Badwater 135: 7 Melt-Your-Face-Off Facts About This Race

Ever wonder what draws runners to the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon in Death Valley, California?
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🔥You know...the race held in July for the last 47 years in one of the hottest places on earth.
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🏃‍♂️Frank Page has been there three times...

• Twice to crew Larry Stephens (@larry.slam) and help him make the grueling journey to Mt. Whitney
• Once to crew Ed Ettinghausen (@runningwiththejester) from Death Valley to the finish

😲He knows first-hand how challenging the conditions are for runners and crew...

• "It's hot as jeepers out there, and blacktop the whole way," says Frank. "As a runner, Badwater can really tear you up. And it's really challenging for the crew, too."

This week (July 22-24, 2024) 98 runners from 18 countries will test their limits at Badwater 135.
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Before the livestream starts, check out these 7 melt-your-face-off facts about this race.

Old-school ultrarunner Al Arnold planned the first solo route from Death Valley, Calif. to the summit of Mt. Whitney in 1974.

• But the desert conditions were so hard, it took him three attempts to go the distance.
• Arnold completed the original 146-mile route for the first time in 1977. 
• Ten years later, the Badwater 135 race began.
• This year's race (July 22-24, 2024) marks the 47th year of Badwater 135.

Ever wonder how hot it gets in Death Valley, Calif.?
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Pop quiz: Where do you think the hottest place on earth is?

• Saudi Arabia
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Iraq
• Kuwait
• Israel
• Iran
• Tunisia
• Death Valley, Calif.

☠️If you picked, Death Valley, Calif., you're right.

• Furnace Creek, Calif., holds the record for the hottest temperature ever record in the WORLD: 134 degrees. 
• Fun fact: Badwater 135 runners pass through Furnace Creek around mile 17 on the course. 

"The average daytime temperature in Death Valley is about 120 degrees," says Frank Page, who's crewed runners to the Badwater 135 finish three times.

Badwater 135 runners have 48 hours to go the distance from Death Valley to Whitney Portal, and the average finish time is 40 hours.
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However, elite runners who take on this course finish in half the time. The Badwater 135 course records are:
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🏃‍♀️Women: (21:44:35)

• Ashley Paulson (@ashkickn) from St. George, Utah (age 42), set a new course record in 2023 and won first-place overall, finishing 44 minutes ahead of second-place finisher Simen Holvik from Norway

🏃‍♂️Men: (21:33:01)

• Yoshihiko Ishikawa (@yoshihikoishikawa) from Japan (age 36) set the course record and men's record in 2019.

Is running Badwater 135 in Death Valley during the hottest time of the year dangerous?
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Yes, BUT...no runner, crew or race volunteer has ever died during Badwater 135 in 47 years. Every year, a number of heat-related deaths occur during the summer months in Death Valley National Park. Earlier this month, a visitor traveling with a group of motorcycle riders died of heat exposure in Death Valley.
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However, Badwater 135 race officials make it clear running in extreme temperatures can be dangerous.
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In the 2024 Badwater 135 AdventureCORPS magazine athletic trainer Jay Hodde explains:
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"In extreme cases heatstroke can upset the body’s thermostat, causing body temperature to rise to 105 degrees F or higher," says Jay.
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"This is a life-threatening situation that requires immediate medical attention."
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In case you're wondering how serious heatstroke can become...

• Symptoms of heatstroke include lethargy and extreme weakness, confusion and odd or bizarre behavior, disorientation and unconsciousness. 
• Because heatstroke is a complete failure of the body’s temperature regulation system, sweating ceases and the skin becomes hot and dry. 
• Convulsions or seizures can occur as the brain begins to shut down. 
• Coma and death are also possible in extreme cases. 

"Heatstroke is a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention," says Jay.
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If this happens during Badwater...
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"Call the emergency response system immediately! Get the runner out of the sun, remove all clothing, and immediately rub their body with ice or immerse the runner in cold water," Jay advises.

On the Badwater 135 roster, 38 of the 98 runners have ran the race before.
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For ultrarunner and teacher Harvey Lewis (@harveylewisultrarunner), it's kind of an annual thing now.
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Harvey is running Badwater for the 13th time this year.
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Just before he won Badwater 135 in 2021, he had a conversation about some Newton running shoes....
"Hi Harvey. Will you give these Newton running shoes a try?"
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That's the question Newton Running Company Product Manager Laura Tingle asked Harvey just before the official launch of the Newton running shoe called the Gravity+.
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"Test it out," Laura says. "See if you like how they feel. And tell us what you think."

• No pressure. 
• No expectations. 
• Just run some miles in the Newton running shoe and share some honest feedback.

Harvey agreed. Laura and the Newton running shoe team shipped out the Gravity+ expecting to hear back from him in a few weeks.
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But that's not what happened. A week later...
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"He ended up running the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon in the Gravity+ and winning," says Laura.
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"A week later we officially launched the Gravity+. That catapulted the Gravity+ to the forefront and generated a lot of interest in Newton running shoes."

It's no secret Badwater 135 is hot. It's one of the things that makes the race so challenging.
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But the course also goes...

• From Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level
• To Whitney Portal, halfway up Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States at 8,374 feet above sea level
• The race crosses three mountain ranges, including a 17-mile ascent with 5,000 feet of elevation gain to the highest point of the course. 

Total elevation gain = 13,000+ feet

Badwater 135 runners often hug the white line, because it's theoretically slightly cooler than the black asphalt.
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But eventually, pavement temperatures than can top 120+ degrees take a toll on rubber outsoles.
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The year Ed Ettinghausen finished his 207th race of 100+ miles at Badwater (only 30 people have finished 100+ ultras of 100 miles or more), the heat took a toll on his shoes.
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It's not uncommon for Badwater 135 runners to wear 3-plus pairs of shoes to get to the finish.

Never ever or is this on your bucket list? Share your thoughts in the comments.