Badwater 135 - 2025
- david.bone
- Jul 13
- 24 min read
Updated: Jul 30
As the dust settles (literally) on Badwater 135 2025 this is a blog written by runner and crew sharing the highs and the challenges but always with a full heart and hopefully rich in helpful advice for any future Badwater runners/crew or heat -focused ultramarathons.
Coach Paula and A-Goals:
I’ve been coached by the amazing Paula Bedford for several years and through some epic ultramarathons.
In 2021 we went back to Spartathlon with an A-goal of sub 30 hours. Paula focused on the sub-threshold training and the first ever heat adaptation and we finished with a 27 hour Top 20 bonus.
In 2022 (off the back of some joyful coaching with the incredible Hannah Rickman) we flipped things and entered (still in my opinion the toughest ultra event on the planet) Winter Spine. Here Paula encouraged me to go much deeper into resilience training and I navigated an entire winter cold open water swimming program - with an A goal of a 7 day finish I was more that happy 5 day and Top 25.
In 2023 we went to a completely new place with the Tunnel
200 - again Paula brought another entire toolbox into proceedings with the 6 year senses training (I believe we now have unearthed over 30 senses but going beyond feel - smell - sound etc in the absence of Tunnel vision it is pretty freaky to dial into everything that can help you achieve your dreams. A-goal was sub 48 hours and we came home with the win and a 43 hour finish.
Reason I mention all of this (apart from the obvious which is Paula is a world class dedicated coach who brings way more than generic running into my training) is that when we sat down to plan the A-goals (btw there are B-D goals) for Badwater I’d already studied all of the 59 previous British finisher stats from the past 40 years. Only one had gone under 30 hours - the GOAT and my friend Dan Lawson- with the average being 36 hours.
So it was clear my one and only A-goal was sub 30 hours.
At Badwater - picking the right crew is EVERYTHING
In my opinion Badwater is unique on so many levels but where it truly is like no other is that ‘crew are mandatory. You must have a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 crew.
When I was lucky enough to be selected for this year I actually received several messages from friends asking to be crew. I had also wanted Paula to come and Darren would have made a quite special crew team but the universe didn’t align this. So as the first few days followed up three people I thought would make my perfect crew team - they were the first three I spoke to and they all said yes. Admittedly Leigh had absolutely no idea what he was actually saying yes to but Stephen and Frank knew exactly what Badwater meant and their enthusiasm for this project and their ultramarathon talents meant they were never going to be bettered.
There are crew and then there are crew.
Stephen did 30+ days of non-stop and disciplined sauna training - Frank invited me to his gym to complete specialised stair master sessions set by Paula. Both met up week after week. We volunteered together at Legacy Races, we ran epic long run miles together and in the background they both left no stone unturned with the race rules and logistical planning.
Leigh now lives in USA and was a dream in all the other elements. He sourced all the kit we would need - from ice coolers to water dispensers to garden sprays drugs clothing and more. We used his Land Defender which meant no hire car antics to be learnt and stressed over.
Leigh is one of Co Founders of Kiln - the coolest co-working co found in all the hipster towns and cities in USA and as well as being gifted an incredible apartment in Las Vegas Kiln also invited us to do a Q&A chatting about Badwater and running in extreme conditions. All of this made for such an easy lead up to the race and I am so grateful to the Kiln team for being such a fantastic supporter of this project x
There’s so many small things that have to happen
- you need to share a $ in an envelope
- have 10 blinky lights
- paid for Death Valley park license
- buy all your race food in lead up to race as chances are you won’t find any in the four actual inhabited Check Points inside Badwater
- get over jet-lag
- not be tempted by all the shiny things on offer in USA
Chapter One - Try and not race Harvey Lewis
As we gathered in the final 10:00pm Wave 3 at Badwater Basin I knew I was surrounded by legends. Previous winners and many podium finishers of the worlds best ultramarathons- three of my best Spartathlon British friends - Ali Young, Allan Anderson and Sir Ian Thomas. Alongside was my buddy (and my race favourite) Simen Holvik - we chatted but what I felt more than anything was a strong sense of calm that hadn’t been with me for weeks.
