Super-Runner Outlasts Tesla Model 3 By 100 Feet

Let’s be real. Cardio, for most folks, sucks. It turns out most people don’t like doing for fun what we used to have to do to escape from large, fanged creatures a few thousand years ago. There are, of course, some exceptions. One of those exceptions is über-runner Robbie Balenger. The man is basically a real-life Forrest Gump, as he’s literally run across America, among other feats of superhuman endurance.

We’ve talked about Robbie here before, just before the start of one of his most challenging runs yet. Robbie was going to try to out-range a Tesla Model 3. At least it wasn’t a Tesla Model S, right? He did, in fact, out-range a Tesla Model 3, becoming the winner of this John Henry-like, man vs. machine challenge. Well, sort of.

There is a slight asterisk to Robbie’s ‘dub over the Tesla. The rules of the challenge stipulated that however far the Tesla drove on a single charge at a median speed of 65 mph, Robbie had 72 hours to beat it. He did, by a full 100 feet, but in 76:54:46 hours. Still, let’s not detract from the impressive display of skill that this is. Robbie says he covered 242 miles in total through some seriously tough Texas Hill Country terrain.

At one point, he was running in 93-degree heat. Moreover, he managed to cover a whopping 12,959 feet of elevation gain in those 77 hours. Apparently, there was even a bit of a run-in with a less-than-friendly rattlesnake. No thanks. All that sounds impressive enough, but there’s more. Robbie basically did it all non-stop. The only times Robbie stopped were to rest or sleep for 30 or so minutes, to brush his teeth, eat, or to change out of his likely sweat-soaked clothes.

In his Instagram post, Robbie says he’s “forever in debt to my crew” who came out in support of him (below). He also took the time to thank his wife, Shelley Howard. He credits her with introducing him to running, which he initially only did to impress her. Now it’s safe to say he’s impressed a lot more people than just his wife.

Robbie’s feat aside, this also gives us some interesting real-world range data on your average Model 3. 242 miles on a charge is pretty solid, even if the car was driven at a constant median speed of 65 mph. Maybe if the driver had turned off the A/C, they’d have been able to beat Robbie. Better luck next time.