Charlie Engle Runs for His Life, Once Again

Joe -- followed your writing, columns, etc., for years. As an endurance athlete (cycling) I enjoyed this very much. Thank you.

If I only could do a pitiful 3% of all he does, I would be extremely happy.

I know two wrongs don't make a right but there is something about the complete lack of equality in dispensing justice that will ultimately, and may have already, undermine(d)our democracy.

As a documentary film maker, I felt I was watching the story unfold. I think the last sentence summarizes why a lot of older folk (I am 67) continue to run, swim, bike and continue to be engaged in "solitary" athletics. Thanks for this.

Where do the guys who run these things and those who compete get the time and money?

I especially enjoyed this article because so much of running is a mental thing. And this article really brings that out. There's something about being outside on a warm, sunny day, cruising along at a comfortable pace that isolates the mind in a way that cleanses and refreshes.

Frank Sinatra once supposedly said he felt sorry for people who didn't drink because when they woke up in the morning that was the best they were going to feel all day. I guess that's sums up a lot about what I feel about running and working out.

So he goes to jail, while for mortgage and bank executives the company pays a fine and they then go about their business.

Pretty good story; he's quite the character. I'd last about two laps....maybe....

Why, just why? Such a solitary endeavor, even if a sort of penance or exercise. Where is the joy of sharing your accomplishment with a teammate or relying on others? Even the NYC marathon is a communal event, with spectators cheering the runners for their feat of endurance. This is something that only a sadist would enjoy watching.....

I am mortified at how Charlie was scapegoated during the housing crisis - the original article is great (it'll make you angry). Now I am happy to see that Engle is moving on in a positive direction (he certainly has the 'grit' to do so) - and I'll be a buyer of his book!
Another great piece - thanks!

I could barely appreciate the article thinking about an IRS agent watching a documentary and deciding to investigate someone's finances. Doesn't the IRS have enough big fish to entrap?

This reminds me of Caballo Blanco and the long distance running competitions in the Sierra Tarahumara among the Raramuri. Thanks for an excellent and inspiring piece.

I've run marathons but no ultras. Even marathons are stupid long - but there is an emotional pull to them. I've found that the first marathon is often motivated by internal and external factors, but after a couple of races it really becomes completely internal and about getting the most out of your body and mind - and who cares about anyone even knowing if you're running. I like the idea of the crazy long ultras because I think at some point you are down to the point where it really is just you as spare and as lean (emotionally, psychologically and physically) as you can be with no room for extras on board. But I'm not sure I like myself enough to get there.

An inspiration! I hope he keeps going.

thank you, Joe Nocera, for this fine article about an incredible man. As an attorney, I'd like to hear more detail about his interaction with the "justice" system, which I view more as a business model than any attempt to rehab.
Yes, why should Mozilo skate while Engle is punished; where's the proportionality. Overkill keeps youth in the long cycle of "probation", sucking out their life while they pay for the system to survive, so that the taxpayers don't pay their fair share to keep the system going. Judges should be paid less, the more years they add to a sentence and the more recidivism occurs.

Two wrongs don't make a right. Angelo Mozilo should have gone to prison for a long time.

It's great that Charlie Engle has found peace. However, his success sends an unseemly message. He has made a cottage industry out of penance. Marathons and ultra-endurance races are very expensive sports. If he had been caught doing drugs or mortgage fraud in the NFL or NBA, he would have been banned for life.

People who go to work each day attempting to create a high value-added product for export are working stiffs and suckers. As are those who produce much needed public goods and services.

Those who engage in a series of risky big deals get rich, no matter their antisocial habits or violation of the law. And if there are losses, they take them off their taxes. As was demonstrated recently, making deals trumps real work in this country.

If Engle can top one hundred miles in 27 hours, metabolically, he's probably in his twenties.

Way to go, Charlie, way to go. Your rewards are many, not the least among them the endurance athlete's strength of mind and powerful heartbeat.

Long distance running is one of those activities that makes me wonder how differently people actually experience the world. I can't imagine getting to a stage in life where I would voluntarily run for hours in extreme discomfort, but maybe it's an acquired taste. The human brain is remarkably malleable.

Good piece. Thanks.