{"id":229366,"date":"2026-03-31T23:56:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T23:56:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/229366\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T23:56:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T23:56:15","slug":"a-local-running-team-will-represent-san-antonio-in-a-national-race-this-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/229366\/","title":{"rendered":"A local running team will represent San Antonio in a national race this weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sign up for TPR Today<\/a>, Texas Public Radio’s newsletter that brings our top stories to your inbox each morning.<\/p>\n

A local running team will represent San Antonio in a national race this weekend.<\/p>\n

Extra Credit is the first and only team from San Antonio chosen for The Speed Project, an unsanctioned, secret pilgrimage founded by radical German running guru Nils Arend.<\/p>\n

The annual, 350\u2013400-mile relay race is scheduled for this Friday to Sunday from Los Angeles, California to Las Vegas, Nevada. The team hopes to spotlight San Antonio, opening the door for future teams to participate. There\u2019s no set route, no aid stations, no sponsors, no marshals, and no rules. Santiago Ortega is the team\u2019s captain.<\/p>\n

\u201cExtra credit. We started it three years ago. It was really just a way for us to get out there and get some miles for mental health,\u201d said Ortega.<\/p>\n

\"Profile<\/p>\n

Profile card for runner and Extra Credit team captain Santiago Ortega<\/p>\n

The team trained for the adventure with 20-to-30-mile jogs through the Davis Mountains of West Texas. For the race, there are five runners in a sprinter van and five more runners waiting to swap out, with individual segments stretching for about 50 miles in five-to-10-mile increments.<\/p>\n

Extra Credit has grown from being comprised mostly of runners in the service industry to a more diverse group of participants from the community. There are no prizes or awards for the fastest running time. Instead, Ortega said, it\u2019s about cultivating solidarity and forging connections.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that comes in the form of the bonds that you build and knowing that you did it. That\u2019s the draw for The Speed Project,\u201d said Ortega. \u201cIt\u2019s not anything that\u2019s celebratory in the way that you have people cheering you on. It\u2019s you and the people that you get there with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Runner<\/p>\n

Runner profile card for Extra Credit co-founder and crew chief Madison Ortega<\/p>\n

\"Running<\/p>\n

Running crew Extra Credit will participate in The Speed Project 2026<\/p>\n

Ortega co-founded Extra Credit with his wife Madison, who is also a runner. She\u2019ll lead the six-person crew assisting the 10-member running team.<\/p>\n

About 1,000 people from 35 countries participate in The Speed Project, and Ortega\u2019s excited about the chance to represent San Antonio with his team and start moving.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything kind of leads back to our whole ethos which is \u2018movement is meditation.\u2019 And you can find that peace of mind through movement. For us, it\u2019s running,\u201d said Ortega.<\/p>\n

You can keep up with Extra Credit\u2019s progress with The Speed Project this weekend from live updates on their Instagram page at extracredit.mm.<\/a><\/p>\n