> Now you can't run 50k without a crew.

Thousands of people run 50k's without a crew every year, worldwide. Maybe even just within the US, even.

Also, Hummels did his traverse in February; TFA is about doing something in July. In Death Valley, that's a world of difference.

Yes, Hummels was going for speed. See the Mahoney link for people doing various DV crossings in peak heat.

Matt is such an interesting character; he once had a foot issue that he fixed with a wooden insole.

Fun fact about Matt, he built a great compression algo as well.

Maybe that's what I enjoyed about the old-school ultra crowd -- they were a bunch of unpretentious geeks with day jobs, doing outdoor stuff as a serious hobby rather than a calculated bid for attention and sponsorship. You can still find them, but you have to look harder.