TUMANGUYA PICTURES

presents

Experience the captivating stories behind the toughest ultramarathons in the world.

How it started

Our adventures started in January 2022 when two friends - Jamie and David - flew from Brussels to Los Angeles to film a documentary on one of the toughest ultramarathon in the world: the Badwater 135.

In March, after two months spent with athletes and race officials shooting b-roll and interviews, the two compadres had to go home, mostly because they ran out of money.

There was just one small issue: they hadn’t filmed the race yet. Set for July 11th, the Badwater 135’s start was just a few months away. They couldn’t possibly let the previous months hard work go to waste. How on Earth would they manage to come back?

Two months later, after a horrendous but successful Kickstarter campaign, the duo managed to hire a full crew of dedicated professionals from Belgium and fly right back to the U.S.

After all, who wouldn’t want to film a 135 mile foot race in the hottest place on Earth during the hottest month of the year?

After the shoot in Death Valley, the newly formed crew soon realised one film wouldn’t be enough to dive into the world of ultramarathons. They had barely dipped a toe and were now hungry for more. Why not, they thought, make it a series?

After spending the next few months working on a business plan, they came up with a long-term vision and found investors that shared their passion.

What other races were out there? What made them so special? And what were the stories of the people running them?

Tumanguya Pictures was born.

From Left to Right: Quentin Paschal (Sound Engineer), David Polaczek (Director/DOP), Jamie Measor (Producer), Jeremy Meunier (1st Assistant Director/Additional Cinematography), Camille Delhaye (Journalist/Production Assistant)

Episode I: Badwater 135

You’re in the middle of Death Valley. It’s 120°F (48°C), the sun is blazing hot and there’s not a single tree to hide under. You are covered from head to toe in white apparel in an attempt to conceal yourself from the scorching sun. The only sounds you can hear are those of your own footsteps along the burning asphalt. When the wind picks up, sand whips any exposed part of your body like needles.

Welcome to the Badwater 135. A gruelling 135 mile race that starts at Badwater Basin - the lowest point in the U.S (-282 feet below sea level) and ends at the highest point in the contiguous Uniter States, Mount Whitney. That’s three mountain ranges the runners have to cross before reaching the finish line. All under 48 hours.

Watch the Trailer

Episode I Featured Athletes

Damian Kaczmarek - POLAND
Debbie Martin-Consani - SCOTLAND
Ricardo Ramirez - MEXICO
Harvey Lewis - OH, USA
Pamela Chapman-Markle - TX - USA
Joshua Holmes - CA - USA
Stine Rex - DENMARK
Lindsay Phenix - CA - USA
Kleber Felipe Santos - BRAZIL
Sally McRae - CA - USA

Episode II : Leadville 100

Ever been at high altitude?

Remember the first few days, where everything seems to take much more energy than it usually does? Feeling sluggish, no energy left in the tank?

Now imagine running a 100 miles in this type of elevation.

Meet the Leadville 100.

Leadville - a small mining town in Colorado - is the starting point of a 100 mile foot race that cumulates that starts at 10,200 feet elevation. The runners have 30 hours to make it to the finish line.

In 2023, only 44% of over 700 seasoned ultramarathoners who dared to toe the line made it to the finish line.

Enough to take your breath away?

Trailer coming soon!