The grueling 135-mile journey of a 66-year-old runner through one of the hottest places on Earth
Danny Westergaard, right, competes with pacing help from daughter Meagan Westergaard during the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in Death Valley National Park, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher)
DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — When the running gets hard in this desert dubbed “hell on Earth,” Danny Westergaard tells himself: “Slow and steady” or “smooth as butter.”
For 18 years, Westergaard, 66, has braved the scorching summer heat of California’s Death Valley in an ultramarathon billed as the world’s toughest. Last week, 99 runners from across the globe embarked on a grueling 135 mile (217.26 kilometer) competition from the lowest point below sea level of North America to the trailhead of the highest peak in the contiguous U.S. They had 48 hours to do it. Few have completed the competition as many times as Westergaard, a retired aerospace project manager, though finishing is not a given.
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