Miguel Lara

About

Miguel Lara is a Tarahumara ultramarathon runner from Porochi, an indigenous community deep in the Copper Canyon mountains of northern Mexico, and one of the most celebrated distance runners of his people. Born around 1990, he has won more than 20 ultramarathons, including three times each at the Ultramarathon Caballo Blanco Copper Canyon, the Ultramaratón de las Cañones, and the Born to Run Series. In 2016 alone, he won four races: the Red Rock and Beyond 50 miles, the Wild Wild West Ultra 50K, the Born to Run Ultra 60K, and the Kodiak Ultra 100 miles. In 2019, he won the inaugural Ultra X Mexico race, besting established professional runners including Jason Schlarb and Gediminas Grinius. He also ran the Boston Marathon in 2017. Unlike many elite athletes of his calibre, Lara has consistently declined all sponsorship offers, running purely for love of the sport. 'We run because we love to,' he has said. 'We, the Tarahumara, don't wish to make money; we do this for the thrill of running.' His career stands as both a competitive achievement and a living expression of the Tarahumara's legendary running culture, which was brought to global attention by Christopher McDougall's book Born to Run.

Notable Wins

• — Ultramarathon Caballo Blanco Copper Canyon ×3
• — Ultramaratón de las Cañones ×3
• — Born to Run Series ×3
• — Ultra X Mexico 2019
• — Kodiak Ultra 100M 2016
• — Red Rock and Beyond 50M 2016
• — Wild Wild West Ultra 50K 2016
• — 20+ ultra wins

Race History