The 2010 Badwater Ultra is Underway!

The first competitors in this year's Badwater Ultramarathon have hit the trail this morning and are already running through the early morning heat of Death Valley. Ahead of them is one of the toughest, most challenging courses in all of endurance sports, and most will spend the next two days completing the event.

The Badwater is one of the biggest races in all of the ultra endurance events. It is 135 miles of suffering, beginning in Badwater, California, located in the heart of Death Valley. Competitors begin at 280 feet below sea level, and will run mostly non-stop until they reach the Mt. Whitney Portals, located at 8300 feet up that mountain. Along the way, they'll pass over three different mountain ranges, and gain more than 13,000 feet of elevation.

As if all of that wasn't bad enough, they'll also have to endure the blast furnace temperatures that Death Valley is famous for. Over the next few days, temperatures are expected to hover around the 100ºF mark, although it is not uncommon in July for the temps to climb above 120ºF.

For most of the racers, it will take around 40 hours or so to complete, although the fastest runners will complete the entire 135 mile course in just 24 hours. That's more than 5.6 miles per hour, over a full day, in extreme heat and conditions. Very impressive stuff!

The Badwater is once again doing a webcast of the race, but it sometimes offers spotty coverage of what is going on. For instance, at the moment, it appears to be someone's empty hotel room. Hopefully we'll get better coverage as the race continues.

75-Year Old Running For A Cause At The Badwater Ultra

Next Monday marks the start of the 2010 Badwater Ultramarathon, and iconic race amongst the endurance crowd. The 135 mile route runs from the heart of Death Valley, one of the hottest places on the planet, up to the Portals on Mt. Whitney, gaining 8580 feet in the process.

This is one of the toughest footraces on the planet, and the athletes will run for hours on end to cover the distances. It is a grueling test of endurance to be sure, and even the best ultra runners, at the top of their game, struggle through the event. But a 75-year old British man will attempt to make the run, while raising funds for Cerebral Palsy Care in his home town of Kent. 

Jack Denness, lovingly nicknamed Death Valley Jack, is no stranger to the Badwater. He has run the race on 11 other occasions, but at 75 he would become the oldest athlete to ever compete in the event. He is expecting to take roughly 50 hours to finish the course, while dealing with temperatures that could hit as high as 130ºF (54ºC) along the way. 

As I mentioned, Jack is raising money for the CPC in Kent, and his sponsor, Seven Seas Cod Liver Oil, has committed itself to donating money to that cause based on the number of fans that Jack gets on his Facebook page. If we can get Jack to 5000 fans, the company will donate £3000 to the cause. As of this writing, he is sitting at 1859 people, so we've still got some work to do. You can also donate directly to the cause on his Just Giving page, found here. 

The Badwater won't be Jack's only endurance event of the year. He's also committed to running in Racing The Planet's Sahara Race, taking place in October as well. That's a week long, six stage event that is quite the challenge in it's own right.

I hope when I'm 75 I can still walk to the mailbox and back without getting out of breath. Good luck to Jack at the Badwater next week!

Furnace Creek 508 Results

Last week I mentioned that the Furnace Creek 508 was being run over the weekend. The 508 mile long endurance cycling race pushes competitors to the limit with more than 35,000 feet of vertical gain, crossing through ten mountain passes before dropping into the desolation that is Death Valley and adding a little heat to the equation. This year's event was the 26th running of the race, and from the sounds of things, it was one of the best ever.

The winner of the race was was Chris Ragsdale, a five year veteran of the Furnace Creek 508. After finishing second last year, he came home in front of defending champ Michael Emde, who claimed second place. Ragsdale managed to drop his rival, who holds three 508 titles, on the final climb of the day, finishing 15 minutes out in front.

Also of note was the fact that Charlie Engle came in fourth place, and in the process, managed to break a ten year old record for the "Death Valley Cup" by an hour and 20 minutes. The Death Valley Cup consists of running the Badwater Ultramarathon, which is organized by the same team as the 508, and then riding in the cycling event as well. Charlie completed the Badwater, which is 135 miles in length, in 25 hours, 45 minutes, and 11 seconds and the Furance Creek in 33 hours, 19 minutes, and 25 seconds, to set the new record for a combined time between the two events.

Anyone else exhausted just thinking about it? Thanks to Lisa for giving me the heads up on Charlie's accomplishment.

For a better idea of what the race is all about, check out the video below!

Badwater Ultra Begins Today!

One of the most brutally difficult endurance events on the planet kicks off today, with the top ultrarunners arriving in Death Valley for the start of the 2009 Badwater Ultramarathon. 88 competitors will hit the starting line this morning and set off into very harsh conditions as they cover 135 miles in what is described as "the world's toughest foot race".

The annual event begins in the town of Badwater, which is located 280 feet below sea level at the heart of Death Valley National Park. The course then winds up and down three mountain ranges, punishing the athletes with more than 13,000 feet of vertical gain, before they reach the finish line at the Mt. Whitney Portals, located at 8360 feet on that mountain. Oh! And along the way, they'll be forced to deal with temperatures reaching 130ºF.