After an interview with the New York Times and team photos I spotted him - Harvey Lewis.
I could write an entire blog about my love and respect for Harvey. Stephen will testify that I could recount where Harvey was and what he’d done every day in the months leading up to Badwater - there is truly no one like Harvey. He’s a beautiful teacher - he run/works commutes (all the worlds best ultramarathon runners do this btw as it promotes big mileage weeks and removes any guess work) - he climbed Kilimanjaro a couple of days before he took part in the world-record breaking Backyard Ultra where Phil Gore sensationally did 118 hours - but Harvey did 96 hours (Phil was practically on home turf - if you want to see how to set up your crew tent for record breaking backyards watch Phil’s excellent social videos).
So for me if you want to be know how to be the best human then watch Harvey’s posts in his lead up to Badwater 2025 - the joy on his face - the dedication to get himself to the start line - what Harvey does with his sauna/cold plunge - his food choices - his community behaviour - everything to me is like the best bits of everyone all scooped up into one spirit god. Harvey was already a winner by being on that same start line - and I was on that start line with the Elvis of Ultras x
‘What’s the one ultramarathon you haven’t done that you’d love to do Harvey?’ - it’s approx mile 8 and I’m cross-crossing with Elvis.
‘This One’ Harvey replies.
Every word, every curious question, every emotion of encouragement from Harvey fills my heart full. This is a dream.
After a solid hour of Harvey love I take his medicine and I let him drift off - he is a 13 time finisher and I am a rookie- he may have climbed Kili and almost broke the Backyard world record a few days previous but boy he’s a steely competitor and his pace is too spicy for me and I need to be humble x
The first section is all solo for 42 miles to Stovepipe Wells - last year I was here in Death Valley crewing the legend Andy Day (he came Top 10 with 33 hours) and I felt strong Deja-vu with those early sections. I ran it all - I began to find large gaps between runners and crew cars and I was feeling strong from the four months of dedicated training and also the two weeks heat adaptation training with Andy Briggs and his team at Chichester University.
One of the zillion gifts that Stephen gave to me was an insight into Todd Nott - he was a serial Badwater finisher who consistently completed around 29 hours. So we phorensically reviewed his splits and I left Stephen in charge of keeping Project Todd on track.
‘Hey Buddy - how’s things?’ I asked as a runner past me.
‘All good - what’s your name?
After sharing mine he told me ‘I’m Todd’
I probably did swear - Oh my Days THEE TODD NOTT - I literally screamed into the full moon
Sorry Todd x He also skipped off (probably thinking what a loon).
A few miles before reaching Stovepipe I was overtaken by another runner - you know that feeling when you’ve done say 20 miles and someone runs past you so effortlessly that you smile and think - They’ve only just started their run - well that was what it felt like seeing Megan Eckhart breeze past. I stayed close by for a short while but the ease at which she flew on the inclines again left me in awe.
Chapter Two - George Harrison and Crew Love
I had goals laid out for the crew:
- keep my (Hylo Impacts - Usual Objections - SUMs) clothing changes to a minimum (success)
- use mostly Precision Fuel & Hydration - 90 gram strategy (total success - no real food / just some Coca Cola)
- run with joy and gratitude (guess you have to read the crew bits to find out x) (success imho)
- don’t vomit - this is a bit of a curveball - what I mean was I didn’t want to have my race destabilised by the effects Badwater veterans often share when the feel or are actually sick ( see Chapter 3!!!)
One goal I had aligned with my sub 30 goal was to keep stops to a bare minimum - I knew this was risky but Todd does it and most Brits don’t do it - so I was just going to be more Todd.
As we reached CheckPoint 1 Stovepipe Wells (where you can start to use crew member who can follow behind you) I ran straight through - I was feeling epic - first 42 miles had been awesome and I couldn’t see a DNF coming from any direction - project sub 30 was happening totally unchallenged- Yeeee Haaaaaw.
