One of ultrarunning’s most celebrated athletes has done it again.
Sally McRae has officially crossed the finish line at the Badwater 135 for the fourth time, cementing her status as one of the sport’s most extraordinary competitors.
The race — held inside California’s Death Valley, widely considered the most brutal ultramarathon on earth — stretches 135 miles through scorching desert terrain, and McRae conquered every punishing mile of it.
Here’s everything that went down at the finish line, and why this moment means so much more than just another buckle.
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Four Times Across the Deadliest Desert on Earth
The Badwater 135 is not a race for the faint of heart. Temperatures inside Death Valley regularly exceed 130°F, with runners navigating asphalt so hot it shimmers with heat waves visible to the naked eye.
McRae didn’t just survive it — she’s now done it four times.
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At the finish line, the emotion was immediate and electric. Fellow competitor Joey was among the first to greet her, met with an eruption of cheering and applause from the crowd gathered to witness the moment.
The celebration said everything words couldn’t.
A Finish Line Reunion That Had Everyone in Tears
The scene at the finish was raw and deeply personal. McRae and Joey — both crossing as finishers — shared a moment that stopped everyone around them.
She pushed me up that climb, for real.
Those were Joey’s words about McRae, and they paint a vivid picture of what happens out on that course. This isn’t just a race — it’s a shared act of survival.
Runners push each other forward when bodies and minds are screaming to stop. That’s the soul of Badwater, and McRae clearly embodies it completely.
The Buckle, the Joke, and a Subtle Hint at What’s Next
After four finishes, someone at the ceremony couldn’t resist a well-earned joke.
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That’s your fourth finish. You know, you can retire.
The crowd laughed. McRae laughed. Nobody actually believed it for a second.
She then received this year’s finisher buckle — a beautifully designed piece featuring the race’s elevation profile etched right into the metal, with additional detail printed on the back.
I was going to make it bigger next year for the 40, but I decided to just start this year.
That comment is worth paying attention to. A reference to “the 40” suggests something significant may be on the horizon — possibly a 40th anniversary edition of the race, or a milestone that race organizers are already building toward.
Either way, it sounds like the buckle designs are only going to get more impressive.
Why Sally McRae Is Unlike Anyone Else in Ultrarunning
Finishing Badwater once is a feat most runners will only dream about. Finishing it four times places McRae in a category that very few athletes on the planet occupy.
Known for her relentless positivity and mental toughness, McRae has built a reputation that extends far beyond race results. She inspires runners at every level — not just elite competitors chasing podiums, but everyday people battling their own personal finish lines.
Watching her receive that buckle, surrounded by cheers and the kind of joy that only comes from pushing through something truly impossible, it’s easy to understand why her following continues to grow.
What Makes Badwater 135 So Uniquely Brutal
For those unfamiliar with just how extreme this race really is, a few facts put it in perspective.
- 135 miles of continuous racing through Death Valley and beyond
- Temperatures that regularly push past 120–130°F on the valley floor
- Runners face significant elevation gain, with the course profile so dramatic it’s now immortalized on the finisher buckle itself
- The race is held in mid-July — deliberately timed to coincide with peak desert heat
- Finishers represent a tiny fraction of the global ultrarunning community
McRae has navigated every one of those conditions — four times over.
The Moment That Said Everything
There’s a specific exchange from the finish line that captures the spirit of what McRae accomplished perfectly.
You’re a Badwater finisher.
Oh, so are you. Four time finisher.
Simple words. Enormous weight behind them.
For anyone who has followed McRae’s journey — through the heat, the climbs, the miles that seem to never end — hearing those words land in real time is something else entirely.
Sally McRae is a four-time Badwater 135 finisher. And if that retirement joke is any indication, the ultrarunning world hasn’t seen the last of her yet.
