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Articles by Gary Cantrell

Gary Cantrell writes the “View From the Open Road” column. Gary has written for UltraRunning more or less continuously since his column “From the South” first appeared in Volume 1, Number 1 back in May of 1981. He is perhaps most well-known as the founder of the Barkley, a trail race in eastern Tennessee. (Although some would comment that it isn’t really a race, and others would add that those aren’t really trails.) He is also the founder of the Strolling Jim 40 Mile and periodically organizes a 314-mile run across Tennessee, the Vol State Road Race. He is currently the race director of the Backyard Ultra. In the real world he works as an accountant.

The Strangest Animal in the Woods

From the South: How to Finish

From the South: Extreme

From the South: Slowly

From the South: My New Shoes

Body Language

From the South: My Favorite Ultra Books

War Zone

Defining Moments

My First Road Race

No Asterisks (*)

Say What?

The On-line Runner

From the South: Revival!

Hustle (The Non-scientific Runner)

You Might Be An Ultrarunner If ...

Great Truths

How Hard Is It ?

Long Division

From the South Outside!

From the South The Day I Didn't Run

From the South Lost? No - Off-course!

As a backpacker-turned-ultrarunner, I find it fascinating that we runners are so casual with the use of the word “lost.” It is no surprise for English speaking people to miss the exact meaning of a word and misuse it. Sh...

From the South If Wishes Were Horses

From the South: At a Standstill

When I began running, I thought real runners never stopped. From the beginning of a workout until the end, it was very important to never quit moving. If your pace went up over six minutes a mile, well, we called that &l...

From the South: City Cafe

From the South: The Ultrarunner's Wildlife Guide

From the South: The Thrill of Victory, the Agony of Anonymity

From the South: The Need to Be Toughest, Biggest, Best

From the South: He Will Be Sorely Missed by

From the South: Counting Switchbacks