Mark’s passion for mountain athletics began at 14 when his brother introduced him to rock climbing. That’s when he started spending most of his free time in the mountains. At age 18, Mark started backcountry skiing and eventually discovered a knack for cardio endurance sports, founding ski touring to be an extremely fun way to build fitness with little risk of injury. 

Although he did some occasional running throughout his youth, Mark didn't become serious about it until his late twenties. He says his running career really began one day in 2013 when I took a walk around his office parking lot during a lunch break. That walk turned into a jog, and soon into daily lunchtime runs. Later that year, Mark entered his first ultramarathon, the Speedgoat 50k. A few months later, he did the Run Rabbit Run 100 and distinctly remembers thinking he’d never run another ultra as he grinded through the final miles.  

Of course, the next day he was already thinking of doing another one! Since then, Mark has been obsessed with getting faster and learning all the nuances of the sport. He truly loves the sport as a way to explore both the world and himself. Mark is particularly fond of 100 milers because he enjoys races that fill the entire day with running.