RUNNING

2000 mile run brothers attempt to set the World Record for the 'Fastest Double Crossing of Death Valley on Foot' and be the first British people to run the Death Valley Double route (10 Marathons in 4 days)

By The Jenko Bros.

Ultra-endurance bothers Scott Jenkins (34) and Rhys Jenkins (27) from Wales, UK will attempt to set the World Record for the ‘Fastest Double Crossing of Death Valley on Foot’ running 10 marathons in 4 days.

The brothers are to embark on an astonishing 270 mile run, in an average of 120 degrees Fahrenheit through Death Valley in California this July (the hottest period for the region). Death Valley (Furnace Creek) has the hottest recorded air temperature on earth listed at 137 degrees Fahrenheit (57 degrees Celsius) – that is hotter than an exceptionally hot day in Spain in July (87 degrees Fahrenheit; 31 degrees Celsius). The duo has aptly named their next challenge the Death Valley Double. To date only eight individuals have attempted such a feat and only three have managed to complete it. To date, no British individual has ever attempted it, until now. The brothers not only aim to be the first British duo to complete the Death Valley Double but will also attempt to break the current unofficial record held by Marshall Ulrich of 96 hours and 7 minutes. Scott and Rhys are looking to set the Guinness World Record for the ‘Fastest Double Crossing of Death Valley on Foot’. The route follows that of the Badwater ultramarathon, famed by ultramarathon men Dean Karnazes and Scott Jurek, encompassing a 135 miles from Badwater Basin to Mount Whitney Portal, starting at 282ft below sea level and finishing at an elevation of 8,360 ft above sea level. The ultra-endurance brothers will then turn around and complete the return leg back to Badwater Basin – that is 10 marathons in 4 days, in extreme heat conditions, with sleep deprivation and difficulty terrain to also add to the complexity of such a challenge. The Badwater ultramarathon, is described as ‘the worlds toughest footrace’ and Marshall Ulrich famously described it as ‘tougher than climbing Mount Everest’, which he has obviously done. The tarmac reaches temperatures of 200 degrees Fahrenheit, the equivalent of putting your trainer against an oven wall.  The result, the duo will need to run on the white lines of the road to minimize their rubber soles from meting in the heat.

The record attempt will start from Badwater at 6am on July 14th 2015, two weeks before the return of the Badwater Ultramarathon that was re-routed to an alternative route last year due to the National Parks Service concerns around heat. The return of the Badwater Ultramarathon will see new rules out in place to minimize heat concerns stipulated via the safety assessment that was conducted in 2014. The brothers will not have the luxury of a pacer or medic, often a standard requirement for the Badwater ultramarathon, and as such will be pacing each other along the way. This is a key support requirement as heat exhaustion can often creep on athletes participating in such events and often can be deadly. They will also not have a 4-6 man strong support crew often seen with every participant in the Badwater Ultramarathon. They will be accompanied by Scott’s girlfriend, Abby Fleming and another friend. Abby will be the main support team driver but will also be in charge of refueling the athletes, scheduling breaks and looking out for their general well-being along with her fellow crew member. Abby has often supported the duo on their multiple challenges but not the extent of this:

“This is unlike anything I have done before for the guys! Supporting their 1,000mile cycle from Turin to Cardiff had slightly less extreme safety concerns when compared to this challenge. It is unchartered territory for me too and I am no survival expert. I usually help mostly with fundraising on these challenges but this is going to be their greatest challenge to date and I want to help them achieve their goal.”

Being the largest National Park south of Alaska means that the terrain and topography will vary along the route from desert to mountain and as a result, Death Valley is known for its extremes. It is North America's driest and hottest spot (with fewer than two inches/five centimeters of rainfall annually and a record high of 137°F), and has the lowest elevation on the continent—282 feet below sea level (Badwater Basin – their starting point). With such extremes, natural wildlife also comes in extremes; scorpions, tarantula spiders and snakes all choose Death Valley as their natural habitat.  As night falls, Death Valley's elusive populations of bobcats, kit foxes, and rodents venture out.  Nothing like a few more challenges to join the heat, steep inclines and sleep deprivation to keep it interesting.

