Between October 15th and 27th, 2022, ultra-endurance athletes Ben Light and Mike McKnight embarked on a remarkable challenge. They faced off against each other, racing across the Arizona Trail with the goal of breaking the current (supported) Fastest Known Time of 13 days, 3 hours, and 21 minutes. The Arizona Trail is an 800-mile recreation trail that connects Mexico to Utah, traversing mountain ranges, canyons, deserts, wilderness areas, forests, and communities. Not only did the distance present challenges, but the vertical overall gain of 100,000 feet required Mike and Ben to climb both physical and metaphorical mountains along the way.
To make things more challenging, the duo did not run together but raced each other in opposite directions. In this first-of-its-kind event, Ben and Mike raced each other, with one starting on the Utah border and the other on the Mexico border of Arizona. A LIVE coin toss five days before the start determined their starting points. The runner who started at the Mexico border had the choice of picking the start time.
Ben and Mike were honored to take on this remarkable 800-mile challenge while raising funds in support of two non-profit organizations that serve their local communities. Ben raised donations for Bigger Than The Trail, and Mike raised donations for RODS Heroes.
Ben Light
Ben is an accomplished endurance athlete, certified fitness coach and motivational speaker from Heber City Utah. He has been running ultra marathons since 2013 and has run challenging distances all over the world. Ben is better known in the running community for his unique and creative “endurance projects,” including the “Utah BRAWL 300 Project” and the “Wasatch Tahoe Project.” Ben believes that our lives are our ultimate adventure and that our potential is limitless. He believes we are the gatekeepers to our destiny and we each are far more capable then we truly understand. Ben thrives on challenging himself to see what he is truly capable of accomplishing.
With all of his ultra running endeavors both as a competitor and adventurer, Ben understands the physical and mental challenges he will endure as he runs 800-miles across the Arizona Trail. Through those running experiences, he has learned the importance of applying a positive attitude, focused effort, consistent preparation and patience.
And while Ben has been able to face his own challenges, doing so has given him a deeper purpose, which is to help others by bringing LIGHT to those who struggle with mental health challenges, particularly in the trail running community. He hopes that with this project, that he will be able to raise funds for the organization Bigger Than The Trail which is a 501(c)(3) organization that is geared toward helping those with mental health challenges in the trail running community. Ben said he is honored to have the opportunity to contribute to this cause.
Bigger Than The Trail is a 501(c)(3) organization that is using trail running as a platform to advocate for mental health. Their mission is to enrich the lives of individuals struggling with mental health by coming alongside individuals and providing educational support and treatment options. Bigger Than The Trail offers 3 months of financial support to those in need of help by connecting them with counseling services.
