The Badwater Ultramarathon is a Ultramarathon race starting at below sea level in the Badwater Basin, in California's Death Valley, and ending at an elevation of at Whitney Portal, the trailhead to Mount Whitney. It takes place annually in mid-July, when the weather conditions are most extreme and temperatures can reach .
Course
Originally, the run was conceived as being between the lowest and the highest points in the contiguous United States: Badwater, Death Valley and Mt. Whitney's summit . The two are only apart on the map, but the land route between the two points is substantially longer, , because of detours around lake beds and over mountain ranges. Additionally, since the finish-line is from the nearest trailhead, anyone who competes over the race distance must be capable of a total physical effort of . Due to the two mountain ranges that must be crossed between Badwater and Whitney, the course's cumulative elevation gain exceeds .
Because the United States Forest Service requires permits to climb Mt. Whitney and because of the large number of participants, the official course was shortened to end at Whitney Portal. The Badwater-to-Portal course is long, with of cumulative elevation gain. Forest Service regulations do not allow competitive events in the John Muir Wilderness.
Early history
The first hikes across Death Valley of more than 100 miles took place in 1966, starting with Jean Pierre Marquant of France. Hikes between Badwater and Mount Whitney (via the treacherous salt flats in Death Valley) were first made in 1969 by Stan Rodefer and Jim Burnworth of San Diego.
Al Arnold first attempted running the route in 1974 but was pulled off the course after with severe dehydration. After vigorous sauna-training and desert-acclimatization, he attempted the run again in 1975. This time, a knee injury aborted the run at fifty miles. In 1976, training injuries kept him from even beginning his annual attempt on the course.
In 1977 he successfully pioneered running the course, summiting Whitney 84 hours after his start at Badwater. Arnold never returned to the course, except to receive the Badwater Hall of Fame Award.
In 1980, Gary Morris of Marina Del Rey, California attempted to beat Arnold's record. When temps hit 120 degrees F, he pulled out and didn't plan to run in 1981. He worked out with Jay Birmingham and Jon Griffin in Marina Del Rey before the attempt, and Jay's run from Los Angeles to New York City.
The second Badwater-to-Whitney running was completed in 1981, by Jay Birmingham.
In 1987, the crossing became an official, organized footrace. Gill Cornell of Ridgecrest California ran the 146 miles in 45 hours and 15 minutes breaking the old record of 56 hours to the top of Whitney. Gill had permits for both Death Valley and Mount Whitney to run his distance. Five other runners competed that year. During the early years of the race, no particular route between Badwater and Whitney was specified and runners attempted various "shortcuts" between the start and finish. Adrian Crane, one of the competitors in the inaugural race, even used cross-country skis to cross the salt-flats at Badwater. In 1988 the race was called the Badwater 146 because the finish line was the summit of Mt. Whitney. Since 1989 the race was shortened and it became Badwater 135 since it was impossible to get enough permits to run the last 11 miles up on national forest lands to the top of Whitney from the Portals. So, the official times were faster and the course shorter.
AdventureCORPS Badwater Ultramarathon
Currently, AdventureCORPS manages the annual competitive race from Badwater to Whitney Portal. The course route is specified but not USA Track & Field certified. The field is invitation-only and limited in size. Demand to participate in the race usually far exceeds available spots. The event is not USA Track & Field sanctioned and determines their own rules, which have changed over the years. Afternoon starts have been discontinued; the use of intravenous fluids now disqualifies a runner.
Course support is not provided. Each runner must arrange for his or her own support crew and vehicle. The crew provides their runner with his or her needs, including water, ice, food, gear, pacing, and first aid.
In the past, runners were allowed sixty hours to complete the course, but this has been changed to a 48-hour course limit and a 28 hours cutoff at Panamint Springs Resort. Finishers receive a belt buckle and medal but no prize money is awarded.