When 66-year-old Danny Westergaard faced “hell on Earth,” he carried family, fierce heat and a crushing climb to Mt Whitney—and conquered all.
At a Glance
- Danny Westergaard completed the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon in 45 hours and 29 minutes
- He withstood 117°F temperatures, hallucinations, and dehydration
- The race, now 37 years old, enforces a strict 48-hour limit
- 20–40% of entrants drop out due to medical issues or exhaustion
- Bob Becker, aged 80, became the oldest finisher this year
Endurance Defined: Families, Flames & Finish Lines
The Badwater 135, infamous for its brutal conditions, has tormented runners for nearly four decades under the searing July sun. As participants charge from the depths of Death Valley—282 feet below sea level—to the Whitney Portal at 8,360 feet, temperatures routinely push into the 130s°F, turning salt flats into a lethal kiln.
Westergaard’s 18th consecutive finish is a testament to unyielding resilience. His trek crossed three mountain ranges, climbed 14,600 feet cumulatively, and subjected his mind to sleep deprivation so severe that hallucinations—such as phantom furniture and moonlit swings—materialized on the trail.
Watch a report: The Three Waves of Racers Begin the Race at Death Valley
Vital to his survival was a dedicated family crew: daughters and a cousin who sprayed him with water, monitored hydration, and kept morale high with mantras like “smooth as butter.” Their vigilance is critical in a race where 20–40% of competitors drop out, though remarkably, no deaths have been recorded in the event’s history.
Age Is Just A Burning Number
If the desert was unforgiving, age was no less an adversary. Westergaard, armed with sauna sessions and acclimatization regimens, compensated for waning speed with strategy and grit. But the true age-defying marvel of 2025 was Bob Becker: at 80, he became the oldest person ever to complete the course, finishing with nearly three hours to spare after a prior near-miss in 2022.
Their triumphs unfold against a backdrop of rising climate peril. Death Valley has recorded seven of its hottest summers in the past decade, underscoring environmental shifts even as human endurance stretches new limits. The convergence of extreme sport and escalating temperatures paints an urgent portrait of both resilience and risk.
As Westergaard himself reflected, enduring such torment is its own reward: “It just lifts you up,” he said, “so others smile back.”
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