Running 4,600 Miles Across the Sahara, 18 Months in Federal Prison & 33 Years Sober with Charlie Engle

Running 4,600 Miles Across the Sahara, 18 Months in Federal Prison & 33 Years Sober with Charlie Engle

From The Strong New York Podcast by Kenny Santucci

June 24, 2026 · 1h 24m · Episode 84

About this episode

Charlie Engle shares his incredible journey of running across the Sahara, surviving federal prison, and maintaining sobriety while caring for his wife.

What does it take to run across the Sahara Desert, survive federal prison, maintain 33 years of sobriety — and come home to be a full-time caretaker for the person you love? Charlie Engle has lived all of it. In this episode, Kenny sits down with ultramarathon legend, New York Times bestselling author, and charity: water ambassador Charlie Engle for one of the most raw, real, and inspiring conversations we've ever had on the show. In this episode: Why being a caretaker for his wife for 10+ years has been harder than any race or prison sentence How running 4,600 miles across the Sahara Desert changed his relationship with suffering The truth about what federal prison is actually like — and why the system isn't built to rehabilitate anyone How 33 years of sobriety shaped his identity, discipline, and drive His upcoming charity: water expedition and why he keeps chasing the next impossible goal The mindset shift that took him from always asking "what's next?" to learning to live in the present moment Why owning your narrative is everything — and what happens when you let others tell your story Charlie's story isn't just about physical endurance. It's about what it means to keep…

People in this episode

Host: Kenny Santucci

Guest: Charlie Engle

Topics covered

Sponsors

Celsius

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: charity: water

Products: Celsius

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