Wikipedia

The race, known as "The Race That Eats Its Young", has been referred to as a "satanic running adventure." It is considered a countercultural event, particularly due to its low monetary cost to enter and its eccentricities. Cantrell himself has been described as "definitely a character" by finisher John Kelly, who stated that Cantrell's persona Lazarus Lake "comes off as a sadist that's out to torture people and watch them fail, but he loves nothing more than to watch people succeed." Cantrell argues that most runners should fail to complete the race, as failure is essential to growth.