Alex Varner

ULTRA RUNNER, ROAD RUNNER

Alex has been described as the “dude you look for on your heels.” He has wicked PRs all across the board, from 100 milers to road miles, and a winning personality to boot. Seriously, this is the dude you want to share a post-race beer (or two) with. On top of racing almost every month, sometimes across the globe, he works full time as a financial advisor AND has a baby on the way! He’s our own Clark Kent.

Q&A with Alex

Describe yourself in three words:
Outgoing, friendly, energetic

Trip/event looking forward to in 2017:
Boston Marathon in April and then the Dipsea in June.

Proudest accomplishment, non-pro:
I won the Krispy Kreme Challenge (Raleigh, NC) in 2012. I ran 2.5 miles, ate a dozen glazed donuts, and then ran 2.5 miles back in 28:35. It might be my strongest PR.

What’d you want to be when you grew up? 
Doctor but then I realized that I didn’t like science nearly as much as I thought I did (thanks, inorganic chemistry).

If you could choose another sport to go pro in, what would it be?
Soccer because I’d likely get to live in Europe and it involves a lot of running.

Best book you’ve read recently?
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight.

If money, logistics, and risk of injury were not factors, what would you pick for the adrenaline dump of a lifetime?
Descending at full speed off of some giant col in the Tour de France. Those guys are insane.

What is it you like about Picky?
The bars taste great and simply work. They sit well in my stomach before and during competition, which is really important, and there is a variety of flavors to choose from so I don’t get tired of any one bar!

Would you rather have Gilbert Gottfried narrate your every thought out loud or have Chumbawumba’s “Tubthumping” playing constantly in the background everywhere you went?
Definitely Tubthumping. I had that CD back in elementary school. Played the hell out of it.