“The World’s Toughest Foot Race”
Covering 135 miles (217km) non-stop from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, California, the Badwater® 135 is the most demanding and extreme running race offered anywhere on the planet. The start line is at Badwater Basin, Death Valley, which marks the lowest elevation in North America at 280ft (85m) below sea level. The race finishes at Whitney Portal at 8,300ft (2530m), which is the trailhead to the Mt. Whitney summit, the highest point in the contiguous United States. The Badwater 135 course covers three mountain ranges for a total of 14,600ft (4450m) of cumulative vertical ascent and 6,100ft (1859m) of cumulative descent. Competitors travel through places or landmarks with names like Mushroom Rock, Furnace Creek, Salt Creek, Devil’s Cornfield, Devil’s Golf Course, Stovepipe Wells, Panamint Springs, Darwin, Keeler, Lone Pine, Alabama Hills, and the Sierra Nevada.
A true “challenge of the champions,” the Badwater 135 pits up to 100 of the world’s toughest athletes against one another and the elements. The time limit is forty-eight hours and the finisher’s award is the coveted Badwater 135 belt buckle, the Holy Grail of endurance sports.
The race is invitational and applications are accepted annually in January, while the race is held each year on the full moon in July. Visit www.badwater.com for the application standards and process.
