Last fall, Rich Tenaglia became the first person to complete a 100-mile run in all 50 states. He went on a bender and banged out a crazy amount of races on a self-made, low-key tour of some of the most spectacular, remote, and least-known places in the U.S. But this spring he’s focused on running for something bigger and much closer to home, and he is encouraging others to join him.
The 51-year-old runner from Concord, Michigan, accomplished that unfathomable 100-mile odyssey last October, after a three-year frenzied tour around the U.S., mostly driving in his lime green Honda Civic. He racked up dozens of finishes each year between August 2022—when he finished his first 100 at the Shawnee Hills Trail Races in Ozark, Illinois—and October 2025—when he completed the Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
“For close to three years, for half the year, I was living out of my Honda Civic. I was even sleeping in it. I would push the seats down and sleep on a small mattress,” he said. “Basically, I would find a race or a few races close together and drive to them and race on back-to-back weekends. It was fun, but I’m happy that I’m not living on Costco hotdogs or sleeping in Walmart parking lots anymore.”
Tenaglia is writing a book about his adventure titled “Participation Trophy,” which he hopes will be completed by this summer. In the book, he reflects on his flurry of 100-mile races, but it all starts in his youth as he recalls the challenges of how his late mother, Lynette Tenaglia, suffered from primary hydrocephalus, a disorder characterized by an abnormal increase of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles of the brain.
Tenaglia’s mother was often in the hospital when Tenaglia was younger—she had more than 60 brain surgeries to ease her discomfort from intracranial pressure—which meant he was “passed around from family member to family member because my dad was working and my mom was in the hospital,” he said.
What he definitively learned from running so many 100-milers was that, of the many challenging moments he experienced, none was ever similar or on the same scale to what his mom endured for so long.
“My lowest point was still not at all like my mom’s low point,” he said, adding that, in spite of her challenges, she was known for always putting others first and helping her community however she could.
Tenaglia’s mother passed away in 2021 about the time he started his endurance quest, so now he’s going to use running to raise money in her honor. The Lynette Tenaglia Memorial Run, May 21-24 in Cement City, Michigan, will consist of 24-, 48-, and 72-hour time segments on a 2.3-mile loop around McCourtie Park, allowing participants to aim for whatever distance they choose—which could range from a 1-mile fun run to 100-miles or longer—to be able to accommodate runners and walkers of all ability levels.
All proceeds from the event will be donated to Lynette’s Love Foundation, a charity devoted to advancing research, support, and solutions that help fight cognitive diseases and improve the lives of those affected.
Tenaglia is hoping his 80-year-old father, Richard, who also suffers from primary hydrocephalus, will be able to walk with him for 1 mile with the assistance of his walker and his physical therapist.
Find Your Next Trail Race or Ultra: UltraSignup Race Finder
Just Get Out and Do It
Tenaglia had a long-term goal of want to finish an Ironman triathlon by the time he was 50. But he wasn’t able to finish the first one he entered and never really immersed into that sport. But as soon as he shifted his focus to 100-mile runs, he became obsessed.
“I’m an adrenaline junkie. Nothing scares me, which can be problematic in life,” he said. “I watched a Western States documentary, and I was like, ‘That’s crazy. They run 100 miles. I’m crazy. Let’s try this.’ I’ve never been a runner. Even now, the only distance I’ve ever tried aside from 100 milers is the marathon leg of an Ironman.”
While he admits he’s not very fast and doesn’t have the best gear, he’s relished in meeting new people in the trail running community and seeing many of those people numerous times at events across the country. Plus, he was thrilled to have his sons, Kaden, 22, and Cole, 7, join him during several of his 100s.
Along the way, he also met three other prolific ultrarunners on the verge of finishing a 100-miler in every state: Michael Ortiz, 42, of Brooklyn, New York, Walter Handloser, 44, of Ouray, Colorado, and Patrick Grengs, 60, of Sierra Vista, Arizona. He took inspiration from each of them and became good friends with Ortiz and Grengs. Another runner who has been pursuing 100 miles in every state is Pete Ripmaster, 49, of Asheville, North Carolina, to raise money for owls.
“I’m not into the medals. I’m not into the trophies,” Tenaglia said. “My reward is the people I met and the places I’ve seen. The community of people who are doing these races is so great. The people are so friendly and kind and humble. And these races take you to other places. It’s like nothing else.”
What’s Tenaglia’s message to other runners or those interested in testing their mettle in an ultra-distance run after becoming the first person to run 100-milers in every state? He says if an average, blue-collar guy like him can do these things, anybody can.
