Jason P. Lester is the winner of ESPN’s prestigious ESPY Award and 2x USAT Athlete of the Year. He has conquered some of the most grueling and exhilarating endurance challenges in the world. His long list of accomplishments include becoming the first person to run 2,600 miles along The Great Wall of China – solo – in a single attempt (82 days.) He is the first American to run 14,000+ miles across the world – crossing the United States, China, Australia, Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, Romania and Moldova. In 2016 he became the first American male to run across Australia solo – self supported (2,633 miles.)
As a Nike sponsored athlete, he became the first athlete to run and bike 5,000 miles from New York City to Oregon and then run 3,500 miles from California to New York within 1 year’s time.
Jason’s life as an endurance athlete almost didn’t happen. At the age of just 3 years old, he was left in a burning house by his mother. The state placed him into the foster care system until his biological was granted full custody. His father became his baseball and football coach, role model and real life hero. At 12 years of age, while riding his bike, Jason was hit by a speeding car who ran a red light. This resulted in 21 broken bones, a collapsed lung and a permanently paralyzed right arm.
After fighting for his life in the ICU for three weeks, he spent three months in the hospital recovering from his injuries. Seven months after he left the hospital and was still in rehab, he lost his father to a sudden major heart attack. His dad was only 39 years old.
He credits his mental fortitude, determination and persistence as the characteristics that taught him how to turn his adversities into his greatest gifts.
Persistent, fearless and tirelessly working to continue his dreams of becoming a professional athlete, he recommitted himself and surpassed emotional and physical goals that few would even dare to set for themselves. By the age of 15, Jason was a 7x All-Star baseball player and would go on to excel in baseball, football, track and cross country in high school — with the use of one arm. By the time he was 18, he was ranked #2 in the state of Arizona in the sport of biathlon which would garner him a spot on the Arizona State University cross country team as a walk on.
In 2007, he finished the Arizona Ironman, the Western Australia Ironman and honorably represented Team USA in the ITU Triathlon World Championships. He was awarded the 2007 USAT AWAD Athlete of The Year.
In 2008, he achieved endurance sports history by becoming the first AWAD athlete ever to finish the Ultraman World Championships in Hawaii, where he swam 6.2 miles, biked 261.4 miles and ran 52.4 miles. He represented Team USA at the ITU Triathlon World Championships in Germany, and participate in the Arizona Ironman, Ultraman Canada, Hawaii Ironman World Championship, Hawaii Ultraman World Championships and the Hawaii Epicman triple Iron distance triathlon. He was awarded the 2008 USAT AWAD Athlete of The Year.
In 2009, he gained national attention when he was selected as one of the 5 finalists for that year’s ESPN ESPY Award. With his fan base voting, Jason would beat out famed track and field Paralympian gold medalist Oscar Pistorius.
He is the visionary, founder and director behind boundary breaking endurance events such as the EPIC 5 Challenge™ (5 iron distance triathlons on 5 Hawaiian Islands in 5 consecutive days) and The EPICMAN™ Ultra Brand.
Jason joined Mouthpiece Productions / K2 Promotions as the Director of Marketing representing Icon Heavyweight World Champions Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, Oba Carr, Kevin Kelly, and Carlos Navarro. He has spearheaded collaborations and partnerships with industry titans including Nike, Hurley, EcoLab, MET-Rx, ZOOT, Waves for Water, Mannatech, Salvation Army, and many other organizations that have a broad, global reach.
As a veteran in the world of professional sports, Jason has acquired extensive knowledge in product design, brand building, marketing, and athlete representation and he has been a sought after inspirational speaker for Nike, Microsoft, EcoLab and Mannatech Health. Over the last decade, Jason has been instrumental in the design and creation of some of most impactful and groundbreaking initiatives, such as Nike’s Journey for a Better World, Mannatech’s Mission 5 Million (M5M) and H2O’s Badwater for Good Water, which collectively, raised millions of dollars for people in need.
The Nike Lunar Fly 306 shoe was designed, created and named after Lester’s 306 mile run that started at Nike Town Las Vegas – through Death Valley – to the top of Mt. Whitney. Becoming the first male athlete to finish.
