Charlie Engle is a world-renowned ultra-marathon runner and professional adventurer whose life story is a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Best known for his record-breaking run across the Sahara Desert—totaling 4,500 miles over 111 days—Charlie has dedicated his life to exploring the absolute limits of physical and mental endurance.
While his athletic feats are legendary, Charlie considers his most significant milestone to be his 33 years of continuous sobriety. Since finding recovery in 1992, he has become a leading voice in the global addiction recovery community, utilizing his platform to demonstrate that the discipline required for elite endurance sports is a direct mirror of the “one step at a time” philosophy of long-term recovery.
Charlie is the author of the best selling memoir Running Man and a sought-after public speaker who specializes in the intersection of trauma, addiction, and radical perseverance. He is currently preparing for his next adventure, a 5,000-mile, entirely human-powered expedition from the Dead Sea to the summit of Mount Everest. Through his expeditions and storytelling, Charlie continues to advocate for global clean water access by teaming up with Charity:Water and providing a roadmap for others seeking to transform their lives through movement and purpose.
He resides in Durham, North Carolina, and remains committed to proving that no matter how deep the hole, the way out is always forward.
Charlie has been part of the Anonymous Health team for 3 years. Charlie is also a highly sought-after keynote speaker, having presented at the United Nations, at NATO headquarters in Belgium, and at over 100 Fortune 500 companies.