‘Star Wars’ superfan, 52, runs sweltering ‘Darth’ Valley mile — despite better judgment

Do or do not — there is no try.

The Force is strong with one New Mexico man after he completed his annual “Darth Valley Challenge” dressed as the iconic “Star Wars” villain Darth Vader in 128-degree heat earlier this month.

Rice, 52, revealed to the Washington Post that he first started running in the sweltering temperatures in 1997 while he and a friend were driving through California and passed the national park’s Artists Drive, where Rice felt compelled to jump out of the car and start jogging.

Four miles later, the man claimed to have started hallucinating and became convinced that he was heading in the wrong direction.

Despite that, Rice returns every year to run the same route.

The Post reached out to Rice for comment.

Later recalling that several scenes from the “Star Wars” franchise were filmed in Death Valley, Rice decided to add a fun spin to his yearly routine in 2010, dressing as various characters from the sci-fi classic.

Rice maintains a blog where he documents his masked miles, reporting run-times as well as advice for those interested in taking up “heat running.”

“I don’t agree with anybody else doing this,” Rice told the news outlet. “I don’t even really agree with me doing this, particularly.”

According to Rice, he trains all year for the event by running around his neighborhood and working out to the beat of EDM while in a sauna.

“I have trained for years in the sauna to acclimate to these temperatures,” Rice previously told Insider. “Although the run itself is supposed to be fun and whimsical, dropping dead in the desert … isn’t.”

Rice also noted that he selects routes that are populated with traffic, in case an accident were to occur and he was in need of immediate help.

Rice said that his wife, Lauren, also accompanies him on his foolhardy runs and waits for him at the end with a cold towel and a car blasting cool air from its vents.

According to Lauren, she constantly reminds her husband it updates his will just in case.

“I do joke because I don’t want him to do anything silly that would risk his life,” she said. “But I also know he won’t.”

This year, Rice — in addition to the costume — donned a balaclava, thermal underwear and a black compression shirt.

“The scorching air being forced into the mask makes it even harder to breathe,” admitted Rice adding that for several hours after completing his objective, he was still having trouble breathing.

Rice said that part of the fun is the crazy stares from the people who see him run past.

“I just thought, ‘What a fantastic thing, to bring a tiny little bit of wonder back into someone’s life,’” Rice said. “I loved the idea that people had stories to tell when they got home.”