#VIDEO: Dedicated athletes brave rainy weather to conquer Badger Mountain Challenge

Hundreds of dedicated athletes from across the nation are in Richland Friday taking on the challenge of Badger Mountain.

They've been training for this day, running 50 miles in a week, traveling to compete in other 100 mile runs and getting their endurance up for the Badger Mountain Challenge. The race consists of a 100 mile or 50 mile race on Friday. Race Director Jason Reathaford says the average time to finish the 100 miles is 24 to 28 hours, but the course record is much faster at 17 hours.

Hope Fox is from West Richland and is one of 70 People who took on the 100 mile Badger Mountain Challenge this year, going for her third time. She's marking this as her 110th marathon or greater distance runs, and this year she wants to beat the one in her own backyard.

"The first time I tried I was injured beforehand and only made it 30 miles, the second time I tried, I only made it to just almost to 70, but I got hypothermia and was throwing up, so today is the day," says Fox.

Though it may sound like a painful, maybe even impossible feat, other runners like Joel Hopkins from Kennewick say it is a mental challenge.

"Running is mostly mental and it is trying to learn all the obstacles, mental obstacles that you go through," says Hopkins.

Runners took off at the base of Badger Mountain Friday morning, but over the course they will travel across Candy mountain, Goose Hill and out by Benton City. All the money raised by the Nomad Trial Runners of Eastern Washington, will be donated to local organizations like Girls on the Run, Friends of Badger Mountain and an organization that fights Leukemia and lymphoma.

Saturday, the rest of the 660 runners will run either a 50K or 15K around Badger Mountain.

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