The Speed Project: Photographing What Matters

Words & Photography by Axel Rosas

The Speed Project is a relay race that runs approximately 300 miles from Los Angeles to Las Vegas crossing through the Death Valley desert. The distance and logistics that the runners face make it a great challenge and although the expectations I had about photographing were about the sport, I found a different story along the way.

Photographing The Speed Project meant much more to me than documenting a unique race. Taking photos of runners was a way to rediscover what I like about telling stories, and letting go of the pressure of generating content. Allowing myself to be in the moment; working on things that are important to me.

The opportunity to document TSP was an internal and external exploration, a journey that, in addition to teaching me things as a photographer, transformed me as a person. My adventure did not begin when I arrived in Los Angeles, but when I received an email to apply for a grant offered by Ciele Athletics to be able to do a creative project at TSP.

Losing my fear and applying was the first big step to exploring something new. A couple of months later I received the support and my head was flooded with thoughts: how was I going to photograph something as complex as The Speed Project? What was going to happen if I didn’t achieve what I set out to do? Although excited, I must admit that I was full of doubts about whether it had been a good idea to go to Death Valley to photograph unknown people running 300 miles across the desert.

“No spectators” is much more than a slogan, it's an invitation to do things differently and take action, In a world where networks make us play the role of spectators, participating is a radical act.

Everything changed the day I arrived in Los Angeles. Little by little I began to meet who would be my family during the week, so many new people, so many emotions and things to see that you just have to let your guard down and allow yourself to be in the moment, I have rarely felt as open as those days, both in my hostel, the race headquarters and in my moments alone, I felt like I belonged somewhere.

Ironically, during The Speed Project, I found a space to slow down. To get involved in the community, to open up, and present myself as vulnerable to others. Participating is seen in many ways: in a literal sense, it can mean being part of the crew and driving the van, cheering on other runners, and helping with nutrition or recovery. In a less pragmatic sense, it can be listening to others, sharing experiences, and presenting ourselves as open and curious about the worlds that surround us.

Trips like this remind me how being outdoors has changed my life, having the opportunity to be outside, push our limits, and share it with others is something worth telling and sharing. Exploring and adventuring is much more than a recreational practice. Running in the desert, sharing days in a van, seeing and sharing different lifestyles, crying and laughing together helps us understand each other better and be more empathetic, understanding that many worlds could fit into our universe.

Axel Rosas

Journalist from the Autonomous University of Querétaro in 2017, Axel received the “Press and Democracy” scholarship with a specialization in photojournalism from the Ibero-American University in the same year.

Axel has worked for publications such as Mexico Desconocido and Gatopardo, as well as for brands like ON Running, Red Bull, Ultra Trail de Mexico, Altius, Sabino Producciones, Salomon Mexico, Aire Libre Earth, Michelob Ultra, and Toka Climbing. In 2023, he won third place in the “Others” category at the World Sports Photography Awards, and in 2024, he received the LALV grant from the Franco-Canadian brand Ciele Athletics to document The Speed Project in California.

He believes in the power of images to change our perception of the world and transform it.

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