James Lawrence

Ultra Endurance Athlete, Mental Toughness Expert

The Iron Cowboy

Known as The Iron Cowboy for the signature cowboy hat he wears while running races so his five kids can see him coming from far away, James Lawrence is an ultra-endurance athlete who has pushed himself beyond what many doctors previously believed to be physiologically possible. In so doing, he has redefined both mental toughness and physical endurance.

Originally a high school wrestler, James spent a decade in the mortgage and finance business before losing it all in the financial crisis of 2008. At rock bottom, his career as the greatest endurance athlete on the planet started quite humbly, struggling to complete a local 4-mile fun run with his wife, Sunny. Inspired by that experience, on that day he learned a lesson that has served him well ever since.

Today, James is one of the most dynamic, inspiring, larger-than-life keynote speakers in the world, having shared his astonishing story in 50 different countries across the globe reaching millions of people. He is a best-selling author and the subject of a critically acclaimed feature film. He continues to redefine the impossible in his own life, while teaching audiences around the world to do the same in their own lives.

You’ve surely heard of an Ironman; 2.4-mile swim + 112-mile bike + 26.2-mile run. In 2012, James did 30 of those in one year. That put him in the Guinness Book of World Records.In 2015, he went further. He completed The 50-50-50; 50 Ironman distance triathlons, in 50 consecutive days, in 50 different states…all while raising money to combat childhood obesity. That astounding accomplishment is the subject of the critically acclaimed Amazon Prime documentary: “Iron Cowboy | The Story of the 50.50.50.” But that wasn’t enough.

In 2021, he did the unimaginable. This time, he completed The CONQUER 100, 100 Ironman distance triathlons, in 100 consecutive days! That’s 140.6 miles per day, every day, for 14 straight weeks, for a total of 14,060 miles! This time he raised money to combat sex trafficking. The documentary of the “Conquer 100″ debuted in December of 2022.

In between his triathlon feats of strength, James has summited Mt. Kilimanjaro on a bicycle, completed the Fiji Eco-Challenge, the Race Across America, and the Norseman World Championship, as well as a 235-mile run across Greece.