Moments later Frank caught me up. As became the pattern throughout Frank’s sections there was never one word of doubt or fear uttered - in my company he always gave the lift of encouraging words and the timely spray of ice water.
I was familiar with the Towne Pass climb having done it last year supporting Andy - he did this section well but I could tell by the sunrise creeping up that I was ahead of his time and I knew where he caught Laura last year and now I could see Badwater Legend Laura up ahead with run buddy James Ellis. (what I didn’t know at the time was Laura was also on track to a several hour PB) Team GB stomped up that hill and we spent many joyful miles criss crossing as we got support from our epic crews.
Stephen was picking up one of his sections and he offered a completely different approach to Frank but both came from a real place of love. Before we left Las Vegas Stephen led a DMT breathwork session and afterwards we had such a deep conversation on parents and parenting that those conversations kept coming back to me. In those 30 sauna days Stephen did we managed to do around half a dozen together. In one we sat with two young women and somehow the conversation turned to Badwater - they asked loads of awesome questions and at the end one laughed and said ‘Badwater sounds like FUNZIES’ - I kept that one as mine - in tougher times I would (or Stephen could) remind me that doing anything self-selected like Badwater is a gift and upturn those lips and remind yourself it’s all Funzies.
Bloody Funzies I’m hitting a low - Towne Pass won’t pass - it’s just so long - it’s the true feature of Badwater - never ending inclines (I know Simen is running his uphill version and I am not running mine - why not….)
I really lean in on Stephen. He’s saying the right things. His voice is kind- I remind myself of the sacrifices that the crew have made and I do what I am offered and I breathe.
Thank the jolly L - I have summitted. All Things Must Towne Pass x
Chapter Three - Tom Cruise and the Penguin
At the top of Towne Pass I was almost a little dejected- it’s a long time not to be running and I wanted to be running - now was the ultimate gift a chance in the hottest part of the day to take on the 10 mile descent into the furnace of Panamint Valley.
Sounds Easy x
‘Stop chasing - you need to follow your own journey’ - the beautiful wisdom of Frank was flowing - I didn’t feel like I was chasing Line and her awesome buddy runner but their pace was awesome and I wanted it. Mile after mile we cross-crossed and each time Frank would impart something other-worldly about their tactics (he intuitively knew) - again you will have to read his side but in my world it was all very very funny and much needed and it truly helped me keep running with zero walk breaks - I was beginning to feel like the Sub 30 train was back on the tracks.
BOOM - CRACK - overhead came the mig fighter jets. Last few years they have been a constant during Badwater - but still just a few runners get to experience the fly-by right over their heads - another lifetime high inside Badwater.
With Stephen picking up the reins we now entered the infamous valley of death - the one where the valley looks short and takes forever to pass. This was the one place I knew could hurt and derail the race and it took some beautiful stewardship from the team to manage.
Post race Leigh and I have enjoyed many debriefs - he came out with many legendary Jack Dee comments- most are reprintable but they were all hilarious in the race moment and often were the tonic to snap out of phases.
Again at Checkpoint Two Panamint Valley I cracked on leaving crew to sort themselves out with real food and began the epic Father Crowley climb - all three climbs of Badwater are batshit badass but due to the high sun and the 70+ miles into this race then this is probably ‘the one’.
Frank again caught me up and was proud to see me running - there weren’t any sightings of runners - this was us vs us.
I began to feel the first batch of muscle soreness. In the four months lead up I had some back and knee soreness/ I had limped away from a few of the hard interval sessions but I never had to back down from the core of the training. Both the back and knee were groaning - the crew had by now massaged some Voltoral into the knee and were administering some pills (less than I was asking). Franks PR and customer care expertise came to fruition - he would get me to raise my arms above my head and lead me through a small twist and some hip movement- these were priceless x
‘Right now Davy Boy I want to see a purposeful stomp’ came Franks gravely tones.
I began to try to march but I just couldn’t coordinate my arms like a normal person - what I could do was scoop both arms back at the same time- the boys began to tell each other that ‘he’s doing the PENGUIN’.