The top racers will cover the entire 135 miles in roughly 24 hours time. (The course record is 22 hours, 51 minutes, 29 seconds), while the main pack will take roughly 45 hours to finish. The cutoff time is at the 60 hour mark, and everyone who completes the race in under 48 hours receives the coveted Badwater belt buckle, but much like the Tour Divide, there is no prize money for running the race.

The field for this year's Badwater is quite deep with last year's winner Jorge Pacheco returning, along with three other former champs in Dean Karnazes, Marshall Ulrich, and David Jones. The men will be pushed by the likes of Pam Reed, who was the overall winner in the past as well.

I have to say, I have a tremendous amount of respect, and a healthy dose of awe for these runners. As a runner myself, I can't imagine putting in this kind of distance in the kind of conditions that they'll be facing in Death Valley. I run respectable distances in the Texas heat and after 7 or 8 miles, I'm ready to hit the shower. In this event, I'd still have another 127 miles to go.

Top Ten Toughest Races

The National Geographic Adventure blog has put out their list of the Top 10 Toughest Races in the world, with some really interesting, and grueling, events making the list. These races cross a number of disciplines, and are pretty much guaranteed to punish the competitors.

Some of the races that managed to make the cut include the just completed Iditarod, which has garnered the moniker of "The Last Great Race". The iconic dog sled race covers more than 1100 miles across Alaskan wilderness in the dead of winter. The Furnace Creek 508 earns a place of honor as well. This cycling event covers 500+ miles through the heat of Death Valley, throwing in more than 36,000 feet of vertical gain in the process. For foot races, the legendary Marathon des Sables, which starts in just two days, makes the list for its grueling six day, suffer-fest through the Sahara Desert.

I won't spoil the rankings or the top selection as the toughest race in the world, suffice as to say that several of the races making the list are ones that i write about regularly. Of course, a certain race that I have a bit of a soft spot for continues to be snubbed by these recent lists of "best" and "toughest" races. I think I need to talk to Don Mann, my boss at Primal Quest, and discuss making the race a bit more challenging. Obviously ten days of non-stop racing over a 600 mile course just isn't enough to cut it any more.

Video Recap of The Badwater Ultra

The good folks over at AdventureCorps have posted a video re-cap of the Badwater Ultra-Marathon that went down last week. The 8+ minute video will give you a bit of an idea of what the race was like and the conditions that the athletes suffer... er ... I mean run in. All set to a rocking soundtrack as well. ;)

Lisa Smith-Batchen Completes The Badwater

Lisa Smith-Batchen has completed the Badwater UltraMarathon, in a time of 47 hours and 17 minutes, which earns her the coveted "Badwater Buckle" for completing the race in under 48 hours, but more importantly, she has not finished the first phase of her "Lisa's 810" challenge.

As I've posted before, Lisa's 810 is the ultra-runner's goal of raising fund and awareness for the plight of children in Africa who have become orphans due to the aids epidemic on that continent. In the first stage of the 810, Lisa ran from Las Vegas, NV to Badwater in Death Valley, covering nearly 160 miles. Once there, she transitioned directly into Stage 2, which was running the Badwater itself, which is another 135 miles. Not content to stop at the Mt. Whitney Portals, like everyone else in the Badwater, she chose to 10 miles to the summit of Mt. Whitney itself. When she was done running, she had covered more than 300 miles in the process.

The third, and final, stage of Lisa's 810 will be in October, when she'll once again return to Death Valley to ride in the Furnace Creek 508, a long distance bike race through the lowest, and hottest, place in the Western Hemisphere.

When she's all done, Lisa hopes to have raised $500,000 for the Aid's Oprphans Rising fund, and she is reportedly half-way to her goal. To contribute to the cause, click here, and to read more about Lisa's efforts, as well as her thoughts on the Badwater Ultra, check out her personal blog here.

Badwater Ultra is Underway (Updated!)

Yesterday the 2008 Badwater Ultramarathon got underway with 80 competitors from nine countries taking off from Death Valley with the eventual goal of reaching Mt. Whitney in California. The racers will be dealing with heat in the 125 degree F range and will begin at 280 feet below sea level, and ending at an altitude of 8360 feet at the Whitney Portals.

The site doesn't offer much in the way of updates and there is no word on whether or not anyone has crossed the finish line just yet. But you will find a list of competitors, along with a variety of other demographic information, along with more information on the route, and past results as well.

This year marks the 31st running of the Badwater which features some of the best ultra-runners in the world. Amongst this year's field is Dean Karnazes, who continues to plug away at his Desert Grandslam. If he completes the Badwater, and he has done so in the past, even winning it back in 2004, he'll have just the Sahara Race and the Last Desert left on his list.

