48 for 48
A Veteran's Journey from Rock Bottom to 52 Miles
How Joshua Hurt transformed his darkest chapter into his greatest comeback
The Fall
After 20 years of dedicated service in the Air Force, Joshua Hurt thought the hardest battles were behind him. He was wrong.
The year 2022 became his personal ground zero. Transitioning out of military life hit harder than any physical challenge he'd faced in two decades of service. The structure, purpose, and identity that had defined him for so long suddenly vanished, leaving a void that seemed impossible to fill.
The numbers tell part of the story: 115 pounds gained. But behind those numbers was a man struggling to find his place in a world that suddenly felt foreign. The same person who had once crushed 1.5-mile PT tests in 8 minutes and 23 seconds—a time that would make most runners wince—was now facing his greatest opponent: himself.
"I hit a low point," Joshua reflects with the kind of honesty that comes from the other side of struggle. "I was having a hard time transitioning out of the Air Force. So much so that I gained 115 lbs."
The Turning Point
But champions aren't made in the easy moments. They're forged in the fires of their lowest points, when everything seems lost and the only choice is to surrender or fight back.
Joshua chose to fight.
Last summer, he embarked on what he calls his journey to "lose weight and reclaim my life." Through sheer determination and disciplined nutrition, he shed 90 pounds. No gimmicks, no shortcuts—just the same mental toughness that had carried him through two decades of military service.
But losing weight was just the beginning. In January 2025, something stirred in Joshua that he recognized from his younger self. The call to run.
"I wanted to take up running again," he says. "My plan was to run the Air Force Marathon and try and qualify for the Boston Marathon."
It was a solid plan—a return to form, a chance to reclaim not just his fitness but his identity as someone who could conquer challenges. But then a friend mentioned something that would change everything: ultramarathons.
The Shift
Sometimes the universe conspires to push us exactly where we need to go. That conversation about ultramarathons didn't just plant a seed—it ignited something deeper.
"My focus shifted," Joshua explains, "so I signed up for this 52 mile race."
From planning a marathon to committing to 52 miles. It's the kind of leap that makes sense only when you understand what drives Joshua Hurt: the belief that everything worth having lies on the other side of hard.
The Philosophy
Ask Joshua what he loves most about endurance running, and his answer cuts straight to the heart of who he is:
"That it's hard. Everything that is great in my life came on the other side of hard. So I'm doing this hard thing and looking forward to the great things that will come out of it."
It's a philosophy born from experience, tested in the crucible of military service, and refined in the depths of personal struggle. Hard isn't something to avoid—it's something to embrace, because it's the only path to greatness.
This mindset isn't just talk. Joshua has been putting it into practice with pre-dawn training runs, getting up at 3 AM to beat the Texas heat. While most of the world sleeps, he's out there logging miles, preparing for the unique challenge of night racing at the Austin Solstice Circuit.
Operation Full Benefit
But perhaps the most telling insight into Joshua's character comes from a patch he had made this year. It reads: "48 for 48 - Operation Full Benefit."
He's turning 48 years old, and he's decided this is going to be his year to extract the maximum value from every experience, every challenge, every high and low.
"No matter what happens, I'm going to get the full benefit out of this year," he declares. "No matter if it's a high or a low, I'm claiming the full benefit of the situation."
It's more than a motto—it's a battle plan for living. And he's so committed to this philosophy that he's having patches made to give to volunteers at the Austin Solstice Circuit as a thank you for helping him achieve his "48 for 48" mission.
The Road Ahead
Joshua's race calendar reads like a progression of increasingly audacious goals:
Austin Solstice Circuit (52 miles) - July
Air Force Marathon - September
Big Tex Ultra - October
Rocky Raccoon 100 Miler - February
From a man who struggled to find his footing in civilian life to someone planning a 100-mile race—it's the kind of transformation that seems impossible until you meet someone who's living it.
His goal for the Austin Solstice Circuit is characteristically ambitious: finish 52 miles in under 12 hours. But finishing is the real victory. Finishing is proof that the comeback is complete, that the man who hit rock bottom in 2022 has not just survived but thrived.
The Essentials
Joshua keeps his fuel strategy simple and effective: LMNT for electrolytes and Stinger Waffles for energy. When you're running through the night for 52 miles, simplicity becomes your friend.
But his most important gear isn't something you can buy—it's that 48 for 48 patch, a tangible reminder of his commitment to extracting the full benefit from every moment of this pivotal year.
The Deeper Victory
As Joshua prepares for his 52-mile journey around the figure-8 course at Pace Bend Park, with Lake Travis shimmering under the July moon, he carries with him something more valuable than any finish time: the knowledge that he's already won the most important race.
The race back to himself.
The race from the depths of 2022 to the heights of what's possible in 2025.
The race that proves, once and for all, that everything great in life really does come on the other side of hard.
When Joshua crosses that finish line on July 13th, he won't just be completing 52 miles. He'll be completing one of the most remarkable comeback stories in recent memory—a story that began with a man who had lost his way and ends with a warrior who found his purpose in the miles between sunset and sunrise.
48 for 48. Operation Full Benefit.
The mission continues.
Follow Joshua's journey on Strava at Joshua Hurt Montgomery TX, and watch for those 48 for 48 patches at the Austin Solstice Circuit—they're more than just patches. They're symbols of what's possible when you decide to claim the full benefit of your life.
About the Austin Solstice Circuit
The Austin Solstice Circuit takes place July 12-13, 2025, at Pace Bend Park on Lake Travis. Featuring distances from 5K to 52.7 miles.