Marshall Ulrich
Encyclopedia
Marshall Ulrich is an American ultramarathon
runner, adventure racer
and mountaineer
. He holds various distinctions in several sports: he has completed 123 ultra marathons averaging over 100 miles each; has climbed the tallest summit on each continent (all on first attempts), a feat known as the seven summits
; and has finished 12 expedition-length races in adventure racing
.
Arguably most famous for his exploits in the Badwater Ultramarathon
across Death Valley
, Ulrich has finished the race 17 times and crossed Death Valley a record 23 times, including a 586-mile 'Badwater Quad,' covering the course four times (twice up and back), and a self-contained, unaided solo, in which he pulled all supplies (food, ice, medical) in a cart that weighed more than 200 pounds at the start. He won the Badwater 146-mile race from minus 282 feet to the 14,494-foot summit of Mount Whitney an unprecedented 4 times—and still holds the record to the summit. (The race is not run to the summit anymore.)
Ulrich has raised over $850,000 for various charities, including the Religious Teachers Filippini
, a small order with a major focus on serving children orphaned by AIDS in some of the poorest countries in the world. He provides his services as a speaker, trainer, and guide through Dreams in Action (DNA), encouraging others to "discover what you're made of: it's more than you think."
In 1992, he had his toenails removed in order to avoid chronic problems he experienced due to the extreme number of miles he was racing and training.
In the fall of 2008, he attempted to break the world record for a trans-American crossing (currently held by Frank Giannino ) and completed a 3,063.2-mile run from San Francisco to New York in 52.5 days, equal to 117 marathons, or two marathons plus a 10K each day. Ulrich succeeded in setting new Masters and Grand Masters records and recorded the third fastest crossing of the United States on foot. The effort, which included many injuries and obstacles, was chronicled in the 2010 movie, Running America. Ulrich's 2011 memoir, Running on Empty, gives more of the backstory of the transcontinental run, tells of his other extreme endurance adventures, and reveals his psychological drivers. Brian Metzler of Running Times called the book "a sincere original" with "candid tales about the loss of his first wife to cancer, his personal challenges of being a parent and rediscovering how to love later in life, as well as overcoming a mountain of self-doubt and insecurity."
Ultramarathon
An ultramarathon is any sporting event involving running longer than the traditional marathon length of .There are two types of ultramarathon events: those that cover a specified distance, and events that take place during specified time...
runner, adventure racer
Adventure racing
Adventure racing is a combination of two or more endurance disciplines, including orienteering and/or navigation , cross-country running, mountain biking, paddling and climbing and related rope skills...
and mountaineer
Mountaineer
-Sports:*Mountaineering, the sport, hobby or profession of walking, hiking, trekking and climbing up mountains, also known as alpinism-University athletic teams and mascots:*Appalachian State Mountaineers, the athletic teams of Appalachian State University...
. He holds various distinctions in several sports: he has completed 123 ultra marathons averaging over 100 miles each; has climbed the tallest summit on each continent (all on first attempts), a feat known as the seven summits
Seven Summits
The Seven Summits are the highest mountains of each of the seven continents. Summiting all of them is regarded as a mountaineering challenge, first postulated as such and achieved on April 30, 1985 by Richard Bass .-Definition:...
; and has finished 12 expedition-length races in adventure racing
Adventure racing
Adventure racing is a combination of two or more endurance disciplines, including orienteering and/or navigation , cross-country running, mountain biking, paddling and climbing and related rope skills...
.
Arguably most famous for his exploits in the Badwater Ultramarathon
Badwater Ultramarathon
The Badwater Ultramarathon describes itself as "the world's toughest foot race". It is a course starting at below sea level in the Badwater Basin, in California's Death Valley, and ending at an elevation of 8360 feet at Whitney Portal, the trailhead to Mount Whitney...
across Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
, Ulrich has finished the race 17 times and crossed Death Valley a record 23 times, including a 586-mile 'Badwater Quad,' covering the course four times (twice up and back), and a self-contained, unaided solo, in which he pulled all supplies (food, ice, medical) in a cart that weighed more than 200 pounds at the start. He won the Badwater 146-mile race from minus 282 feet to the 14,494-foot summit of Mount Whitney an unprecedented 4 times—and still holds the record to the summit. (The race is not run to the summit anymore.)
Ulrich has raised over $850,000 for various charities, including the Religious Teachers Filippini
Religious Teachers Filippini
The Institute of the Religious Teachers Filippini, commonly known as the Religious Teachers Filippini, the Sisters of St. Lucy Filippini, or simply the Filippini Sisters, is a Catholic religious institute devoted to education...
, a small order with a major focus on serving children orphaned by AIDS in some of the poorest countries in the world. He provides his services as a speaker, trainer, and guide through Dreams in Action (DNA), encouraging others to "discover what you're made of: it's more than you think."
In 1992, he had his toenails removed in order to avoid chronic problems he experienced due to the extreme number of miles he was racing and training.
In the fall of 2008, he attempted to break the world record for a trans-American crossing (currently held by Frank Giannino ) and completed a 3,063.2-mile run from San Francisco to New York in 52.5 days, equal to 117 marathons, or two marathons plus a 10K each day. Ulrich succeeded in setting new Masters and Grand Masters records and recorded the third fastest crossing of the United States on foot. The effort, which included many injuries and obstacles, was chronicled in the 2010 movie, Running America. Ulrich's 2011 memoir, Running on Empty, gives more of the backstory of the transcontinental run, tells of his other extreme endurance adventures, and reveals his psychological drivers. Brian Metzler of Running Times called the book "a sincere original" with "candid tales about the loss of his first wife to cancer, his personal challenges of being a parent and rediscovering how to love later in life, as well as overcoming a mountain of self-doubt and insecurity."