Rothesay man just had to try a 490-km run through a desert

A 304-mile, five-day run under the Sonoran Desert sun may not sound like a good time to everyone, but Brian Demmings of Rothesay couldn't resist.

This spring, Demmings ran the inaugural Arizona Monster 300, an ultra marathon about 490 kilometres long — just to see if he could. 

The run was created by Destination Trail, a company with events, according to its website, that "explore some of the most challenging, remote and mind-blowing terrain on the planet."

And the Arizona Monster 300 is certainly one of those.

"I think it's an adventure," said the 44-year-old Demmings, describing why he's taken on this and other runs.

"So much of our life is scheduled and stressful, and you know exactly what you're going to do. But this, you really don't."

The Arizona Monster 300, which begins in Superior, Ariz., and follows a crooked, hilly trail south to Patagonia, Ariz., is not a race but an endurance run, said Demmings, who works in IT. 

But even if not about speed throughout, the marathon still has a sharp cut-off time of 170 hours, or just over seven days, for people taking part.  

The first three men and women to finish receive a special award on top of the regular finisher's award, according to the runner manual. But the challenge is not to beat the other runners but to push yourself, to "try to go a little bit faster or harder." 

On runs like this, Demmings said, he steps back and takes whatever time he needs to rest along the way. Because the Arizona Monster is an ultra marathon, he did not take any overnight sleeps — only breaks and naps. 

A break "can be anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes to two or three hours, and that depends on if I want to have a nap at the aid station or if I just want to get more water, which is a problem