This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ray Zahab, a 55-year-old Canadian explorer and ultra-distance runner who has traversed nearly 12,400 miles across Earth’s most extreme environments, from the Arctic to the Sahara. It’s been edited for length and clarity.
July was the hottest month in Death Valley National Park’s recorded history. It’s also when I ran over 100 miles through the scorching desert heat.
I endured daily highs that exceeded 120 degrees Fahrenheit during my 53.5-hour journey from Death Valley’s northern border in the mountains down to Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America.
I was well prepared from multiple adventures in Death Valley, and I respected the National Park Service’s “extreme summer heat” warnings, meeting with park rangers in advance and sharing my plans with them.
I knew the journey would push my body to the limit, navigating Death Valley’s mountains, sand dunes, salt flats, and ankle-twisting rock-strewn river beds, almost entirely alone and off-road.
It wasn’t the first time I’ve run across Death Valley, but this trip was more personal. I was diagnosed with a type of blood cancer a few years ago and knowing that I could get out there and do something like this after recovering from chemo was empowering.
There were times when I doubted I could finish and times when I knew I had to rest. Here’s what it was like to run through California’s Death Valley during its hottest month ever.
