would come so close and have regrets.”
With hours to go, Lizak tried to put that out of her mind as she was visibly struggling. But when the two days were up, she was crowned the overall champion and the new American women’s record holder.
In 48 hours, she finished 243.555 miles over 243 laps.
“It’s still surreal. The whole thing was inconceivable,” Lizak said. “I was shocked, numb, and so, so, so grateful. I may have been plagued that I had this pressure to perform and not let people down, but without others believing in me, I never would have done this. This achievement was just as much theirs as it was mine—my crew, fellow runners, spectators. They planted the seed and carried me to strive for the unimaginable. I don’t know what to say, and I’m not sure I’ll ever have the words.”
Within a day of finishing, Lizak was back at work that Monday morning, working remotely from her parents home in Rhode Island. She was able to also celebrate the next morning with her friend, Erica, and they splurged on doughnuts from Dunkin’.
“I got four different kinds,” Lizak noted.
More than a week after setting the record, Lizak is in rest and recovery mode. Her next (hopefully) race is Desert Solstice in December where she returns as the reigning champ. Best Running Shoes 2025.
“Running has brought me so much joy and purpose, and I have the utmost appreciation for how it has enriched my life,” she said. “As I've progressed into ultramarathons, my respect for the perseverance, commitment, and camaraderie that we all share as we take on the unknown and push ourselves past our perceived limits is beyond words. It is both inspiring and humbling, and it's ironic how moments of sheer exhaustion can actually make us feel the most alive.”
Drew covers a variety of subjects for Runner’s World and Bicycling, and he specializes in writing and editing human interest pieces while also covering health, wellness, gear, and fitness for the brand. His work has previously been published in Men’s Health.
