Bellante No Quitter in His First Badwater

Death Valley temperatures reached a searing 124 degrees after Rich Bellante of San Juan Capistrano started the Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135-mile run from the desert floor to the Mt. Whitney Portals.

When the mercury dropped to 100-degrees later that night, Bellante joked with his crew members by asking for a sweatshirt to fend off the chill.

Bellante never considered quitting. And finishing in 57 hours 58 minutes was akin to a spiritual experience.

“I knew that if I did what I needed to do, I’d be fine,” said Bellante, 48, an assistant principal at Capistrano Valley High and an experienced ultramathoner.

This was Bellante’s first Badwater race. “I would definitely do it again,” he said.

The race began Thursday and ended Saturday at Mt. Whitney after covering three mountain ranges and 13,000 feet of vertical ascent. Considered the “crown jewel” of extreme running, the race drew 69 competitors. Anatoli Kruglikov of Russia set a course record, finishing in 25 hours 9 minutes.

MOUNTAIN BIKING

Canadians ruled at Saturday’s NORBA National Championship Series in Deer Valley, Utah, but Leigh Donovan of Capistrano Beach placed first in the SoBe Dual Slalom, riding one of mountain biking’s steepest, most technically demanding courses in a dual slalom race. Canadians finished first in both the pro men’s and pro women’s short-track cross-country races.

CENTURY RIDE

The Orange County Wheelmen’s Amtrak Century, the 100-mile ride from Irvine to San Diego, is filling up fast. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were only 90 spots remaining for those who want to ride the train back to Irvine. Entry deadline is Aug. 26, but the event is likely to sell out before then. Details: (714) 956-BIKE or https://www.ocw.org