"This dude is an absolute machine" – 99°F heat no match for ultra runner David Roche, who snatches victory at Javelina Jundred

David Roche at finish line of Javelina Jundred 2024
The Boulder-based runner is quickly cementing his place as one of the best ultra runners in the world right now (Image credit: Howie Stern)

Ultra runner David Roche got back on the course this weekend to prove that his Leadville 100 win was no fluke. The runner snatched victory at The Javelina Jundred yesterday, just two months after smashing the long-running Leadville 100 race by more than 15 minutes in August.

The Boulder-based runner took gold in the 100-mile trail race in Arizona's McDowell Mountain Regional Park despite record temperatures – the forecast saw highs of 99°F on Saturday – finishing in just 12:45:04.

"This dude is an absolute machine. His cadence never wavered the entire last 20 miles," writes crew member Joe Shea on Instagram, who is part of the Aravaipa Rides race team.

The Javelina Jundred attracts some 850 runners each year and the 100-mile race sees participants complete five desert loops. Roche came in nine minutes ahead of second-placed Jeff Mogavero, and just two minutes shy of the course record set by Jonathan Rea last year. Over in the women's race, veteran competitor and non-binary runner Riley Brady took the win in 14:09:01.

Roche's wife, ultra runner Megan Roche, revealed on Instagram yesterday that her husband had previously had "no interest in running 100-mile races." That tide has clearly definitively turned for Roche, who came back from a serious accident this spring when he was hit by a car while riding his bike to break a 19-year record at the Leadville 100.

Starting pack at Javelina Jundred 2024

The Javelina Jundred attracts some 850 runners each year (Image credit: Scott Rokis)

At the time, he attributed his success largely to fueling, revealing he had consumed more than 40 running gels during the race. He also praised his Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra trail running shoes, which he handed in to Adidas Boulder for display after the race, but video from this weekend reveals he's got himself a new pair and clearly they're still working for him.

Roche's win at the Javelina means we can expect to see him compete in next year's Western States 100, if he wants to.

Julia Clarke

Julia Clarke is a staff writer for Advnture.com and the author of the book Restorative Yoga for Beginners. She loves to explore mountains on foot, bike, skis and belay and then recover on the the yoga mat. Julia graduated with a degree in journalism in 2004 and spent eight years working as a radio presenter in Kansas City, Vermont, Boston and New York City before discovering the joys of the Rocky Mountains. She then detoured west to Colorado and enjoyed 11 years teaching yoga in Vail before returning to her hometown of Glasgow, Scotland in 2020 to focus on family and writing.