Meet Ulrich and Yasso: Two Titans of Running, Together in SFO

Stanley finds Livingstone …
Lee surrenders to Grant …
Rolls meets Royce …

And now …

The Mayor of Running hosts the Endurance King

In just 18 days, Bart Yasso and Marshall Ulrich meet up at the San Francisco Marathon expo, where Bart has graciously offered to share his booth space with Marsh, so anyone can come out and see them together. Both of them. At the same time.

Here’s why that’s so cool:

Both are icons in the sport.

As the chief running officer with Runner’s World and our unofficial Mayor of Running, Bart is one of our sport’s best-known figures, a rightfully respected ambassador.

By contrast, although Outside Magazine dubbed him the Endurance King years ago, Marshall has been (up until this year’s publication of his book, Running on Empty) perhaps the lowest profile but greatest accomplished world-class athlete alive today.

Both have more running wisdom in one pinkie toe than most of us have in our whole bodies.

Bart’s book My Life on the Run includes frostbite, heatstroke, heartache, and having to run away from a charging rhino, along with practical advice for runners of all levels.

Marsh’s book Running on Empty includes nightmares, injury upon injury (upon injury), intense competition, and getting shot at on a country road, along with inspiring insights into why we run and how to wring the most out of life.

Both are card-carrying members of AARP — and still out there kicking up some serious dust.

Marsh will be arriving at the SFO Marathon expo right after he finishes his Alps climbs, which come right on the heels of Badwater 2011. (Breaking news: Early this morning, he finished the 135-miler in 43:55:08, his 17th time competing in the insanely tough race, which he’s won four times. This marks his record 23rd crossing of Death Valley.)

Bart wrote in Runner’s World just last year about his epic adventure at Comrades, a 56-mile grinder that he ran even though he’s battling Lyme disease. That was supposedly his “final goal” in running, but he’s still lacing up and hitting the road on a regular basis.

So, if you’re going to be in the San Francisco area, be sure to drop by and say hello at the expo!

Here are the event details: Marshall will be on stage speaking 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the East Concourse of the San Francisco Design Center on 7/30. Also with stacks and pen in hand on 7/29 from 12 to 7 p.m. and on 7/30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the booth with none other than Bart Yasso. The Expo is free and open to the public.

Steve Shepard (pictured right with his wife, Barb) is the marketing director for Dreams in Action. He’s recently returned from South Africa, where he too ran Comrades, earning himself a bronze belt buckle.