Badwater Ultramarathon facts for kids

The Badwater Ultramarathon is a super-long running race that covers 135-mile (217 km) (about 217 kilometers). It starts in one of the hottest places on Earth, the Badwater Basin in California's Death Valley, which is −282 feet (−86 m) (about 86 meters) below sea level! The race finishes at Whitney Portal, which is 8,360 feet (2,550 m) (about 2,548 meters) high, near Mount Whitney. This tough race happens every year in mid-July, when temperatures can reach a scorching 130 °F (54 °C) (about 54 degrees Celsius) in Death Valley.

Badwater Basin, California Death Valley

What is the Race Course Like?

The idea for the race was to run from the lowest point in the United States (Badwater) to the highest point (Mount Whitney's summit, 14,505 feet (4,421 m) or 4,421 meters high). Even though these two points are only about 80 miles (130 km) (129 km) apart on a map, the actual running route is much longer, about 146 miles (235 km) (235 km). This is because runners have to go around dry lake beds and over mountains.

Also, the finish line at Mount Whitney's top is 11 miles (18 km) (18 km) from the nearest road. So, anyone running the full 146-mile (235 km) distance would actually cover 157 miles (253 km) (253 km) in total. The course also involves climbing over two mountain ranges, meaning runners gain more than 19,000 feet (5,800 m) (5,791 meters) in elevation!

However, the official race course was shortened to end at Whitney Portal. This is because the United States Forest Service needs special permits to climb Mount Whitney, and there are too many runners for everyone to get one. The current Badwater-to-Portal course is 135 miles (217 km) (217 km) long, with about 13,000 feet (4,000 m) (3,962 meters) of climbing.

How Did the Race Start?

People started hiking long distances across Death Valley in 1966. The first hikes between Badwater and Mount Whitney happened in 1969.

A man named Al Arnold first tried to run the route in 1974. He had to stop after eighteen miles (29 km) because he was very dehydrated. After a lot of training in saunas and getting used to the desert heat, he tried again in 1975. This time, a knee injury stopped him at fifty miles. In 1977, he finally succeeded! He reached the top of Mount Whitney 84 hours after starting at Badwater. Al Arnold is known as the pioneer of this incredible run.

In 1981, Jay Birmingham completed the second Badwater-to-Whitney run.

The race became an official organized event in 1987. Gill Cornell ran the 146 miles (235 km) (235 km) in 45 hours and 15 minutes, setting a new record. In the early years, runners could choose their own path between Badwater and Whitney. One runner even used skis to cross the salt flats!

From 1988, the race was called the Badwater 146 because it finished at the summit of Mount Whitney. But since 1989, it became the Badwater 135. This was because it was too hard to get enough permits for runners to go the last 11 miles (18 km) (18 km) up to the top of Whitney. So, the official race now ends at Whitney Portal.

The Race Today

Today, a group called AdventureCORPS organizes the yearly Badwater Ultramarathon. Only about 100 runners are invited to compete each year, and many more want to join than there are spots! The rules and course have changed over time. For example, runners used to start in the afternoon, but now they start in waves at night (8:00 p.m., 9:30 p.m., and 11:00 p.m.) to avoid the hottest part of the day.

Runners do not get support from the race organizers. Each runner must have their own support team and a vehicle. This team helps their runner with water, ice, food, gear, and first aid along the way.

In the past, runners had 60 hours to finish the course. Now, they have 48 hours to complete the race. There's also a 28-hour cutoff time at Panamint Springs Resort. Finishers receive a special belt buckle and a medal, but no prize money.

The fastest time for the original 146-mile (235 km) race was set in 1991 by Marshall Ulrich, who finished in 33 hours and 54 minutes. For the current 135-mile (217 km) course, the male record is 21 hours 33 minutes 01 seconds, set by Yoshihiko Ishikawa in 2019. In 2023, Ashley Paulson set a new women's course record of 21 hours 44 minutes 35 seconds.

In 2002, Pam Reed was the first woman to win the entire Badwater Ultramarathon. She won again in 2003. Her 2002 win also set a new women's course record at that time.

In recent years, about 90 people compete in each race. Around 20% to 40% of them do not finish. Luckily, no one has ever died during the race.

The 2020 race was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. All 103 runners who were signed up for 2020 were guaranteed a spot in the 2021 race.

Other Badwater Challenges

Multiple Crossings

Some super-tough runners have tried to complete the Badwater course multiple times in a row!

• In 1989, Tom Crawford and Richard Benyo completed the first "double crossing," running from Badwater to Mount Whitney's summit and back to Badwater again. This was called the "Death Valley 300."
• In 1994, Scott Weber completed the first "Triple Crossing." He went from Mount Whitney Summit to Badwater, then back to the Summit, and then back to Badwater again! This took him 10 days.
• In 2001, Marshall Ulrich was the first to complete the "Badwater Quad." This meant two "Death Valley 300s" back-to-back, for a total of four trips across the Badwater/Whitney course. He finished this amazing distance, which is like running more than 22 marathons, in 10 days.
• In 2012, Terry Abrams (who was 54) became the first woman to complete a solo Triple 146 crossing, covering 438 miles. She also became the oldest woman to complete the Double, which is 292 miles.
• In 2014, Lisa Smith-Batchen (who was 54) became the first woman to complete the "Badwater Quad," covering 584 miles in 15 days.

Running Without a Crew (Self-Contained)

Some runners have tried to complete the Badwater course without any help from a crew or outside supplies.

• In 1999, Marshall Ulrich was the first to complete the 146-mile (235 km) Badwater-to-Summit course without a crew or getting any new supplies. He started with 225 lb (102 kg) (about 102 kg) of gear and water in a special stroller. He pushed and pulled this stroller to the Whitney trailhead, then carried a backpack to the summit. He reached Whitney's summit in 77 hours and 46 minutes.
• In 2011, Lisa Bliss became the first woman and second person to complete the 146 miles (235 km) (235 km) Badwater-to-Summit course completely self-contained. She pushed a custom-built cart with 240 lb (110 kg) (about 109 kg) of water and gear. She reached the Mount Whitney summit in 89 hours and 38 minutes.
• In 2016, Dusty Hardman became the second woman to complete Badwater 146 in 80 hours and 57 minutes while pushing a modified baby stroller.

Badwater Solo Ultra

Over the years, many runners have completed individual Badwater to Mount Whitney crossings, often with a crew, but not as part of the official race. These are called "solos."

• In 2007, Ben Eakin, who was 19 years old, completed his first solo crossing. He became the youngest person to complete the lowest-to-highest course and the first person with type-1 diabetes to do so.
• In 2005, Barbara Szeprethy, then 24, was the youngest woman to finish the course, completing it three times in a row in consecutive years.

Death Valley Cup

Runners who complete both the Badwater Ultramarathon and another tough bicycle race called the Furnace Creek 508 (also in Death Valley) in the same year receive the Death Valley Cup.

• In 1996, Marshall Ulrich was the first person to achieve the Death Valley Cup.
• Charlie Engle holds the record for the Death Valley Cup, setting it in 2009.

Badwater World Cup (BWWC)

The Badwater World Cup is a challenge that includes four very different races:

• Badwater (the desert race)
• Brazil 135 Ultramarathon (a mountain race)
• Arrowhead 135 (a snow race)
• Europe 135

More to Explore

• Running on the Sun: The Badwater 135, a documentary film about the 1999 race.

See also

In Spanish: Badwater Ultramarathon para niños