Running a marathon is hard. Running an ultramarathon (loosely defined as any race longer than 31 miles) is even harder. But, running the Badwater 135 could very well be the hardest race in the world.
As the name implies, the Badwater 135covers 135 miles, starting at the lowest point in North America – 238 feet below sea level – in California’s Death Valley National Park. It finishes at the foot of Mt. Whitney, 8,300 feet above sea level. In between, runners cross two mountain ranges for a total of 14,600 feet of elevation gain. To top it all off, the race takes place in July, the hottest time of year in one of the hottest places in the country.
While it is not strictly a charity race, many of the runners choose to support causes dear to their hearts as they take on the challenge of the Badwater 135. For Mark Cudak, who ran the race for the first time in 2024, that cause was to support ALS research at the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI).
Mark, an electrician from Stuart, FL, is an avid ultramarathoner and active member of his local running scene. It was through this tight-knit community that he first became aware of the devastating consequences of ALS and the desperate need for effective treatments to stop it. In 2017, a close friend and member of Mark’s running group, Tom, passed away from the disease.
“I spent a lot of time running with him,” remembers Mark. “He was in his 70s, and he had been in the Navy, working on a submarine. He was just a tough-as-nails guy. We watched ALS, in about two years turn him from this robust senior citizen, a robust athlete, into a husk. It devastated all of us in the local running community.”
More recently, another member of Mark’s running group was diagnosed with ALS – this time, a younger woman who is currently living with the disease. Inspired by these connections, Mark knew that, when he signed up for the Badwater 135, he wanted to raise money to support ALS research. After searching for organizations online, he settled on ALS TDI – believing it was the best way to make sure his efforts would directly support the development of effective treatments to end the disease.
Training for the race was a grueling, 14-month challenge. Working with a coach, he undertook many long runs and spent long days and nights in the gym improving his strength and flexibility. Knowing that during a 135-mile race with nearly 15,000 feet of elevation gain, he would not be running the entire time, he worked on improving his power walking skills. To prepare for the many miles of intense, steep uphills, he spent hours running up staircases and causeway bridges – the only elevation available to him in the flat area around him.
When the race itself came, Mark found that it certainly stood up to its reputation as one of the toughest athletic events in the world. Starting the race at 9:00 p.m. he was immediately faced with a thunderstorm, running through the rain before he had even gone a mile. He ran through the night, and, by day, the heat became the chief challenge – the high temperature the day of the race was 120 degrees. There were multiple times he needed to stop and lay down to catch his breath and cool down in the final half of the race.
“The last 13 miles, I was just exhausted,” he says. “Then suddenly, I realized I only had about a mile more of a climb to go and I got what I guess you could call my fourth or fifth wind. I started pushing up the hill again. And then, once you get up there, you realize that the finish line is right there.”
Mark finished the race in 38 hours, 41 minutes, and 38 seconds – more than a day and a half of pushing himself to the most extreme limits. He says that, in the most challenging moments, it kept him going to think about the cause he was running for and the people who had inspired him.
“I thought of my friend Tom several times while I was out there,” he says. “When you’re grinding away, you’re exhausted, but you know you can’t stop. I had to push through. It kicked in for me at several spots, just thinking about the larger cause that I was running for. It was more than running for the belt buckle that comes with the finish. It kept me going.”
To donate to support ALS Research at ALS TDI in honor of Mark’s incredible accomplishment, click here.
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