Intro:

Lewis Harvey -- a teacher from Cincinnati, Ohio, USA -- wins one of the most gruelling races in America after completing the Badwater 135 in 23 hours 52 minutes and 55 seconds.

Script:

Lewis Harvey won the Badwater 135 in California in 23 hours 52 minutes and 55 seconds on Saturday.

Harvey covered 135 miles to win for the first time in four attempts at the 37th anniversary of the event.

The new and improved World Championship event featured a new route based in Lone Pine, California. Competitors didn't pass through Death Valley, due to the National Park Service ban on athletic events in the area.

This year's route features over 17,000 feet of elevation gain, two dramatic ascents into the Sierra Nevada and a 15-mile dirt road trek to an authentic ghost town.

Maughan Grant of Australia took second place while Sa Carlos of Portugal finished third.

Only 100 runners from around the world qualified to participate in the elite race, which is hosted once a year in July.