Harvey Lewis

Harvey Lewis is a record-breaking American ultra-distance runner from West Virginia who is either testing the limits of his endurance on tracks and trails or in the classroom as a high school teacher.

Harvey’s impressive accolades include winning the Badwater Ultramarathon in 2014 and 2021. The 135-mile race is considered one of, if not the, toughest races in the world.

He has also become a formidable opponent at Backyard Ultras – races that keep going until the last competitor drops. In 2021, Harvey won Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra by running 354.16 miles until he was the last person standing. Two years later, in October 2023, Harvey Lewis returned to Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra and not only did he win again but he set a new world record, completing 108 laps of the course (450 miles) over five gruelling days.

Some of his other wins include Sulphur Springs 100 in 2010, Tie Dye 32 in 2012 and the 154-mile SC24 Spartanburg in 2014. He has also represented Team USA at the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) 24 Hour World Championship multiple times and holds the US record for most places on the team.

Why Harvey Lewis is vegan

Harvey Lewis is vegan for the animals and for health.

Harvey Lewis was vegetarian for 25 years before he became vegan in 2016.¹Great Vegan Athletes. 2026. Harvey Lewis. Available: https://www.greatveganathletes.com/harvey-lewis-ultramarathon-runner/ [Accessed 15 October 2026]. As a child, Harvey ate a lot of fast food and struggled with belly fat and digestion. He decided to go veggie at high school but there were no vegetarian options available. Then when he was 19 and his mother had a stroke at the age of 54, he began taking nutrition very seriously and committed to a vegetarian diet. He even tried being vegan in 1998 but wasn’t able to make it stick back then. But in 2016, more educated about the cruelty involved in the dairy and egg industry, he decided to go vegan for the rest of his life – and since then he’s had some of his most impressive ultra-running performances.

“As an ultrarunner you do spend a lot of time philosophising on your own life and the exterior life. I think a lot in nature and I connect with the plants and animals and it makes me feel they have relevance as well. Knowing the ingredients you’re putting in your body and eating the incredible variety that exists in the plant world it’s so powerful, there’s just so many options. By diversifying you actually strengthen your longevity.”²Great Vegan Athletes. 2026. Harvey Lewis. Available: https://www.greatveganathletes.com/harvey-lewis-ultramarathon-runner/ [Accessed 15 October 2026].