#45: Stories from the Badwater 135 Part One

For 2022, Florida had nine runners in the Badwater 135, the World's Toughest Footrace, on the chat today for Part One is David Castro, Bob Becker and Caryn Lubetsky. This year, Bob Becker truly inspired us all with gritting it out to the finish and finishing only 17 minutes past the official 48-Hour cutoff. David Castro took his first journey into Badwater completing 49.03 miles of the absolutely brutal course. Caryn came back for a third year taking home that belt buckle with a time 37:30:02! 
Bob Becker is a name a lot of us will know. He's the Race Director for the Keys 100 and now the new RD for the Daytona 100. Outside for the race directing role, Bob is no stranger to the distance with running 230 miles to become the overall winner and broke the race record at the A Race For The Ages in 2019. He’s done the 135-mile Brazil 135 Ultramarathon and with age being no question, in 2017, Bob was the oldest finisher at the 100-mile Javelina Jundred. Bob has done the Badwater with a DNF in 2021 and has run in 2015, 2014, and 2008.
David Castro has had his own shoes to pavement (and trail) experience with the Daytona 100, Long Haul 100, the LOST 118, Miami 100, and the Keys 100. He has a remarkable story and will be running on behalf of the Samuel's House Shelter in Key West, Florida.
Caryn Lubetsky was first female overall at Keys 100 this year. She competed Badwater in 2021 placing 21st overall and 4th overall for the women with a time of 34:56:11. She’s also done Badwater in 2019 placing again 4th overall for the women.