Ultrarunning
Meet the Pioneers Paving a New Frontier of Running
We sat down with the founder of NYC's Take the Bridge to chat about The Speed Project and other unsanctioned races that are changing the game.
5 min
NYC's 'Take the Bridge team takes on The Speed Project
The six runners of Take the Bridge complete the 344-mile race on foot from Santa Monica Pier to the Las Vegas Strip.
Running a marathon is hard enough, but imagine running 344 miles through Death Valley in unprotected heat on foot for three days. Welcome to The Speed Project, an unsanctioned ultra relay from the Santa Monica Pier to the Las Vegas Strip. No rules, no set path, just one team goal: to get there the fastest.
Meet team Take the Bridge — a team of six from New York City who braved the desert heat to take on the race this year. Finishing 6th out of 40 teams, Take the Bridge sees these unsanctioned races as the new wave of running — changing the game both mentally and physically for avid runners and providing an interesting alternative to the standard 10k or marathon.
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Several members of the team also happen to be looking forward to the upcoming Wings for life World Run and will be taking off Sunday, May 6 in Sunrise, Florida. Take the Bridge founder Darcy Budworth sees Wings for Life World Run as a win for runners on multiple fronts, being both for a good cause that unites all who run it and a unique format that pushes the boundaries of what racing can be.
We sat down with Budworth to chat World Run, The Speed Project and this new frontier of running that is changing the game.
Team members recover in compression pants
© Ryan Taylor/Red Bull Content Pool
Team members Jess, Darcy, and Katie pose during a break
© Ryan Taylor/Red Bull Content Pool
Take the Bridge celebrates finishing The Speed Project
© Ryan Taylor/Red Bull Content Pool
Team member Colby runs a leg
© Ryan Taylor/Red Bull Content Pool
RedBull.com: Take the Bridge hosts unsanctioned races on the bridges of New York City. What do unsanctioned races bring to the running community?
Darcy Budworth: What these races kind of brought into racing was thinking on your toes when you’re racing, but also really being in the moment. Instead of having mile markers or time clocks, you’re pacing off of the person that’s next to you. I would think it’s a smaller version of what the elites have.
Why and how did you put together a team this year?
I ran The Speed Project last year and I got a lot of inspiration through [it]. It’s invitation only, so we took a number of people who are at [Take the Bridge] races time and time again and who are finishing in the top 10. People who are very loyal to what we’ve created at Take the Bridge.
Team member Matt celebrates
© Ryan Taylor/Red Bull Content Pool
What was the hardest part of the The Speed Project?
The second day is the hardest part of the entire race. After all the trails, you have this very long stretch of Death Valley and you still have so much further to go. You think, "I just went through all of this. This will not end."
Team member Francisco takes a break
© Ryan Taylor/The Speed Project
What was the best moment?
There’s this huge incline as you’re getting out of Death Valley. You’re gaining five to six thousand feet in a matter of eight or nine miles. You get to the top of this hill and as you crest over, you can see the lights of Las Vegas. And it’s this mental moment where you know that you’re so close and all of a sudden everything seems feasible.
Team Take the Bridge takes on The Speed Project
© Ryan Taylor/Red Bull Content Pool
How did you hear about Wings for Life World Run?
Nils, the creator of The Speed Project, told me about it. A lot of people in our community have heard about [Wings for Life World Run]. What I really love about this race is that it kind of shifts and changes what you are expecting out of a race. Instead of the goal being, "what is your pace going to be?", the goal is then "how far are you going to be able to get?" It is so interesting.
What are you looking forward to the most about running this weekend?
No matter what it’s a good day because 1) you run as far as you can as fast as you can and 2) it’s a good cause, so as a result everybody wins. It’s also interesting that it’s a full race where everybody has the same goal in mind and the same purpose. It really unifies everybody.
To donate or become a part of the Wings for Life World Run in your area, click here.
To find out more about The Speed Project, click here.
