The Wild Bunch Takes On The Speed Project Secrets, 450 Miles From Salt Lake to Vegas
7 Guys, 449 Miles, 2 Days. The gang is back. A reunion of the motley crew that once blazed a trail across America with William Goodge, aka The Wild Bunch. This time, they team up as a band of runners and set their sights on a new, secret version the Speed Project. Typically 320 miles from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, this inaugural version starts instead from Salt Lake City, increasing the route into 449 miles. Seven runners, no rules, and nothing but the open road. This was a raw test of endurance, grit, and the relentless pursuit of victory.]
The Wild Bunch is a mix of the old and the new. Familiar faces from Will Goodge’s transcontinental run like Will, Robbie Balenger, Peter John, and folks that came out along the route like Jason Brooks and Elliot Clements-Hill, crew members Grayson Hart and Trippe Davis, and filmmaker/photographer Reece Robinson. Joining the runners as new additions were TJ Bottom, a runner and branding expert from Salt Lake, and Jake Dearden, the Hyrox world champion from Manchester, UK. Seven runners, each with their own demons to outrun and a singular focus: to conquer this brutal relay as fast as possible.
10 teams of 6-8 runners set off from the Utah State Capitol building at 4am on March 28, 2024, all sights set on Vegas. The typical LA-LV route is well documented and well trodden. Starting from Utah meant an entirely different course with its own set of difficulties. Will led the stampede as the gun went off and the team exchanged fists and fives, tagging each other in and out all the way down State st, pushing Southbound into the unknown.
They pushed through the dark, the cold, and the fatigue in one-mile increments. One mile per runner meant a blistering pace in a manageable amount of time. Most other teams elected to run in 3-5 mile increments, giving crew members more time to rest. For the Wild Bunch, a couple hours of off-time per runner per day was generous. Every step was a battle against the elements and the altitude. Headwinds hit like a wall, and the desert stretched on relentlessly to the Utah-Nevada state line. But they kept moving, each mile a testament to this rowdy, unyielding bunch. After sunset storms on day 1, they moved through the night, guided only by the faint glow of their support vehicle’s headlights. Sleep was a luxury they couldn’t afford. The road was their reality, a never-ending stretch of asphalt and grit. Miles and hours blurred into days. The sleep deprivation and challenge of running 24/7 at a sprint pace, even across 7 guys, turned each step into a delusion.
What does The Wild Bunch do when they are sleep deprived and sore? Have a damn good time. Experience the full run and find out what happens in the full 15 minute film here.
