At the start in Badwater, the lowest point in the western hemisphere at 86 m below sea level, the participants are faced with a run of 135 miles and having to overcome an altitude difference of almost 4,000 m. At 6 a.m., the temperature is already 39°C, and tension and concentration are mounting. I keep going over the critical questions: have I done everything right in the preparation, have I forgotten or overlooked anything, how will my body react to this incredible challenge posed by Death Valley, one of the hottest places on earth. The starting pistol goes off and all these thoughts vanish. We’re all looking forward along the black asphalt of Highway 190, snaking endlessly through the Mojave Desert. We start the long run through Death Valley.