SCOTT GULLEDGE/ Scroll

Kunz has run nine marathons over the course of fall and summer, including the Grand Teton Race at Grand Targhee, a race that covered more than 100 miles of rugged terrain.

In this long race he placed 7th out of 21 ultra-marathoners and set a time of 28:58:17.

Both Jamba Juice and Exude Energy Drinks sponsor Kunz for his running ability and passion for the sport.

“I love the endurance side of [marathon races] because you’re pushing yourself for so long,” Kunz said.

However, Kunz didn’t decide to run marathons overnight. His decision to compete was made after lots of hard training and detailed preparation.

Kunz was led toward running through his love to hike with friends and entered his first marathon when he was a freshman at BYU-Idaho.

As time went on, Kunz ran longer distances and competed in larger races. This summer, in order to train, Kunz ran up to 50 miles at a time (his largest distance ever ran before the 100 mile race.)

“It’s all about going beyond the perceived capability. You get done with these races and you just say to yourself ‘I didn’t know I could do that,’” Kunz said.

This idea of “going beyond the perceived capability” was Kunz’s motivation for entering the 100-mile race at Grand Targhee.

“I did [the Targhee race] for two main reasons,” Kunz said, “to see if I could do it, if I could set a goal and complete it; and two, completing a 100 mile race would give me credibility as a personal trainer.”

Kunz likes to apply his knowledge and experience as a fitness trainer in the John W. Hart building and as a sales representative at the Apple Athletic Club in Idaho Falls.

But running the Targhee race and his other marathons isn’t always easy. Kunz said that he goes through a lot of highs and lows.

“It’s all about how you look at it, and it’s so easy to get negative,” Kunz said. “Instead of thinking ‘I need to run 100 miles,’ you got to think ‘I’m running one mile 100 times.’”

This optimism is what keeps Kunz going marathon after marathon. He has a motto which he repeats to himself as he runs: R.F.M. or, relentless forward motion.

“No matter how tired you are you just got to keep knocking off the miles,” Kunz said.

Next summer Kunz plans to continue running marathons and has decided to do the Wasatch 100, another 100-mile marathon which passes through Ogden and Salt Lake City, Utah.