The Speed Project is a 340 mile (550k) adventure relay race that starts at the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles, CA, crosses Death Valley, and ends at the Welcome to Las Vegas sign. Teams consist of at least six runners doing 10k legs over the course of two days and nights.
The Speed Project first started in 2014 when six runners decided to see how fast they could run the distance from Santa Monica Pier to Las Vegas. In 2016, several other teams of runners also decided to complete the course, and this unsanctioned race has been held every year since. Teams are provided maps with instructions on each section of the course, but with no arrows, race signs, or official checkpoints along the way, there are essentially no rules other than that the entire distance must be covered on foot.
Strava, the company that created the fitness tracker app of the same name for runners and cyclists, has been involved in The Speed Project for the past few years, entering teams of their own and supplying other teams with GPS devices to track their progress during the race.
In this year’s Speed Project, known as The Speed Project 4.0, 38 teams finished and a new record was set by Team Sunchasers from Paris, France, who completed the course in a total time of 35:49.
The Speed Project 4.0 Trailer
“The Speed Project Trailer” by Strava
The all-female team sponsored by Strava this year also included The Speed Project’s first wheelchair athlete, Mary Kate Callahan. Team Strava placed 10th overall in 41 hours and 31 minutes. You can watch their whole story here:
“The Speed Project 4.0” by Strava
For more about The Speed Project, be sure to follow their Instagram page, and to learn more about Team Strava, visit: https://blog.strava.com/the-speed-project-16081/.