Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – It would be hard to find someone who has experienced more of the Mother Road than Dean Karnazes. He’s run most of Route 66 and participated in Saturday’s Centennial Route 66 5K.

Karnazes says the phrase “Route 66” means something all over the world. “It’s just an iconic American site,” Karnazes said Saturday. “I travel globally and when I say I’m going to go to Route 66, they say, I know it (because of) the song. I tell them it’s actually a route across the country, how many miles it is or kilometres it is, yeah.”

Karnazes’ accomplishments include completing fifty marathons in fifty states in fifty days. He said an organization which plans Olympic torch runs handled the logistics for that event. “I’m just a runner,” Karnazes said.

The post-race event at Motorheads Saturday was also connected to another ultrarunner, Tomasz Sobania, subject of an upcoming documentary.