Former USASOC Soldier Wins Prestigious Badwater Ultramarathon

When you see a person out running, do you ever wonder how far they will run, or what they are training towards?

The former USASOC soldier, now assigned in Florida, was hooked after his first 24-hour run with a 'personal best' time of 13:12. The rest, as they say, is history.

Mike Morton reigns as the 2012 winner completing the 135-mile race in 22 hours, 52 minutes, and 55 seconds.

The annual daunting event attracts the top ultra-runners in the world. The course in Death Valley, has vertical climbs up to 13,000 feet in the legendary heat ending at Mt. Whitney, Ca.

To train up for the event, a typical day would include a 12-mile run at lunch, when it doesn't impede on his family time, and then 13-15 miles at night. 

"Going for a 1.5-1.75 hour run in the evening, it’s selfish, but it’s not devastating to the family," said Morton. "It’s not dedicating a weekend to go do a 60-70 mile run."

Morton shared in an irunfar.com post race interview that his military experience paid off in maintaining discipline with running. 

"The discipline pays off in training and being honest with yourself. I think what really pays off is some of the experiences when things aren’t going as planned or the way you want and being able to not focus on the sum but on all the parts and kind of break everything down in simplest form," he said.

View photos of Morton in the Military Times photo gallery.

Last April, the notorious long distance runner, Micah True, also known as Cabello Blanco, was found dead while out on a long run. The ultra distance running community is small and now Morton's name is up there with other running greats. Congratulations on that accomplishment.