With two time defending champ Scott Jurek not in the field this year, the race is pretty much up for grabs.

Update: I stand corrected! As reader Hart points out, the Badwater actually does have good updates, which I simply failed to see. Click here to see the results, which are pretty damn impressive. Coming in first was Jorge Pacheco of Los Angeles California with a time of 23 hours, 20 minutes, 16 seconds. Jamie Donaldson was the first woman to cross the line with a time of 26 hours, 51 minutes, 33 seconds, which put her in third place overall. Simply amazing times. Dean Karnazes hasn't finished just yet, although he's currently in fourth and should be done soon. Rival Pam Reed is in fifth place, not far behind. Akos Konya is the only other person to have finished thus far with a time of 23 hours, 49 minutes, and 44 seconds, which netted him 2nd place.

Lisa Smith-Batchen Begins Her 810 Mile Journey

A month or so back I posted about Lisa Smith-Batchen, an endurance athlete who was training for 810 miles of suffering in Death Valley to raise funds and awareness for children in Africa who are orphaned due to the aids epidemic there.

Lisa outlines her plans here, where you'll discover that she intends to run 160 miles from Las Vegas to reach the start of the Badwater Ultra which is another 135 miles in length, and winds it's way through Death Valley and up Mt. Whitney. Most runners of the Badwater end at the Mt. Whitney Portals, but Lisa will continue all the way to the summit before she is done.

Later this year, she'll return to Death Valley to take part in the Furnace Creek 508, a long distance bike ride that once again subjects the athletes involved to the grueling heat and dry conditions of the region, as they race, you guessed it, 508 miles across the desert.

Earlier this week I had an e-mail from Lisa, right before she set off for Vegas. She's in good spirits, good health, and eager to get started. By now, she's probably out on the road and making her way towards Death Valley, and the start of the Badwater, which begins on July 14th. The race is challenging enough for anyone who enters, but someone having already gone 160 miles before it starts is even more amazing. Of course, I'm sure this is a piece of cake for Lisa, who did a "Double Badwater" last year.

To donate to Lisa's cause point your browsers here.

810 Miles of Running and Biking in Death Valley

Remember Lisa Smith-Batchen? I wrote about her last year when she was running in the Badwater Ultra and elected to go for the "Double Badwater", which in ultrarunning circles means completing the 135 miles of the course, then turning right back around and running back to the starting line.

Well, it seems Lisa is up to her old tricks this year and this time, she's running with a purpose. She's launched Lisas810.com where this incredibly gifted athlete has set her sights on raising funds and awareness for the plight of children in Africa who have become orphaned as a result of AIDS. To that end, Lisa will be running and biking 810 miles to support the AIDS Orphans Rising charity, which works hard to help the children whose lives are changed forever by this deadly disease.

On July 9th, Lisa will depart from Las Vegas, Nevada and run almost 160 miles through the desert to reach Death Valley. Along the way she’ll face scorching heat, cross mountains, risking dehydration and injury, just to get to the start of her race. Once she arrives at her destination, Lisa will take part in one of the most grueling endurance events on the planet by racing in the Badwater Ultramarathon, which is another 135 miles of running through Death Valley, one of the hottest locations on Earth, and the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. The race typically ends at the Mt. Whitney Portals, but Lisa will continue another 10 miles to the summit before she rests.

Then, in October, Lisa will return to Death Valley to take part in the Furnace Creek 508, a 500+ mile bike race, with more than 35,000 feet of elevation gain, that will once again test her dedication and endurance. The desert is just as unforgiving in the Fall, and with all that climbing, riders will deal with temperature extremes throughout the course.

For more information on Lisa and the cause she is working so hard for, be sure to check out her website where you’ll find more information about Lisa, her support crew, the Badwater and Furnace Creek races, and how you can help with the cause.

Good luck Lisa! We’re pulling for you!

Karnazes Goes For "Desert Grand Slam"

A few days ago I mentioned that Dean Karnazes had won the 2008 Atacama Crossing and that he intended to become the first man to complete all of the 4 Deserts Marathons in a single calendar year. Well, according to this story over at Trailspace.com , Dean has added yet one more desert to his list, as he attempts the "Desert Grand Slam".

In addition to the Atacama, which he has just finished, he'll head to China for the Gobi March in June, The Sahara in October, and wrap things up with The Last Desert Marathon in Antarctica in November. That will complete the "4 Deserts". But in July he'll turn his sights on The Badwater Ultra held annually in Death Valley.

Karnaze's corporate sponsor North Face has put together an official Desert Grand Slam website to provide more info, including a link to Dean's blog on the events.

The "Desert Grand Slam" seems a bit contrived to me, but then again, the 4 Deserts and The Badwater are five really tough races, and anyone who competes at a high level in any of those events is a talented runner, let alone all five of them in one year. With a win in the Atacama already under his belt, Dean is off to a good start. One thing that is clear though, he sure doesn't mind suffering a bit in the races he chooses.