RACINGTHEPLANET: GREECE 2025
250 KM / 155-MILE, 6-STAGE ULTRAMARATHON

28 September - 4 October 2025

DAYS TO GO

Race Coverage

RACE Coverage

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Avinash PATIL, M.D.

Emergency Physician

United States

Julie WIDDISON, M.D.

Emergency Physician

United States

Adam STILES, M.D.

Emergency Physician

United States

Brandee WAITE

Physician & Professor

United States

Brita ZAIA, M.D.

Emergency Physician

United States

Cooper AAKHUS, M.D.

Emergency Physician - Medical Researcher

United States

Avinash PATIL, M.D.

Emergency Physician

United States

Dr. Avinash Patil is an emergency medicine doctor at Stanford Medical Center in California who joins a RacingThePlanet Ultramarathon medical team for the 22nd time at RacingThePlanet: Greece 2025.

A graduate of the University of California Davis, Dr. Avi completed his residency at Washington University and undertook a fellowship at Loma Linda University in California. He currently practices at Santa Clara Medical Centre and Stanford Hospital. On more than one occasion Dr. Avi has received awards for his works in emergency medicine at Stanford University.

Dr. Avi has practiced medicine in India, the Solomon Islands, Honduras, Kenya, China and Ecuador. With more stamps in his passport than a travel writer and a side job as a whitewater raft guide, he sometimes seems more adrenalin-junkie nomad than medical doctor. But there is a serious side to this adventure seeker - he loves to share his passion of the outdoors.

He has previously worked on the medical at team, usually as the medical director, at 19 races since 2010: Gobi March (China) 2010, 2015 and 2017, Gobi March (Mongolia) 2018, Sahara Race (Egypt) 2010, Sahara Race (Namibia) 2016, Atacama Crossing (Chile) 2010, 2012 and 2014, The Last Desert (Antarctica) 2012 and roving races in Nepal 2011, Jordan 2012, Iceland 2013, Madagascar 2014, Ecuador 2015, Patagonia 2017, New Zealand 2019, Georgia 2021, Lapland 2022 and The 20-Year Race (Jordan 2024).

Julie WIDDISON, M.D.

Emergency Physician

United States

Dr. Julie Widdison lives in Salt Lake City, Utah where she works for the University of Utah practicing Emergency Medicine. She attended medical school at the University of Utah and completed a residency in Emergency Medicine at Stanford University.

RacingThePlanet: Greece 2025 is Dr. Julie’s 13th race working on the medical team. She was previously on the medical team at the Atacama Crossing (2014, medical director-2018), Gobi March China (2015, medical director-2017), Gobi Race Mongolia 2018, Sahara Race Namibia (2016, medical director-2019), and roving races in Patagonia 2017, New Zealand 2019, Georgia 2021, the Last Desert (Antarctica) 2022 and the RacingThePlanet: 20-Year Race (Jordan). Her husband Adam decided to join the medical team after completing the Sahara Race (Namibia) as a competitor in 2016.

Besides trying to keep up with her husband on the trails around the Wasatch Mountains, Dr. Julie enjoys skiing, mountain biking, road trips, and hanging out with their dogs Arlo and Louie.

Adam STILES, M.D.

Emergency Physician

United States

Dr. Adam Stiles lives in Salt Lake City, Utah where he practices Emergency Medicine. He attended medical school at the University of Utah and completed an Emergency Medicine Residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Dr. Adam’s first exposure to RacingThePlanet came from his wife, Dr. Julie, who started working on the medical team after meeting Avinash Patil in residency. Adam decided he needed to get a feel for the race before working as a doctor, and completed the Sahara Race (Namibia) 2016 as a racer. In his own words, he “managed to somehow cross the finish line”.

RacingThePlanet: Greece 2025 is his 8th race as a medical team member. Past races include the Gobi March (China) 2017, the Atacama Crossing 2018, Namib Race 2019, roving races in Patagonia 2018, New Zealand 2019 and Georgia 2021, The Last Desert (Antarctica) 2022 and the RacingThePlanet: The 20-Year Race (Jordan) .

In his free time Adam enjoys mountain biking, running with his wife and hanging with their dogs Arlo and Louie.

