{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Marathon Handbook Podcast","title":"Max Jolliffe on Winning Badwater 135, Heat Training & His Path to Running","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2233,"description":"Max Jolliffe is one of the most followed ultrarunners on the internet, and in July 2026 he became the fastest man in the 49-year history of Badwater 135, finishing Death Valley's brutal 135-mile course (ending with a 12-mile climb up Mount Whitney Portal Road, in temperatures hitting 118°F) in 20 hours 53 minutes, on his very first attempt.\nIn this episode, Michael talks to Max about his journey from Newport Beach surf-and-skate culture to ultrarunning champion, the science behind his heat training, his race-day battle for the lead at Badwater, how he balances content creation with elite racing, and why Cocodona has become his \"white whale.\"\nChapters:\n0:00 Intro\n3:25 Growing up in Newport Beach: surfing, skating, and sports\n6:16 Getting sober and finding running almost by accident\n8:14 His first marathon: OC Marathon, 2019\n10:14 The meteoric rise from marathoner to ultrarunning champion\n10:37 Training through COVID and building real consistency\n12:13 Racing his way into Badwater (Sean O'Brien 100K to Angeles Crest 100)\n14:05 Course recon and race-specific prep for Death Valley\n14:58 The science of heat training: core temp, sweat tests, and data\n17:28 What it's actually like to run Badwater 135\n19:12 Race strategy and the back-and-forth battle\n21:41 The darkest night: fighting through stomach issues and self-doubt\n23:04 The explosion of content creators in ultrarunning\n24:16 Balancing brand partnerships with full-time training\n26:14 Running is the new skateboarding\n28:59 Project-based running vs chasing competitive results\n30:32 Cocodona 250: the race he's never finished, his white whale\n31:25 What's next: Kodiak 100, UTMB qualifying, and the Go and More Ultra\n32:11 Honeymoon plans in Spain (with a little training on the side)\n32:59 What his watch showed during the hottest miles of the race\n34:25 Do your feet really cook running on Death Valley asphalt?\n35:34 Bucket list races: Western States, Barkley, and Tor des Géants\nFollow Max:...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/a3NORpFIoIUQrTnE2xXScFo8HEhxH6G0foNOPSlAx7c/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9kMWVh/ZTE1YzI3MDk3ODJm/NDFmYmIzNWRkNGM0/NDc0Ny5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}