Began running when he was 45… Three decades ago, Jack Denness gave up smoking and started jogging. As BBC News reports, this now-grandfather and part-time school caretaker who lives in England has since run more than 150 marathons in the UK. As Denness is quoted in the article, “I’m not an elite runner, I’m just an ordinary bloke who, as it turns out, has been quite successful at running.” Denness, you see, is somewhat modest, because he not only runs marathons, he also runs what are called ultramarathons. These particular forms of torture start at a distance of 50 kilometers (a touch more than 31 miles) and get progressively longer.
… first ran the Badwater Ultramarathon in 1991 … One such race is the Badwater, which is not only a ridiculous 135 miles in length, but also set in the somewhat temperate area of California known as Death Valley. Denness first read about it in 1989, then two years later, he not only completed the first one he ran, but also raised money for a UK hospital’s Cancer Scanner Appeal. This would continue a trend, as he’s finished 11 of the Badwater races so far and, along with his other races, has raised more than $150,000 for charity since he began running. And according to the UK’s Independent, he’s done ultramarathons in places such as Niger, Morocco and India, and calls Badwater the “hardest one on the planet.”
… but this one will be his last. And now, at the age of 75, Denness is at it again, set to take part in the race that starts on Monday, July 12. He already holds the record for being the oldest man to finish the course, which he did back in 2005 at the age of 70, so it seems only reasonable to believe he’ll break that record. Sure, he needs to finish the race within 60 hours, and, sure, temperatures on the road can reach upwards of 140 degrees, but those are just details. As to why someone would put themselves through that, Denness is quoted as saying, “You have to be mad to do it. It’s one of the conditions of the race.” Mad or not, we’re cheering for Denness, who’ll be raising money for Cerebral Palsy Care.
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Screengrab from plasticpicturesUK via YouTube.