Draft:Andrew Glaze

Andrew "Andy" Glaze

Andrew "Andy" Glaze is an American ultramarathon runner, firefighter, and social media personality. Best known for maintaining an eceptionally high weekly training volume, having run more than 100 miles a week for several years, Andy is also known for competing in ultradistance trail races. A small sample of races include finishes at events such as the Cocodona 250, UTMB, Leadville Trail 100, Javelina Jundred, Moab 240, Arizona Monster 300, and the brittish Summer Spine Race. Alongside his athletic career, Glaze serves as a fire captain in Southern California and has spoken publicly about using endurance running to manage symptoms of his post-traumatic stress disorder.

Early life

Glaze began running at the age of 24, while working as an IT professional, after experiencing anxiety and depression. He has described himself at that time as inactive and unhealthy, and has said that running helped him quit smoking and move away from habits he considered negative.

Fire sevice career

Glaze has worked as a firefighter in Southern California and has been described by IAFF as president of La Verne, California Local 3624. ABC7 Los Angeles later described him as a Battalion Chief with the La Verne Fire Department. In interviews and profiles, Glaze has discussed the psychological impact of emergency response work and has connected his long-distance running to coping with PTSD symptoms and stress associated with the fire service.

Ultrarunning Career

Glaze initially competed in local road races, triathlons, and obstacle course racing before transitioning to ultramarathons during the early 2010s. His first ultras were used as preparation for 24-hour endurance obstacle events, after which he focused almost exclusively on trail ultras.

He has completed numerous internationally recognized ultramarathons, including finishes at:

• Cocodona 250
• UTMB
• Leadville Trail 100
• Rocky Raccoon 100
• Jabelina Jundred
• Coldwater Rumble 100
• Angeles Crest 100
• Moab 240
• Arizona Monster 300

And many many more, completing over a hundred races in the last ten years. Glaze has also recorded victories at several regional ultramarathons, including Coldwater Rumble 100 (2017), Mount Disappoinment 50 mile (2016) and Best of San Diego 100 Miler (2021).

100-mile-per-week streak

Glaze is particularly known for maintaining an uninterrupted streak of running at least 100 miles (160 km) each week. RunSpirited reported that, as of November 12, 2023, Glaze had reached 191 consecutive weeks of at least 100 miles. International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) reported in 2024 that he had been running more than 100 miles a week, every week, for more than four straight years.

The streak began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when cancelled races led Glaze to replace race-specific goals with a personal consistency challenge. He has said that he initially expected something would eventually stop the streak, such as illness or an accident, but that he continued after it became part of his routine.

Glaze has maintained the streak while working in the fire service, competing in ultramarathons, and balancing family life. He has described breaking his mileage into multiple runs per day, including early-morning runs and additional miles at night. IAFF reported that he sometimes runs loops around the fire station while carrying a radio in case his crew receives a call.

For Glaze, the streak is closely connected to his broader view of running as a tool for mental health. He has described long-distance running as a way to manage PTSD symptoms, and IAFF characterized his approach as “medicine through movement.”

Public image

In addition to his competitive ultrarunning career, Glaze has built a significant public profile through social media, where he documents his training, races, recovery routines, family life, and work as a firefighter. Outdoors.com described his videos as frequently showing him running, taking ice baths, or sitting in a sauna, and connected this content to his recurring message of doing difficult things.

Glaze’s public messaging often emphasizes consistency, resilience, and deliberately seeking challenges as a means of personal growth. IAFF quoted him describing ultramarathon races as a metaphor for life’s difficulties, saying that the ability to keep moving through pain and discomfort can help put other struggles into perspective.

He is also associated with the phrase “Smile, or you’re doing it wrong.” IAFF described the phrase as originating during a difficult trail run, when Glaze realized that he was focusing on the discomfort of the effort rather than appreciating the experience. The phrase later became the title of his memoir, Smile, Or You’re Doing It Wrong: A Journey from Rock Bottom to Redemption.

Glaze has said that his goal with social media is to encourage others to move and be active, rather than to monetize his following.