Like all artistic license- I need your kindness about faithfulness of my memory but whenever I first came to hear the coined Penguin - I loved it x
Up and up we went - more hourly Precision gels and chews - great crewing from Leigh on the epic high winding roads and the first sighting of the world class Polish runner Ednta - as I knew she wanted to win I guessed she was struggling - we caught and passed but I was equally feeling the pinch - I knew deep down that getting to the top of Father Crowley meant a massive milestone and the ultimate question I had pre race - could I run the 50km runnable section to Lone Pine.
Stephen only knows (probably felt) me blowing through my hole - I mentally hit a big buffer as the crew car had to go one of its longest gaps to the top and his tactics of diverting conversation helped enormously.
We got to the top but in true UK form it’s not the actual top - it’s 4000m where we had 1300 m to go.
This is probably why I had my wipeout.
I’ll never fully know but I came to a crew stop - I ambled across the road and surprised the team by asking to go inside the car - I knew if I didnt I was going to break the Don’t Vomit Rule). To be honest if a guardian angel had been able to offer me a lifetime of rest in that car I would have taken it - nothing felt like protecting Project Sub 30
But… somehow I bounced out of the car - I think the chaps said it was a miraculous six minutes - what was just as miraculous was that I felt ok - Yeeee Haawwww x
As we began the long decent we began to catch a few more runners - some stuck with us for joyful miles - like Ramesh and Ivan from Brazil - this was a tough but rewarding period and my crew were so solid I owe this to them x
Hours and hours pass when we suddenly see the crew car of Ali Young pass - inside are three superstars- crew/Team GB - photo superstar Paul Magee, running and coaching superstar Robbie Britton and Mr Young himself - true superstar - flip I am about to be overtaken by my friend Ali.
I’ve already told this to Ali - it lit a fire under me. With Frank and Stephen the route to Lone Pine was non-negotiable- we were now going to put on the shift or all shifts until ‘that car’ passed us no more x
Final Chapter - When the job is done get the Job done
A few days before race day my wife Gaby messaged to say what are you doing with your fundraiser - it was actually our fundraiser. Gaby had beautifully created a page at the beginning of the year to pay joyful respect to her dad Terry and our beautiful friend Emma - who had both recently passed from Cancer (in the Camino Ultra community some of our most active and supportive members have Stage 3 and 4 Cancer - their energy levels and passion are the driver for so many of the things we do).
The answer was nothing - I hadn’t done a thing. I quickly private messaged some of my closest and dearest. I shared that I mostly wanted the community to share positive messages - donate small and message loud.
Back came the response from the angelic Sarah - if you go sub 30 like you say you will then I will donate £5000 and another donation for every hour under. My full heart was over/flowing - I didnt think anything of it from a reality point of view but the gesture was so powerful.
As came to the famous final Check Point at Dow Motel lone Pine and barely stopped again there was a feeling that the job was done - the heat challenge was done - the bulk 122 of the 135 miles were done. By getting to Lone Pine in circa 24 hours I had a self given 6 hour buffer to the top of Mount Whitney to achieve my sub 30.
But now it was no longer a sub 30 was it?
It was time for the Penguin to come out in force.
The night time ascent of Whitney was a gift all of its own - the stars and moon paved the way - we looked up and we could see a few runners lights way way into the distance. Again Frank and then Stephen with their majesty would proudly say ‘those are your places - go gather them up’.
I hadn’t thought about it- I suspect there many things I’d hoped would come to pass but one major one was the all three of my crew would do a segment.
All of those in-car conversations that I hadn’t been privy to (many I’ve now since heard and it’s funny how they paint different experiences) but importantly here the crew did this magical thing and out came Leigh to take on a night hike with me. It was such a gift - we’ve know each other for over twenty years - as parents we’ve experienced some monumental things with our incredible kids and we shared a few stories under the Mount Whitney backdrop / thank you Leigh - thank you crew and grateful to the universe for this x
One runner was passed and the pace became electric- nothing was stopping the Penguin. The final miles were ahead and the double dream of a sub 28 hour was now alive.