Of his many accomplishments, Jason is especially proud of his nonprofit, The NEVER STOP Foundation. Established in 2007. The Foundation combines athletics and art and encourages today’s youth to find their own true voice by building up their self confidence and developing their gifts and talents while also teaching the values of discipline, trust, compassion, self-reliance and respect. Once placed on the path to their purpose, they can achieve limitless potential.
🟥 Sri Chinmoy 3100 Mile Race
48 days | 2,700 miles | 7th Place (2023)
🟥Trans-America Race (Virtual)
115 Days | 2,424 miles | 1st Place (2023)
🟥Sri Chinmoy Six-Day Race
144hrs | 393 miles | 2nd Place (2023)
🟥 Squaw Peak Mountain
16x | 17hr 11min | Course Record (2023)
🟥 Trans Europe Run — Lester completed his 3,680 mile run from Finistere, Spain to Galati, Romania becoming the first person to run solo and self-supported across Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Romanian (December, 2019 )
🟥 Run Across Australia — The first American male to run across Australia. Trans Australia Run started in Scarborough Beach, Western Australia and ended at Bateman’s Bay, New South Wales. Lester ran 118 days, 2,633 miles, of which 2,000 miles were self-supported pulling his gear in a 50lb. cart. (August 2016)
🟥 The Great Wall of China Run — Became the first person to run 2,600 miles along The Great Wall in 83 days – solo – in a single attempt (November 2014)
🟥 Run Across America — San Francisco to New York 3,550 miles (4th fastest (at the time) to run the official course across America) (July 2013)
🟥 Nike “Journey for a Better World” — Ran & Biked 5,000 miles in 102 days across the United States appearing at 39 Nike stores (2012)
🟥 EPIC5 Challenge — 5 Iron Distance Triathlons – 5 Hawaiian Islands in 5 Days, 2010, 2011, 2012 ( 1st athlete to complete 3x )
🟥 ULTRAMAN Hawaii World Championships, 2008, 2009, 2010 Finisher
🟥 IRONMAN Hawaii World Championships, 2008 & 2009 Finisher (1st place AWAD)
🟥 3PICMAN Challenge ® Triple Iron Man — 7.2-mile swim, 336-mile bike and 78.6-mile ultra run (2012, 2013, 2015)
🟥 ULTRAMAN Canada, 2008 & 2009 Finisher
🟥 Nike H2OPE Badwater for Clean water — Ran 316 miles from Las Vegas to Mt. Whitney, 2011 (1st male in the world to complete) (2011)
🟥 EPICMAN ® Ultra — Ran 300 circumference miles around the Big Island of Hawaii – 5 1/2 Days (2012)
🟥 Team USA ITU Triathlon World Championships, 2007 (6th place), 2008 (2nd place)
🟥 World Record — “Most Hours Ran with No Sleep” — 88hrs (2015)
🟥 IRONMAN Arizona, 2007 & 2008 Finisher
🟥 IRONMAN Western Australia, 2007 Finisher
🟥 26X26 — 26 Marathons in 26 Consecutive Days Ala Moana Beach Homeless Charity initiative (2012)
🟥 EPIC100 — Ran 100 miles non-stop from Kailua-Kona to the Top of Mauna Kea Mountain 15,000ft 36hrs (2012)
🟥 HPA Track Ultra — 100 miles (400 laps) 27hrs (2015)
🟥 Hapuna 100 — 100 mile run on beach sand. 30hrs (2014)
🟥 Squaw PEAK15 Mountain — Set new course record, Summit 15x in 24 hours (2014)
🟥 Opiopio Charity Run — Ran 112 miles on a treadmill in 24 hours (2013)
🟥 Squaw Peak Mountain — Set the course record, Summit 13x in 24 hours (2013)
🟥 70.3 Honu, 2009 Finisher (3rd in age group, qualifying for Ironman World Championships), 2010 Finisher
🟥 Icarus 6 Day Ultra Run: 4th Place (2020)
🟥 3 Days at the Fair, New Jersey: 7th place (2021)
🟥 Hilo to Volcano Ultramarathon, 2008 (9th place)
🟥 Pac Crest Endurance Duathlon, 2008 (3rd in age group)
🟥 The Nautica New York City Triathlon, 2007 (2nd place AWAD)
🟥 ESPY Award Winner, 2009 (1st male triathlete to win award)
🟥 USAT AWAD “Athlete of the Year” 2007 & 2008