• Alum braves 135-mile desert ultramarathon ‘for the kids’

    Scott Finnell

    Just thinking about running a marathon is enough to tire me out, so the idea of a footrace that covers 135 miles non-stop across California from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney — in July, no less, when temperatures can reach 130 degrees — just blows me away.

    But that’s exactly what Dr. Scott Finnell, BA ’78, MA ’83, was up to last week. A veteran of more than 60 marathons and ultramarathons, Finnell was one of just 90 entrants selected to compete in this year’s Badwater Ultramarathon. The 54-year-old CEO finished 44th overall, covering the 135 miles in 40 hours, 55 minutes and 30 seconds.

    Finnell says he began running to lose weight as a graduate student at Baylor, and has since continued just for the exercise. Last week’s race, however, was for the children of Pressley Ridge, a nonprofit that provides foster care, residential and educational services for children across seven states (plus the District of Columbia) and three countries. Finnell has served as CEO of the Pittsburgh-based organization since 2002 (after beginning his career at the Waco Center for Youth) and collected donations for Pressley Ridge for each mile he completed.

    Sic ’em, Dr. Finnell!

    [We learned of Scott’s run from a Bear who shared his Baylor pride. Do you know of an inspiring story, news item, or just a fun link that makes you proud of Baylor and the Baylor family? Let us know! Click here to submit your point of pride!]