Iron Man Al

In this man is perhaps the epitome of what would be considered an iron will. Al Arnold was the first human to run from scorching Badwater (-282 feet) in Death Valley to the high altitudes of Mount Whitney (+14,494 feet), 145 miles distant. Part of his training involved setting up an exercise bike in a 200 degree sauna and riding it for 45 minute sessions to acclimatize himself. By 1977, Al was running up to 50 miles a day, five days each week … he was also 50 years old.

Using a three mile per hour pace, this man of iron finally attained his long-realized goal of making the distance, leaving prior to dawn on August 3, 1977. The air temperature already exceeded 100 at 5 AM on this dramatic day, and would reach levels in the high 130s later. During the course of his epic 84 hour trek, Al drank about 30 gallons of liquids, and endured endless mind games in order to finally meet with success in the cool air of the mighty Sierra Nevada Range. Al is a senior member of the Badwater Hall of Fame.