‘Go to the finish chaps - find the car park and then walk down with the British Flag to meet us’ - it was 27 hours and 45 minutes and Stephen and I were flying - we were in flow x
We got to the final corner.
27 hours and 58 minutes.
‘Frank and Leigh where ARE YOU?’
They were nowhere to be found. What to do - cross the famous Badwater line as a twosome.
No way.
Out of the bushes (literally) the superheroes came - we unfurled the flag and we took on those epic last metres together.
What happened next is on film but was massively hazy to me - what I will always remember is just how happy I was - WE had achieved this - this was a four month journey (part of a multi year journey and it was earnt in the relationships and friendships of these three x I will forever remember them when I think of this glorious Badwater x
Crew Chief Stephen Macintosh:
Badwater blog:
I’ve dreamt about Badwater for many years. It’s the iconic race. There something about the imagery and extremity of it that’s always pulled at my sleeve. So when David got in and asked me to be crew chief I was floored with excitement and gratitude. This was to be the big one.
The Badwater 135 cannot be approached without an extraordinary level of preparation and support for the runner. It is a 6 month journey. David, of course, executed a rigorous and well considered training plan set by coach Paula which was complimented with the heat training in both chamber and sauna. For the months leading up to the race we scoured the Badwater University, and countless informational emails from Chris Kostman (Legendary race director) a library of tips and reminders for training, kit and crews. I’ve loved and appreciated all the deep mindset chats with the boss at Hackney Community Sauna, my now second home.
Frank and Leigh made up the remaining crew and all I will say for now is that was the best choice David could have made. You always hear runners acknowledging their crew but in this race they really have to do the work too and neither of these gentlemen held back in any way from start to finish. Big love.
Kit preparation, packing, nutrition, hydration, race planning, problem resolution, the endless insanely rigorous rules and car logistics all had to be gone through with the team multiple times both before the race and at the race briefing, the day before the start.
There we spent time with many of the other runners including the eventual winner Simen Holvic, Harvey Lewis (marvelling at his superhuman recovery skills), Bob Becker (80 years old competing), and of course Laura Watts and the other incredible GB athletes. It was a who’s who of the world’s best and fully ignited the excitement and trepidation.
On race day morning David and I went through the A goal sub 30 hour target strategy. I shared with him I thought he could be in the 27 hour zone. I know him well enough to have felt I’d touched a nerve. And when he told me about the incredibly generous Cancer Research donation offer that grew with each sub 30 hour, I knew he was aiming higher but I was concerned as we absolutely had to make sure to get that approach right so he didn’t blow up.
And so to the race. Wow, the location and heat are everything you could imagine. Vast, barren, salt flat basins flanked by beautiful mountains ranges. It looks otherworldly and the heat, as you’d expect, feels like a living hell. We all rested as best we could before heading to the start line for the last wave at 10pm.
Driving to race start at Death Valley basin you pass the other waves of runners in their neon, already soaked through with sweat from the nighttime 38c temperature. There is nothing like this experience, such a bizarre contrast to the eerie stillness and moonlit mountain silhouette in the desert night. As we all gathered at the start we shared the incredible anticipation amongst the exceptional field broken by some joking around, largely lead by David, and plenty of well wishing hugs.
And then they were off. And for the next 28 hours we would all have some of life’s most beautiful adventures. I wish I could share all of the micro stories that punctuated the journey we will always carry with us.
David, as predicted and advised multiple times not to, went off too fast. Or that’s what we thought. As pacing isn’t permitted until mile 42, we spent much of the first night leapfrogging our runner in the crew car, preparing our iced spray bottles, nutrition and bottle changes, as well as tracking consumption every couple of miles. David was running like a dream.
Once Frank and I began pacing I realised the enormity of the task first hand. We carried ice water spray bottles and kept David cool as best we could whilst moving. Every stop required more replenishment for pacing to carry. The first climb felt so long as the sun came up but it was absolutely beautiful. Leigh was always there to catch us with the crew car before it was too late. I think we all grew in confidence.
