Utah County 'Iron Cowboy' finishes 50 days of racing in 50 states


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LEHI — James Lawrence was getting some well-deserved rest this week after making it into the Guinness Book of World Records — again — for completing an Iron Man triathlon in 50 days in all 50 states.

After doing what he does, you make sure to plan the breaks.

Known as the "Iron Cowboy" for the vibrant cowboy hats he's fond of wearing while running triathlons, Lawrence set a Guinness World Record a few years back by finishing 30 triathlons in a year, 10 more than the previous record holder.

Still, he wanted to do more to raise money and awareness for childhood obesity.

"We did 50 full Iron Man courses in 50 consecutive days in all 50 states," he said from his home.

The "Iron Cowboy" and his daughter crossed their 50th finish line Saturday at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi. The support that continues to roll in has been overwhelming, he said.

"We get hundreds of emails every single day, people telling us their stories and how we empowered them to take action and do something," Lawrence added.


We get hundreds of emails every single day, people telling us their stories and how we empowered them to take action and do something.

–James Lawrence, the Iron Cowboy.


That's more than 7,000 miles of swimming, cycling and running in less than two months.

"There's not just one moment that was difficult," Lawrence said. "There was so many highs and so many lows. Just looking back, though, we had a pretty big episode of pitting edema (tissue swelling due to fluid accumulation) in Arizona."

Lawrence ran his first triathlon on June 6 in Hawaii, then finished his second in Alaska.

He also crashed his bike in Tennessee during his 18th triathlon. There were plenty of times he thought he wouldn't reach the finish line in Utah, he said.

"But as a team, we just pulled together and persevered," Lawrence added.

Iron men and women across the country joined Lawrence's unique fundraising drive, which raised thousands of dollars for a charity called the Quiet Way. Currently, the charity raises money to build dams for children in need of water in Africa, but will soon start a new chapter to raise funds for adolescent and childhood obesity programs.

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Lawrence's 12-year-old daughter Lucy joined him on the road in his great adventure.

"She joined me every single day for the last 5K, and so she did a 5K in 50 days in 50 states," Lawrence said. "It was so cool, man; it was the highlight of my day to run with my daughter."

He plans to harness that enthusiasm — still hoping to reach his goal of raising $1 million for charity.

"The finish line wasn't last Saturday," Lawrence said. "It was the starting line for us."

For now, the "Iron Cowboy" is just hoping to lasso a few Zs.

"I am physically exhausted," he said. "So the first couple nights I slept 10 hours, and I could've used a couple naps. But, I've been pretty busy."

Those who want to give to his cause can donate* at Lawrence's website at ironcowboy.co.

*KSL.com does not assure that the monies deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

Contributing: Geoff Liesik

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