The Speed Project

When Julia asked me to come and snap photos for her and five women running from LA to LV in an unsanctioned and unsupported race, I quickly said yes. Desert, danger, minimal sleep, I was in for it all.

The team - 6 runners, 5 crew- took off at 4am from Santa Monica pier and immediately we were thrown into a new reality of chasing our runners through the streets of LA. Although we had countless prep meetings, nothing prepares for you for what it’s truly like to participate in The Speed Project.

560 kms, 46hrs, wild dogs, pitch black roads, and 3hrs of sleep: I’d do it again.

Black and white photo of two women running outdoors, with the woman in the foreground smiling and wearing a face covering, sportswear, and sunglasses on her head.

Desert landscape at sunset with a saguaro cactus in the center, silhouetted against a bright orange sky.

Silhouettes of three people running during sunset or sunrise with a colorful sky in the background.

I did not know. 
How was I to know.

The shifts. The sleeplessness. 
An abrupt start. A rush to wait. 
Repeat.

A black-and-white photo of a person sitting in the backseat of a vehicle, wearing a cap and casual clothes, looking outside through the window at a landscape of open land and mountains in the distance.

Footfalls ever forward. 
Heartbeats in steady rhythm. 
One two three. One two three. 
Repeat.

A woman jogging along a roadside with green mountain hills in the background.

A new routine. A quiet acceptance. 
Breathing scattered, then steadied. 
Days folding into nights. 
In line. On time. 
Repeat.

A woman running in a desert at sunset with a distant mountains in the background.

Nighttime urban scene featuring illuminated billboards promoting a Netflix series titled 'Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen,' with images of a woman and a man on the billboards. There is a person walking near a small building at the street level, and traffic lights and street signs are visible in the scene.

A man in a beige shirt sitting in a car at sunset, reading a clipboard and listening to music through earphones. The sun is setting in the background, creating a warm glow.

Fire in the skies. Fire in their eyes. 
Sun-burned silhouettes. Sweat-filled seats. 
Sirens. Deep breaths. Power line hums. 
Repeat.

Hilly landscape at sunset with a person standing near power lines on a dirt path.

Two women in athletic clothing standing outdoors during sunset, looking towards the right.

A woman with a ponytail and sunglasses wearing a red face mask, outdoors with a clear blue sky.

Exhaustion. Resolve. 
The stillness of time. No finish line.
A distant memory. A present future. 
Today. Tomorrow. 
Repeat.

A woman jogging outdoors on a paved road with mountains and a clear sky in the background.

A person standing on a dry, rocky hillside, holding a camera or phone, with a cloudy sky above and sparse bushes and trees on the slope.

A woman jogging on a desert road wearing sunglasses, a cap, a white crop top, and blue shorts.

A lone person walking on a winding road through a desert landscape with brown, rocky hills and mountains in the background under a clear sky.

A group of smiling people, mostly women, posing together at night at an outdoor event near sign that reads 'Yacht Harbor Sport Fishing Boats'.

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