Eagle Rocker Finishes 'Toughest Foot Race on Earth'

An Eagle Rock resident who had the distinction of being the first Filipino to participate in the nonstop 135-mile 2013 Badwater ultramarathon, known as the “toughest foot race on earth,” finished the competition early Wednesday.

Ben Gaetos, 56, an architect who is a citizen of the Philippines, placed 64th in the race, which began Monday in California’s Death Valley and ended at a height of more than 8,000 feet in Mount Whitney.

Gaetos, wearing Bib No. 53, arrived at the finish line at 2:08 a.m. after running for 44 hours, eight minutes and seven seconds at an average speed of 3.06 miles per hour, according to final results posted on the Badwater website.

The first place in the race was claimed by Carlos Alberto Gomes De Sa, a 39-year-old professional athlete from Portugal, who finished with a timing of 24:38:16. He was succeeded by Grant Maughan, 49, a yacht captain from Australia (24:53:57) and Oswaldo Lopez, 41, a Mexican citizen who resides in Madera, CA and works on a HAZMAT (hazardous materials) team (25:27:03).

Of the 96 runners who participated in what is renowned globally as "the challenge of the champions," 15 did not finish.

Every year in July, the legendary Badwater ultramarathon features up to 100 of the world’s leading long-distance runners who run in temperatures that reach 130 degrees.

Since it officially began in 1987, Badwater has always been run by invitation only, following a rigorous screening procedure.