Devin聽Kelly聽is a high school teacher in New York City. His work has appeared in聽The Guardian, Longreads, LitHub,聽and more. He writes the newsletter聽Ordinary Plots,聽and his first聽novel,聽Pilgrims, is forthcoming this year.
Published
Every year, ultrarunners sign up to compete in a brutal race that stretches 135 miles across Death Valley in the high heat of summer. Because of its harsh conditions, the Badwater 135 is perhaps the most intensely crewed ultra in the world, and without these dedicated support teams, for most, the race would be impossible.
After a near-fatal bike crash in April 2024, ultrarunner David Roche decided to go all in chasing big goals. Five months later, he shattered the Leadville Trail 100 record and now has his sights set on winning Western States.