The ultra-endurance brothers are setting their aims far further than the record attempt – they are aiming to raise £5,000 for Save the Children and Operation Smile.

“The ongoing plight of children around the world is heavily documented. Atrocities are never far from the news headlines such as those in Pakistan and Syria recently. Save the Children is one charity that helps children from all aspects of life and that’s why we chose them as one of our charities this time round. Save the Children gives kids around the world the opportunity to be kids” Said older brother Scott

“Scott suggested Operation Smile as our second charity, I had not heard of them before so decided to read up on the work they do. After reading up on them, how could I not want to run and raise funds for them?! They are a brilliant charity that carry out reconstructive surgery for children born with facial deformities such as cleft lip and cleft palate. This can often be a life threatening condition for many children born in third world countries. If it is good enough for Sir Clive Woodward to endorse – it is good enough for the Jenkins Brothers’s blood, sweat and tears. Operation Smile gives children the opportunity to smile again – who wouldn’t want to raise money for that!” added Rhys

The ultra-endurance brothers are no strangers to ultra endurance events. Their badges of honour are extreme and extensive. In 2010, both brothers ran 2000 miles from Boston, MA to Austin, Tx in just 75 days (that’s running more than a marathon a day for 75 days – more than Dean Karnazes’s famous 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states). This epic challenge was sponsored by Puma and saw Puma athlete, Sean Quigley (track athlete) completed a half marathon with them on Day 1 of the challenge. This endeavor raised over £10,000 for Help for Heroes, Young Texans against Cancer and British Heart Foundation. Since then, both Scott and Rhys, have completed many an ultra-endurance event – too many to go into depth and do justice in this article. However, to touch on a few, the welsh brothers have cycled 1,000 miles from Turin, Italy to Cardiff, Wales via four of the Tour de France’s steepest climbs (inclusive of Alp d’Huez and Col D’Agnel), in just 10 days! The brothers then cycled in a non-stop relay with two others in 8 days (4,000 miles) in 2013 from Seattle, WA to Jacksonville, FL in memory of a friend and fallen soldier and only last September, Rhys ran the single crossing of 135 miles from Badwater to Mount Whitney Portal in 50 hours and has vowed to break his PB. Over the years the duo have raised more than £25,000 for various charities, often choosing ones that they have personal connections to.

“Scott and I had discussed running Death Valley for years. We wanted to do it last year but Scott had no annual leave left and I was too impatient to wait so attempted it solo”. Rhys laughed “Having that as a trial run has helped us prepare in our record attempt and I can’t wait to attempt it with my brother. They are right with how they describe the Badwater ultra – it is by far the hardest thing I have ever done. Having said that, I feel more prepared and energized this time. I know we can do this” Rhys stated confidently

If the brothers are to break the record and become the first British individuals to do the Death Valley Double, mental and physical strength is key but “so is logistics” adds Scott. “if we are to break the record, we need to be tight on the small things. The rest breaks, the food breaks and the water breaks. We need to plan meticulously and have our support team prepped and ready to identify areas of concern, etc – as this is Abby, it could make things very interesting.” He jokes

The record bid is backed by Puma who have kindly donated training gear for the challenge; including 7 pairs of trainers for each athlete.  In addition, Nuun hydration, the world’s first hydration tablet, have agreed to rehydrate the men throughout their training and world record endeavor. The public will be able to follow their progress online via their website and through social media using the hashtag #deathvalleydouble












To follow, support and donate to the Death Valley Double, please visit www.thejenkinsbros.com, via facebook at www.facebook.com/thejenkobros  and on twitter @thejenkobros . If you wish to donate to Save the Children or Operation Smile and help the men reach their £5,000 goal, please visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/jenkobros.  If you are interested in running part of the route with the men, contact them at thejenkobros@gmail.com as they are keen for other runners to join them for morale support.