Dr. Chris Stout
Ultras, Motorsports, Mountaineering, Adventure Sports
Hammering Since: 1992
Alpinism: I have climbed three of the world’s Seven Summits (the tallest mountain on each of the seven continents – Africa, Russia/Europe, and Australia, so far), along with Rainier, Half-Dome, Pikes Peak, Tetons, Whitney (tallest in the lower 48), Athabasca, Adam’s Peak (Sri Lanka), and other rock and ice climbs.
Sorta Climbing: Raced up “The Big Three of Skyscraper Stair Climbs (Willis Tower, Hancock and Aon Buildings), in Chicago a number of seasons; and others elsewhere; and the Everest Challenge as well as Jesse Itzler’s crazy 29029 Everesting.
On Foot: Marathons, 10 Milers, 10Ks, 5Ks, Tough Mudder’s and a variety of other obstacle runs, along with organized as well as unsupported ultras (double marathon, 50K, 50 Mile, and 100K distances), and Colin O’Brady’s 12 Hour Walk, and survived Running with the Bulls.
With a Gun: Summer biathlon (running and target shooting with a 22 cal. rifle).
With a Gun (but standing still): I participated in a Competitive Marksmanship League and met the scoring standard for an expert qualification.
On 2 Wheels: Hilly Hundreds, Millenium Club Member (high milage), Centuries, Metric Centuries, 50 Miler, and Criterium Racing.
On Both Foot and Wheels (but no gun): Duathlon.
On 2 Wheels (but with a motor): Earned my license from the Western Eastern (Motorcycle) Roadracing Association.
On 4 Wheels (also with a motor): Land Speed Racing (set 2 records at the Arkansas Mile), Ultimate Street Car Challenge at Road America, and Podiumed at the Mountain Mille Road Rally, 2024.
In the Air: Flew an Advanced Aerobatic Marchetti SF – 260 doing Air Combat (and stalled the engine mid-loop!)
Underwater: Dived the Blue Hole, Narco dived, swam with dolphins, shark dived, night dived in Honduras, and dived the Great Barrier Reef.
Strength Based: Tank Curling, The Murph Challenge, The 100 Ton Club, and Strongman Stone Lifting.
Joined the Polar Bear Club diving into Lake Michigan on New Year’s Day.
And other “Weirdo Challenges.”
And if you know me, you know I like to pair athletic challenges with fundraising (like Summits for Others and Mountaineering or Racing to Help Others and Motorsports) for the global health nonprofit I Founded, the Center for Global Initiatives.
This all originated from a place of NOT being athletic, actually, pretty much to the contrary.
As an obese boy with orthopedic issues (I didn’t get my first pair of Keds until age 12), I never really ran. I was bullied a bit as well, being overweight AND named Stout teed up the perfect formula for that.
But when I was 13, I got going on diet and exercise, and I lost 64 pounds over one summer and adopted a pretty much vegetarian diet, and when I upped my running mileage to ultra-distances, I shifted to fully plant-based as an effort to reduce inflammation and recovery time. Having worked hard to lose the weight and overcome my physical limitations as a child, as well as being pretty sheltered-as the only child of a single working mom, I feel like my life has been a bit compensatory by experimenting with various non-team sports that are more extreme or adventuresome. Maybe it is that I feel like I’m always making up for lost time, or now at my age, that the clock is now counting down and there are still more climbs, ultras, races, and new adventures to be had. And you can bet that I keep track of them all!
Thanks to some gumption, and great products that Hammer Nutrition provided (I love LemonLime Heed, Endurolytes Fizz, Premium Endurance Caps, Race Caps Supreme, Antifatigue Caps, Gels, Vegan Protein Bars, Organic Vegan Protein and Vegan Recoverite, Endurolytes Extreme, Race Day Boost, and Hammer Energy Bars), I have been able to accomplish what I had only dreamed of back when I was that chubby little boy in the clodhopper
shoes.