The second climb at Father Crowley begins after the 5 mile straight flat into Panamint
Springs. David and I were the only on this section of the course when two fighter jets buzzed us with a fly by. Truly epic. By now temperatures were close to 50c. Up the steep climb and there are only 8 permitted stopping points meaning longer periods without crew support. No wonder David took a 5 min reset at the top. It was hard. Very hard.
We continued along this 50 mile section to Lone Line at mile 122. All kinds of things happened. We saw a dust devil cross the road, David discovered a new way to propel his body forwards by swinging arms at the same time and we named it ‘the Penguin’, and the crew leader (me) got heat exhaustion after we ran out of enough water to refuel both runner and pacers. Very very hard, but all so brilliant. David continued consistently in effort, not once complaining and never without a smile and thanks. Astonishing. But very David.
And then we reached Lone Pine and felt it was done. Only a half marathon up the mountain to go. OMG that was vastly underestimated. The Mount Whitney climb is legendary. You might have seen people on their hands and knees at the finish. I always thought that was hamming it up for the camera. How wrong I was.
By now David was really on the edge of what was left. Frank and I took shorter sections of pacing as we too were both struggling.
The last two miles or so were about the most significant I’ve ever experienced and I feel so proud and grateful to have been there for that. It was so dark and quiet at the top of this climb. It was much cooler too. David continued to push the pace as I noticed we were both watching the clock. We didn’t need to or have the energy to discuss it but knew what we had to do. There was the chance for a sub 28 hour finish. The trouble was we didn’t know where the finish was. Frank and Leigh were waiting there so we called out to them into the darkness. 4 mins left, no answer, 3 mins left still no answer. We kept pushing. 2 mins left and we hear Franks faint voice. Move! We grabbed hold of the Union Jack and, as a team, crossed the line for an epic, utterly exhausted but elated finish. It simply could not have gone any better. It was the best ever conclusion to the world’s greatest race.
Simply crewing and pacing this race has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But the reward to be a part of something so uniquely special will be with me for the rest of my life. I’m so proud of David and his achievement and so grateful to have the chance to share it with him.
I’ve enjoyed getting to know the crew so much on this journey. A reminder that doing something so hard like this together breaks down all the barriers to connection, creating a wonderful opportunity to knowing someone and building real friendships.
Frank, Leigh, thank you for being such incredibly generous and hardworking crew. You were all heart and determination and none of this could have happened without you.
Frank’s Badwater Reflections:
Badwater 135: Crewing for a Legend
Badwater 135 — what a mega adventure. One of the wildest races on Earth, and I had the honour of crewing for one of the coolest dudes ever: my pal and yours, David Bone.
David’s no stranger to a challenge. He’s finished Spartathlon, tackled the Winter Spine, and only went and won the 200-mile Tunnel race. Every one of those is off-the-scale tough. Every one has its own flavour of madness. But Badwater? This one’s different. This one is cooked to a crisp, quite literally.
When David asked if I’d help him crew and pace, I said yes without fully realising what I was getting into. I started doing my research and, honestly, it hit me pretty hard. This race isn’t just tough — it can be dangerous if you don’t take it seriously. My top priority was simple: get my mate through it safe, healthy, and — if possible — smiling at the finish.
Viva Las Vegas: Getting Ready for the Heat
The training was done. Time to jump on a plane to Las Vegas. Stephen and I left Heathrow, and 11 hours later, we were in a sweltering Uber heading to meet David. We'd built in three days to get over jet lag and acclimatise to the heat. Trust me — July in Vegas is next-level hot.
Soon it was time to drive into the belly of the beast: Death Valley. Our crew member Leigh had prepped the Land Rover Defender like a pro — ice boxes, gallons of water, gear stacked perfectly. Everything was smooth. We were calm. Confident. Focused.
The Lone Pine Briefing: Legends, Rules, and the Heat Reality Check
The road trip down was full of laughs and that classic American desert scenery. But things got real when we arrived in Lone Pine for the race briefing — two hours of safety instructions inside a high school gym, packed with legends like Simen Holvik,Harvey Lewis, and other ultra-runners we’d only seen on Instagram until now.
