Ultramarathons were scarce in the late 1970s, and wanting to run one, he had to create it. Cantrell conceived the race out of desperation. The starting line was in Wartrace, Tennessee, where a headstone of the famous horse stands to this day. He called it 'The Strolling Jim 40,' named after the first Tennessee Walking Horse to win best of his breed at the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration. In 1979, Lake organized his first ultramarathon. He lives with his wife Sandra in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. During that period (123 days), the more than 19,000 participants - from all over the world - averaged over 5 miles per day to run (virtually from their hometown/country) a total of 635miles / 1021 km, and so crossing virtually the entire state of Tennessee. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he organized the Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee (#GVRAT), which started on May 1 and ended four months later. The Bitter Southerner magazine described Cantrell as a 'Bearded Saint' and 'The Godfather of the Woods.' Trail Runner magazine called him an 'evil genius,' 'The Leonardo da Vinci of pain,' 'A master of sadomasochistic craft.' Yet, his races have developed an almost cult-like following.

His races are known to be especially grueling. Ī largely fringe figure known only within the world of ultrarunning, Cantrell gained worldwide recognition following a 2014 documentary called The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young. In 2018, Lake covered the United States on foot, starting in Rhode Island and ending in Oregon. His races include the Barkley Marathons, Big's Backyard Ultra, the Barkley Fall Classic, Vol State 500K, A Race for the Ages, the Last Annual Heart of the South, and the Strolling Jim 40.

Gary Cantrell, known as Lazarus 'Laz' Lake, is an endurance race designer and director.

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