“You can do it,” he said. “You know, just put one foot in front of another. You might not be as good as me, but you know, I’m far worse than like 5 million ultrarunners in this world, and I’m one of the worst. But I still go out, and I do it and I finish most of them. Running might not be your thing, but it might be something else. You just have to get out there and do it.
“I have a good friend, he always asks me, ‘How do you do this?’ And I tell him, ‘I just go out and do it,’ and he can, too. You know, quit watching TV or the internet and watching other people live their lives. Just go live yours.”
RELATED: Fueling for Ultras Can Be Complicated: Here’s How I Finally Made it Work for Me
Richard Tenaglia’s 50-State, 100-Mile Odyssey
Here are the 100-milers Rich Tenaglia completed in a state-by-state list.
Alabama: Run Undead Ultra Trail Party, Dec. 31, 2022
Alaska: Resurrection Pass Ultras, July 25, 2025
Arizona: Antelope Canyon Ultras, March 9, 2024
Arkansas: Run Lovit 100, Feb. 22, 2025
California: Cool Moon 100, June 1, 2024
Colorado: Rio Grande 100, Aug. 23, 2025
Connecticut: Forbidden Forest 30 Hour, Oct. 5, 2024
Delaware: Angela Ivory Memorial Runs, Jan. 25, 2025
Florida: Skunk Ape 100, April 26, 2025
Georgia: The Bootlegger 100, April 6, 2024
Hawaii: Hawaii Kai Ultra Run, Dec. 14, 2024
Idaho: Scout Mountain Ultras, June 6, 2025
Illinois: Shawnee Hills Trail Races, Aug. 27, 2022
Indiana: Indiana Trail 100, Oct. 11, 2025
Iowa: Booneville Backroads Ultra, Aug. 30, 2025
Kansas: Heartland 100, Oct. 8, 2022
Kentucky: Crooked Creek Ultra, Dec. 4, 2022
Louisiana: Red Dirt Ultra, Feb. 25, 2023
Maine: Riverlands 100, May 11, 2024
Maryland: C&O Canal 100, April 27, 2024
Massachusetts: Notchview Ultra, July 8, 2023
Michigan: Marsh Madness, Aug. 1, 2025
Minnesota: Zumbro Endurance Run, April 11, 2025
Mississippi: Mississippi Trail 50/100, March 3, 2023
Missouri: The Shippey Endurance Runs, Jan. 14, 2023
Montana: Copper Kings 100, June 27, 2025
Nebraska: Cowboy 200, Sept. 14, 2024
Nevada: Flat Top Mesa Endurance Run, March 2, 2024
New Hampshire: The Hamsterwheel, Nov. 2, 2024
New Jersey: 3 Days at the Fair, May 18, 2024
New Mexico: Capitan Mountain 34 Hour, April 19, 2024
New York: Sleigh Me Ultras, Sept. 19, 2025
North Carolina: Blackbeard’s Revenge 100, March 25, 2023
North Dakota: Maah Daah Hey Trail Run, July 29, 2023
Ohio: Tuscazoar Endurance Race, Sept. 2, 2023
Oklahoma: Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd, Oct. 18, 2025
Oregon: Crown Stub 100, Sept. 28, 2024
Pennsylvania: Pine Creek Challenge, Sept. 9, 2023
Rhode Island: Anchor Down Ultra, Aug. 9, 2024
South Carolina: The Country Mile 48 Hours, March 1, 2023
South Dakota: Lean Horse Ultra, Aug. 16, 2024
Tennessee: Mamba 100, Nov. 3, 2023
Texas: Jackalope Jam, Feb. 16, 2024
Utah: Ute 100 Mile, Aug. 26, 2023
Vermont: Infinitus, May 24, 2024
Virginia: Dogwood Ultra Marathons, March 21, 2025
Washington: Strawberry Fields Forever, June 22, 2024
West Virginia: Conquer The Wall Enduance Challenge, March 7, 2025
Wisconsin: tBunk Endurance Challenge, Nov. 8, 2024
Wyoming: Bighorn Mountain Wild & Scenic, June 14, 2024
Find Your Next Trail Race or Ultra: UltraSignup Race Finder
- Trail Tested: Mount to Coast H1
- Top Contenders in the Western States 100 Men’s Field
- Top Contenders in the Western States 100 Women’s Field
- Why Runners Should Care About the Roadless Rule
- Trail and Ultra News Recap for June 8
- Strength Training For Trail Running Durability
1 comment
Amanda Head
Great Job RIch! I am so proud of you! Keep up the great work!