Beat the Heat

Yes, it’s 50 °C. Yes, it’s merino wool. And you can run an ultramarathon in it, at the hottest place on Earth.

Were you afraid of dying?

“Not really at Badwater. But I’ve had some scary moments. Like running alone in Greece and getting surrounded by dogs. That was real fear. Or the times I’ve been so wiped out – hungry, thirsty, nose bleeding from dehydration – and had just had to stop and gather myself.”

Back in 2025

Most people would call it quits after an experience like that. But not Simen.

In July 2025, he’ll be back at the starting line in Death Valley.

“I’m fired up. That’s what I love about these races – you don’t know if you’ll finish. The risk is real.”

“I’ll go all in again. Like last year – but a little smarter. Either I break the course record and win, or I crash. No middle ground. It either works – or it doesn’t.”

Right now, Simen says he’s in great shape for the next Badwater. Quitting? Not an option.

“I don’t run because I want to.

I run because I must.”

Brutal heat

In July 2024, Simen returned to the U.S. to run Badwater for the second time. He knew what to expect. In 2023, he’d shocked the field by winning the men’s race on his very first attempt.

“Stepping out of the airport in Las Vegas is a shock. The heat just hits you like a wall.”

“It’s like sticking your face into an oven. You feel cooked. Your pace drops, heart rate spikes, and your body starts shutting down. You must be extremely careful about what you eat, because digestion shuts down, too. All your body wants to do is survive. It’s a constant battle between your will and your biology.”

He wasn’t just back to race – he wanted to win again. And this time, break the course record.

The race starts in the evening, after sunset – but it’s still brutally hot. Simen started in the final wave, alongside the top-ranked runners.

“When you’re out there in the desert, you just run. You run and run and run. It’s like something inside you switches off.”

“There are signs along the road warning drivers not to stop. It’s not a place for humans. There’s no sign of life.”

Simen felt strong. At one point, he was on pace to win again – and break the record.

“I went out hard. I felt like a king, totally invincible. But maybe I got a little too high on myself. You’re walking a razor’s edge the whole time. It doesn’t take much to fall off.”

He had his support crew following in a van, keeping him hydrated and fueled. After 180 kilometers – just 25 miles from the finish – they called it.

“I got carried away. After 180K, my body started shutting down, and the crew told me to stop – just to stay safe.”

“They saw me weaving on the road. This is along a highway with big trucks flying past. They got worried I was heading into heatstroke.”

The body goes into survival mode

“Your stomach shuts down, you get diarrhea, you lose lots of fluids. Your kidneys and liver take a real beating. You must consume insane amounts of salt, like two to three grams an hour. You’re pushing your internal organs to the limit. After these races, you don’t just feel muscle fatigue. It’s your kidneys that are wrecked.”

There’s no hospital nearby. If you don’t stop in time, it’s too late.

“It was a huge disappointment. But probably the right call. Who knows what could’ve happened? I’m alone with two kids. I can’t die in the California desert.”

Two years of preparation

By then, Simen had already run some brutal races. But he wanted more. More distance, more heat, more discomfort. He set his sights on Badwater.

“I wanted a race where I wasn’t sure I’d make it. Something on the edge of what’s physically and mentally possible. That kind of danger – it fires me up. It’s brutally long, insanely hot, and you’re fighting to survive. There’s something primal about it. I love that.”

He trained specifically for Badwater for two years. Only 100 runners are invited each year. You must apply with proof of extreme endurance experience and a resume of ultra-distance races.

“First, I had to qualify by completing the right races. Then it was all about getting sponsors and putting in the hours.”

To even stand a chance, you need to train in extreme heat.

“Running in that kind of climate means mistakes can be deadly. One wrong move, and you’re looking at heatstroke – or worse,” he says.

Simen spent hours in an infrared sauna to get his body used to the heat.

“But that’s not enough. You need to train in real conditions. I went to Dubai and ran in 105–113°F. If you’ve never done it, you can’t imagine what it’s like.”

135 miles of running in temperatures over 120°F. Sounds extreme? That’s because it is. A race that’s just as much about survival as it is about crossing the finish line.

And yet, that’s exactly what Norwegian ultrarunner Simen Holvik signed up for when he stood on the starting line of Badwater 135 for the first time in 2023.

To understand how he ended up there, you must rewind a few years. In 2019, Simen lost his wife to cancer. Shortly after, his father had a heart attack. And Simen realized something: he was next in line. He had been living a little too well. Too much barbecue. Too much beer.

“A few things hit me all at once. I knew I had to take control of my life – to live as long as I could, to be there for those who are still around, and to process everything I was going through,” says the father of two.

So, he started running. More and more, farther and farther. What began as a health fix quickly became a lifestyle, an obsession, and eventually a career in endurance sports.

“Running felt good – both mentally and physically. I needed it. Long runs helped me sort my thoughts and gave me energy. I could’ve turned to other things: drinking too much, eating too much, anything. But running is simple. All you need is a pair of shoes – and not even that.”

“I tried chasing marathon records at first, but that quickly felt pointless. I found more meaning in returning to the roots – running insanely long distances. That’s what humans are built for. There’s something in me that lights up when I push past those limits.”

Today, Simen Holvik is one of Norway’s top ultrarunners. He’s run the length of Norway, completed countless ultra races, and in the summer of 2023, he lined up for what many call the toughest run in the world: Badwater 135.

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