52-year-old 'Darth Vader' runs in 126-degree Death Valley desert challenge: 'It makes me laugh'

 A 52-year-old man named Jon Rice participated in the "Darth Valley Challenge" for the ninth time, where he ran through the sweltering heat of Death Valley, California, topping out at 126 degrees.

Rice, who began posting videos about the challenge as early as 2010, ran what is likely one of the hottest miles ever run, according to local outlet ABC 7 Denver.

Wearing a "Star Wars" villain Darth Vader costume, Rice ran yet another mile in 126-degree weather, which isn't even his record. In 2013, the temperature hit 129, which Rice posted proof of on his YouTube page.

"The temperature was actually 129 degrees. And literally nothing happens in this video. Seriously, the preview tells the whole story."

"Even a mile in that heat is exhausting, more so when you're recovering from an injury - so I was feeling pretty heavy in the legs and wished I hadn't had to turn back to face the sun at the halfway point from the car. The mask just kept getting hotter," Rice told the ABC affiliate. 

Rice says the temperatures can reach 180 degrees inside his mask, citing his training regimen, which consists of sitting in a sauna three to four times per week to adapt to the heat. 

The running addiction began for Rice in 1997, when he jogged four miles in the intense heat until he hallucinated and became convinced that he was heading in the wrong direction, even though he was on a one-way road. After that, he took running in extreme heat as a challenge that he wanted to be prepared for.

"I'm a happy man. Plus, I'm 42 years old, I weigh 200lbs, and I'm running in 129 degrees in a Darth Vader costume -- with a time achieved of 6 mins 36 seconds... life ain't too bad eh!" Rice said in 2013, according to Guavo Media.

"I do this purely because it makes me laugh. I think how much I would enjoy being the driver of the car that just passed me while I'm running... that sense of total bewilderment really appeals to me," he explained.

The challenge stands out from the often-used backdrop of Death Valley's scorching heat and the near-death temperatures it provides.

In 2022, fitness YouTuber Michelle Khare ran a marathon in the area. In 2013, popular auto show "Top Gear" hosted a 4x4 challenge in Death Valley, as well.

“I don’t agree with anybody else doing this,” Rice told the Washington Post. “I don’t even really agree with me doing this, particularly," he added.