Afterward, we drove back to Furnace Creek — a retro 1950s resort with Dirty Dancing vibes, but dialled up to 47°C. Beautiful in its own right. But unforgiving.
The Start Line: Salt Flats and Stars
David’s wave — the “fast wave” — was set to go at 10 p.m. That gave us a cooler start (relatively) and a chance to chase. The start line was laid out on the hauntingly beautiful salt flats. There was a buzz in the air — tension, excitement, cameras flashing. A bit of a Sparta reunion, honestly.
And then: crews out. Just the runners left. I found a spot to snap photos. Countdown. Go time.
The runners launched into the night, headlights slicing the darkness. The pace from the front was blistering. I remember thinking, “They can’t possibly hold that in this heat.” But then again — it only gets hotter.
Into the Furnace
We weren’t allowed to pace for the first 42 miles, which was lucky because David was flying. We crewed him every 2.5 miles — keeping him topped up on fluids and fuelling steadily.
I got the nod to be first pacer, and I couldn’t wait. The changeover? Comedy of errors. We accidentally blocked some random driveway in the desert, got told off, and in the chaos, I just started running with David. The crew thought he was still solo. I had to text: “Don’t panic, I’m with him!”
From there, crewing went to every 1.5 miles. Ice water sprays. Soaking bandanas. The sun rose fast and hit harder. You think you’ve trained for heat, and then you meet Death Valley.
Banana Water and Desert Drama
The heat was climbing. The course was cruel — long, straight, never-ending. Only three climbs, but endless rollers and no shade. You run out of water here, and you’re in real danger.
And that’s exactly what started to happen.
We were flying through water, spraying David down with 2L every 30 minutes. Our ice wouldn’t melt fast enough, and when it did, it was ruined — contaminated by bananas we’d left in the cooler. That “banana water” made me feel sick. I ended up downing three cans of Coca-Cola and a Red Bull just to function (which I normally avoid like the plague). But right then, Davids needs came first.
Eventually, we realised we had no choice — we had to leave him for 40 minutes and drive to the next town for water. Leigh and I made the dash, grabbed supplies, and somehow made it back with David still running strong. I felt the Red Bull kick in. I was ready to go again.
Desert Sunset, Techno, and Digging Deep
Sunset in Death Valley is stunning. A dusty pink-red glow dropped behind the mountains, and the desert slipped into darkness. The moon lit the way.
David was still grinding it out, but the crew were suffering. I was queasy. Stephen was having gut issues. Leigh was running low on food. Spirits were dipping.
So I cranked the German techno, rallied the lads, and doubled down. David was deep in the pain cave, but moving. We took it mile by mile. Push by push. I didn’t think we’d make sub-30. I was wrong.
By now it was fully dark, but the air was still stifling. Stephen took over pacing. David kept pushing. At this point, we were past 100 miles. It felt like a war of attrition — and David was winning.
Mount Whitney: The Final Climb
We reached Lone Pine — but that’s not the finish. There’s one final beast: Mount Whitney. The last 13 miles climb 4,500 ft to the trailhead. After 120+ miles, it’s brutal.
David shuffled into his “penguin” technique — a kind of ultra-runner survival mode. And we got to work. A mile at a time. Rotate pacers. Keep him moving. Keep believing.
I thought we’d missed sub-30. In fact, we were heading for sub-29 — even sub-28.
David overtook at least three other runners on the climb. That gave him the fire to go harder. Myself and Leigh drove to the finish line ahead, thinking we had time. Next thing we know — David and Stephen were right there. We had to scramble and run the final stretch together.
We crossed the line in 27 hours and 58 minutes.
What a Finish
Think about that: 135 miles. 47°C. Three climbs. No shade. No mercy. A stacked field of elite runners.
And David only went and finished 11th overall.
First time at Badwater. An absolutely phenomenal effort. From my perspective, it was a total honour to be part of it — crewing, pacing, problem-solving, running alongside someone I truly admire.
If you ever get the chance to be part of something like this — whether crewing or running — say yes. It’s brutal. It’s beautiful. And it will stay with you forever.
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