Harvey Lewis

About

Harvey Lewis is an American high school teacher and ultrarunner from Cincinnati, Ohio — born April 13, 1976 — who holds the world record for backyard ultra running and ranks among the most accomplished extreme endurance athletes in history. He teaches American government and embodies the sport's accessibility, commuting to and from school on foot. Lewis went vegan in 2016 at age 40 and has since delivered his most remarkable results. He has won the Badwater 135 twice (2014 in 23:52:55 and 2021), won Big's Backyard Ultra 2021 (354.16 miles), and in October 2023 set the world record at Big Dog's Backyard Ultra in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, completing 108 laps — 450 miles — over four-and-a-half days to become the last person standing. He has represented Team USA at four IAU 24-Hour World Championships (2012, 2013, 2014, 2017), visited 115 countries, and has retraced Gandhi's 1930 Salt March and Martin Luther King Jr.'s Selma-to-Montgomery march on foot as tributes to historical social justice journeys.

Notable Wins

• — Badwater 135 2014 (23:52:55)
• — 2021; Big's Backyard Ultra 2021 (354.16 miles); Big Dog's Backyard Ultra 2023 world record (450 miles / 108 laps)

Race History

Recent Coverage