Badwater 135

July

Month

Kilometers

Runners

Single

Stage

Road

Pt-to-Pt

Extreme

Elevation

About the Race

WHY RUN IT?

Badwater is to ultrarunning what Boston is to marathons. With only 100 runners invited to participate each year, stringent qualifying standards, and essays required for the application, it’s a multi-year undertaking to get to the start line. But once you do, you’ll be facing up against one of the most beautifully brutal courses around. Starting in Death Valley and rising to halfway up Mount Whitney, there’s 135 miles and 13,000 feet of elevation to tackle, all in sizzling July heat.

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.”

- T.S. Eliot

Most runners start their journey to Death Valley in either Los Angeles (250 miles) or Las Vegas (140 miles). Since you’ll need a support car anyways – unless you’re one of the few crazy self-supported runners who attempt the course each year – might as well make it a road trip! You could spend a day exploring Death Valley alone. Then there’s Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia National Park, and Sequoia National Forest all nearby.