About Us

Karl Meltzer is the Speedgoat, a self proclaimed ultra running nut living out his own dream. He thrives in the world's toughest 100 mile races. Growing up in New Hampshire, professional runner was never on the radar. But that all changed when Karl left a Grateful Dead concert in New Jersey with all of his belongings stuffed into the back of his Honda Civic, heading west to chase the ski bum life in Sandy, Utah.

It was in the rugged Wasatch mountains where Karl discovered his true calling as an ultra runner, and became the Speedgoat. He spent his winters bartending and skiing the dry Utah powder. During the summers, Karl started running with friends, training in the high altitude, pushing his body to the limits and testing his endurance on some of the world’s steepest trails. Karl quickly became a force to be reckoned within the local ultra running community. Along the way, Karl met his wife Cheryl. She became his biggest supporter and best crew person, always there to help him across the finish line. His competitive spirit and knack for efficiency propelled him to enter the ultra race scene. He finished his first 100 mile race in 1996 and never looked back.

He was named Ultra Runner of the Year in 2006, and racked up an impressive list of accolades over the years - including 5 wins at the Hardrock 100, 6 wins at the Wasatch 100, and the most 100 mile wins in history (49 and counting) surpassing the legendary Yiannis Kouros.

Karl's ultra running journey transcended the racing world. He took on even bigger challenges, like running the entire length of the Pony Express and breaking the overall record on the Appalachian Trail in 2016. It was during this record-breaking feat that Karl met Justin Weber, a producer working on a film called Made to be Broken that highlighted Karl's incredible 2,190 mile journey. The two became friends, bonding over their shared love of the trails and the thrill of pushing themselves to find their upper limits. In 2020 Justin joined Cheryl to help crew Karl at the No Business 100 in Tennessee. Karl took home his 43rd 100 mile win finishing in under 20 hours. 

Now, Karl, Cheryl and Justin have teamed up to launch the Speedgoat Trail Running Company, with the goal of sourcing the world's best products and developing services to help everyone become a legend on the trails. Whether you're an experienced ultra runner or just starting out, the Speedgoat team is here to help you reach your goals and become the best version of yourself. So join us on this new chapter and become a part of the Speedgoat trail running family.