Man Training For Badwater In Homemade Heat Room

He can crank it up to 170 degrees.

Wichita resident Tony Clark has been training for the Badwater Ultramarathon for months. He’s 33 years old and a former Marine. Clark is no stranger to ultras; he’s run seven 100 milers and last summer ran through Kansas from Nebraska to Oklahoma.

Clark hopes to finish the race in 30 hours or less.

Badwater is as tough as they come. It’s a 135-mile race from Death Valley to Mount Whitney in California that is held in July, when temperatures exceed 120 degrees.

During the race, runners cross three mountain ranges, which comprise 13,000 total feet of vertical climb. “Really, all this is is just a test to see what you can possibly do,” Clark said. “I want to see how far I can push myself.”

In order to train for the grueling race, Clark has constructed an 8-foot by 8-foot room in his garage. In the room, he has his treadmill along with several heat lamps and space heaters. He can raise the room’s temperature to 170 degrees.

For More: The Wichita Eagle