Miles with meaning: MBA student team to run nonstop from Los Angeles to Las Vegas

When Michael Kidd-Phillips, MBA 26, embarks on The Speed Project from Los Angeles to Las Vegas next month, it could be one of the most grueling runs of his life.

But he won’t be alone. Seven other UC Berkeley Haas MBA students, all members of the Bear & Axe Run Club, will join him, taking turns running around the clock in this elite, unconventional 340-mile race, which has no designated course, no rules, no spectators, and no aid stations. 

That under-the-radar feel appealed to team captain Kidd-Phillips, known as K.P., who said he appreciates the humbling side of running and sports overall. “You could train so tirelessly and relentlessly for something, but at the end of the day come up short,” said Kidd-Phillips, who grew up doing gymnastics and played football in high school and college. “So how do you change your mind so you see failure as a win and get better from it?”

Crossing the Mojave

There are a handful of other high-profile relays like The Speed Project in the U.S.

The Hood to Coast in Oregon, known as “the mother of all relays,” covers 196 miles from Mount Hood to the Pacific. The invite-only Speed Project race, which will kick off in April, starts at the Santa Monica Pier and ends at the Las Vegas strip after crossing the Mojave Desert, where runners will battle heat and sleep deprivation. 

“The scariest part about running through the desert is that there are some parts that the jeep can’t get to so the runner has to run for five or six miles by themselves, trusting that the jeep will be there at the end,” Kidd-Phillips said.

The goal is to make it to the finish line as fast as possible with teammates Sarah Devermann, Ed Yoon, Inés Pizzuto, Danny Beathancourt Jimenez, Aitana Felgueroso, Darren Freedman, and Rebecca Salaway. They are hoping to make it in 40 hours, running the relay nonstop, with each runner allotted time to rest and refuel in between their running segments.

They’ll be accompanied by a support RV and a jeep driven in turn by a support crew of four MBA classmates: Juliana Sandford, Sebastian Krappe, Robert O’Brien, and Hayden Estes. The crew will provide food and water and “probably rubbing sore feet,” said Sandford, a serious runner herself, who said she’s excited to cheer on the team.

“I wanted to support my friends doing something so crazy and audacious,” she said. “I’m quite thrilled to be involved in the adventure and supporting them all in getting over the finish line.”

An ambitious fundraising goal

While fundraising for a nonprofit is not a required part of The Speed Project, the Haas team decided to support Girls on the Run Bay Area, a nonprofit that teaches girls life skills and teamwork. The team set an ambitious fundraising goal of $34,000, which will cover the cost of the race logistics, with two-thirds of every dollar raised going to Girls on the Run. Salesforce has committed to matching every donation.

Kidd-Phillips, who  has run three marathons, started the Bear & Axe run club with Devermann and Yoon. They invited runners of all levels to join, believing that running and community impact go hand in hand, and that running should be fun.

“We wanted to open up opportunities for people who may have never really considered running and give them a space to learn the ins and outs of the sport,” Devermann said.

As a former volunteer with Girls on the Run, Devermann said she got to experience how the nonprofit builds leadership skills and confidence. “I’m really grateful that I had the opportunity to bring the perspective I’ve gained through running and pass it on to the next generation,” she said. 

Working as a team

Since its founding, the Bear & Axe Run Club has grown to about 50 members, with a core crew that regularly turns out for weekly runs. On Track Tuesdays, runners meet early in the morning at Edward Memorial Stadium for sprint workouts. On Long Run Saturdays, they gather at coffee shops around Berkeley before setting off on long runs, forming close friendships as the miles tick by.        

When Kidd-Phillips learned about The Speed Project and decided to apply, it didn’t take Devermann and Yoon long to decide they were in, too. “I tend to lean ‘yes’ on most things,” said Yoon, who learned to appreciate the team aspect of running when he ran with his U.S. Army platoon for about five years.

“It wasn’t just about how well I could run,” he said. “It was about how well we could all run. So it’s really rewarding to work together as a team on this effort.” 

Kidd-Phillips said he hopes that future generations of Bear & Axe students will apply to compete in the Speed Project.

“Our goal is to have a Bear & Axe team every year so the tradition never dies,” he said.