Brandee WAITE

Physician & Professor

United States

Dr. Brandee Waite joins RacingThePlanet: Greece 2025 for her 22nd time on a RacingThePlanet / 4 Deserts medical team. Her first time at a race was twelve years ago at the Gobi March (China) 2005. Trained at Stanford University, UC San Francisco and Johns Hopkins, Dr. Brandee is currently the Director of Sports Medicine at UC Davis in Sacramento, CA, where she cares for all levels of athletes from professionals to weekend warriors. As well as her everyday job, Dr. Brandee has been a team doctor for USA Track & Field professional and college sports teams and was the Medical Director for the US Marathon Championships in 2017 and 2018. Her sports medicine expertise has led her to write for educational medical journals and she is the editor of the book Long Distance Runners Guide to Injury Prevention and Treatment. When not working and teaching in the medical school and community, Brandee enjoys dancing, snowboarding, hanging out with her husband (Mike Sammis, former RacingThePlanet volunteer who also completed RacingThePlanet: Iceland 2013 as a competitor and is competing in RacingThePlanet: Greece) and their two young kids. Running is also one of her hobbies, but much shorter distances than any RacingThePlanet ultras!

Brita ZAIA, M.D.

Emergency Physician

United States

Dr. Brita Zaia is a clinical instructor and ultrasound director in the department of emergency medicine at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center.

She earned her bachelor’s in 2000 and completed her doctorate in 2005 ta the University of California in Los Angeles and completed residencies and was awarded Academic Resident of the Year at Alameda County Medical Center and Highland General Hospital in 2009. Dr. Brie went on to complete an emergency ultrasound fellowship with Stanford University Medical Center’s Division of Emergency Medicine in 2010.

Dr. Brie speaks medical Spanish and is certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Advanced Trauma Life Support, and Pediatric Advanced Life Support. As well as all this Dr. Brie is certified in emergency medicine both in clinic and in the field as an EMT. She has also taught courses and practiced medicine in Santa Lucia, Honduras, Bolivia and Ecuador.

RacingThePlanet: Greece 2025 is her seventh time on the RacingThePlanet / 4 Deserts medical team having previously been at the Atacama Crossing (Chile) 2012, the Gobi March (Mongolia) 2018 and the roving races in Madagascar 2014, Patagonia 2017, Georgia 2021 and Lapland 2022.

Cooper AAKHUS, M.D.

Emergency Physician - Medical Researcher

United States

Dr. Cooper Aakhus is an physician practicing Emergency Medicine at Stanford Medical Center in Palo Alto California where he is also completing a Fellowship in Wilderness Medicine. His wilderness training has taken from completing high altitude research in the Sierras, expedition medicine while traversing Alaskan glacial ice-fields, and being an instructor for wilderness medicine courses. A graduate of Boston College, he completed medical school in Chicago at Loyola University, and finished residency training at University of California Los Angeles. In his free time he likes hiking, camping, skiing and spending time with his wife, daughter and dog Koda.

RACINGTHEPLANET: GREECE 2025
250 KM / 155-MILE, 6-STAGE ULTRAMARATHON

DAYS TO GO

Race Coverage

RACE Coverage

Avinash PATIL, M.D.

Emergency Physician

Julie WIDDISON, M.D.

Emergency Physician

Adam STILES, M.D.

Emergency Physician

Brandee WAITE

Physician & Professor

Brita ZAIA, M.D.

Emergency Physician

Cooper AAKHUS, M.D.

Emergency Physician - Medical Researcher

Avinash PATIL, M.D.

Emergency Physician

Julie WIDDISON, M.D.

Emergency Physician

Adam STILES, M.D.

Emergency Physician

Brandee WAITE

Physician & Professor

Brita ZAIA, M.D.

Emergency Physician

Cooper AAKHUS, M.D.

Emergency Physician - Medical Researcher

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RACINGTHEPLANET: GREECE 2025 250 KM / 155-MILE, 6-STAGE ULTRAMARATHON

DAYS TO GO

Race Coverage

RACE Coverage

Avinash PATIL, M.D.

Emergency Physician

Julie WIDDISON, M.D.

Emergency Physician

Adam STILES, M.D.

Emergency Physician

Brandee WAITE

Physician & Professor

Brita ZAIA, M.D.

Emergency Physician

Cooper AAKHUS, M.D.

Emergency Physician - Medical Researcher

Avinash PATIL, M.D.

Emergency Physician

Julie WIDDISON, M.D.

Emergency Physician

Adam STILES, M.D.

Emergency Physician

Brandee WAITE

Physician & Professor

Brita ZAIA, M.D.

Emergency Physician

Cooper AAKHUS, M.D.

Emergency Physician - Medical Researcher

RACINGTHEPLANET: GREECE 2025
250 KM / 155-MILE, 6-STAGE ULTRAMARATHON