100 Miles Was Impossible, Until It Wasn’t

100 miles is unachievable for someone like me. 

In fact, here are the odds:

Clubfoot occurs in 1 in 1,000.¹

About 1 in 2 of those cases are bilateral clubfoot.¹

Roughly 1 in 3 to 1 in 2 bilateral cases are severe to very severe at presentation.¹

There are 148,169 people in recorded history that finished a 100-mile ultramarathon.²

0 individuals completed the 100 mile distance while wearing bilateral Exosym devices.

Estimated stacked odds are on the order of 1 in billions.

If you ask AI to expound upon the odds above, the response is, 

Each step in the ladder reflects a dramatically shrinking population. Clubfoot affects about 1 in 1,000 births worldwide, and roughly half of those cases are bilateral.¹ Among bilateral cases, an estimated one-third to one-half present as severe or very severe.¹ The field narrows even further from there: only about 148,000 people in recorded history have ever completed a 100-mile ultramarathon.² At the same time, many thousands of Exosym limb-salvage devices are in use worldwide, yet no Exosym user—regardless of disability—has completed an ultramarathon of any distance except Scott Davidson. Taken together, these layers of rarity converge in a single documented case (Davidson)—placing the odds of this achievement on the order of one in billions.

I also share these odds because this helps convey my challenges to potential sponsors.

After finishing the 100k at Fat Ox in November 2025, I immediately began training for 100 miles. The goal was to run at the Jackpot Ultra in Vegas on 2/20/2026. The course is favorable, familiar (I finished a 50 miler here), plus lots of family and friends will attend.

From November 2025 to February 2026 I locked in on the 100. Running and power walking roads and trails. Grueling sessions on treadmill and stairclimber often with a weighted vest. Several weekly sessions of core work and strength work. Gains became inevitable. I’ve learned that if we are willing to prioritize our time and energy, then an impossible goal becomes possible. 

My legendary coach Lisa Smith-Batchen (Dreamchaser Coaching) got me prepped physically and mentally. I learned about the nuances of endurance, like proper sodium intake, muscular endurance, and developing an ultra mindset. 

My prosthetist Ryan Blanck has me dialed in as always.

Tapering for the 100 began three weeks out. The hay was in the barn, time to run.

And then…

Our youngest daughter was away at college fighting bronchitis and pneumonia. Things weren’t improving despite seeking care. We brought her home in hopes of healing. At 3am the morning of the race our daughter was admitted into the hospital.

Run is off.

The run is just a run and it no longer matters. 

Life got real and some difficult days transpire. Gratefully, after lots of prayer and support from medical staff, she turns the corner and is released on day four. 

Normalcy begins to ease back in.

Run back on.

The run really isn’t just a run. 

I know I just said otherwise above. 

Rather, this run is a culmination of a lifetime of struggle and work woven together by a village of those that move me forward. You see, I always knew I was a runner and it was taken from me at a young age. Now I have the best devices on my legs, the best coach, the best mentors, and a beautiful village. I am not going to miss this opportunity.

I search ultrasignup and reach out to race organizer friends in hopes of finding another 100 mile or 48 hr race. What I discovered is that if I want an official course within 30 days then I could:

1. Travel to Idaho and run on 3/18/2026.
2. Run the Grandmaster Ultra. Even though my age is not master’s level my coach got me in. 

Neither are ideal options. I have zero interest in traveling to Idaho right now, plus it puts me 7-8 weeks out from my training peak. For the Grandmaster Ultra I am a huge liability if I break an Exosym and I’m 26 miles from the road.

I reach out for guidance and support in a lot of places such as:

My legendary coach Lisa Smith-Batchen. I met up with Lisa at the Grandmaster Ultra after she ran. I consulted with her by the pool of her Airbnb. As our visit is coming to an end, she says, “you’re ready now.” That’s what I needed to hear. She knows best.

Evan Birch my mentor and good friend. You likely know Birch as one of the rare runners to solo the Speed Project in the early years, learn more HERE. All of his runs come with unique beautiful nuances. Check out our interview on his show Enduring Minds to hear our backstory and my run up to the 100 miles HERE. Evan and I hash out run ideas. These include running the Vegas Strip for 100 miles, running local roads and trails, running the Jackpot Ultra course (coach’s idea), and others. Evan took me from analysis paralysis to a decision with pointed questions via text. I settled on local roads and trails. Evan literally is like an ultra run life coach to me. 

I reached out to Ryan Cooper, the Operations Manager for UTMB, and shared my situation. He quickly connected me with Khanh Nguyen and local run organizers. Khanh stepped up to document the journey. I owe Khanh a great deal—he made it possible for me to share this experience with all of you through photos and video, and he also crewed me through the toughest stretch of my 100-mile effort.

On March 6, 2026 I began my 100 mile run.

Every ultra comes with its challenges, and this run was no different. A few stood out compared to my previous races:

• The effects of an extended taper. I’m nowhere near where I was just a few weeks ago.
  • The terrain. The local roads and trails were far tougher than Jackpot Ultra, with harder surfaces and significantly more elevation.
  • Running alone through the night in a windstorm. In most ultras, including Jackpot, there’s usually someone to talk to while logging miles in the dark. This time, I had no one.
  • Anxiety and hallucinations, they showed up. At one point, I experienced an intense wave of darkness around me. I forced myself to open my eyes, keep moving, and eventually this passed.

The run went well until around mile 75. I know this is the point things began getting tough based on text history with Khanh. 

“How are things coming along buddy?” texts Khanh. 

I reply, “very slowly, my right lower limb [is] not great. Hoping whatever it is just goes away.”

At mile 86 Khanh checks in, “Lower right limb doing better?” and I reply, “I think so.”

At mile 90 I blew up. The swelling above my Exosyms took over. 

Mile 91, each step felt like a small baseball bat tapping my knees. 

Mile 93, the small baseball bat now is hitting much harder and the swelling has me locked up. 

Mile 95, I want to puke from the pain. Khanh and my wife are now with me. 

The final 5 miles felt impossible, but we laughed through them. 

With a half mile to go I knew I was going to finish.

Those last 10 miles were the most physically difficult thing I’ve ever experienced. And then it was over. I was at the finish with my family.

In that moment, and even now, I feel happy with my performance. I know, with everything in me, that I gave it absolutely all I had.

Getting to 100 miles took everything and left me damaged, in pain, and immobile. 

That day, I found out just how far I can go. This is what my soul has sought my entire life.

But I’m not done. I know I can go farther.

---

 

I want to give a big thank you to:

Khanh Nguyen. He was there at the beginning, through the night, into the sunrise, and at the finish documenting the journey and supporting me along the way. We started as strangers, but somewhere in those miles, we became family. You can find Khanh HERE.

You! To all of you, thank you!

I never thought this many people would care. Your support meant everything. We hit our goal for the Challenged Athletes Foundation. 

And, I am truly grateful for your generosity:

Debbie Wiliams

Donna and Stoney Stone

David Margolin

Alex Dahinten

Maurine Lee

Tom and Joyce

Donate here:

https://give.challengedathletes.org/campaign/Scott-Davidson-s-100-miles-for-CAF

Before you go, I know the human condition is real and universal. We will all face mountains of adversities. Mine is no greater than yours. You too can adapt and thrive despite the adversity you face! I believe in you, let’s go!

 

Sources for odds stats:

1. Dobbs MB, Gurnett CA. Update on clubfoot: etiology and treatment. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.
   https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2664447/
2. Scheer V. Participation trends in 100-mile ultramarathons worldwide.
   https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9876921/

Published on March 22, 2026