2001 Badwater Ultramarathon Road Reports

2001 Webcast | Results & Time Splits | Race Roster | Post-Race Report

6:00, July 25
The first group of runners took off at precisely 6:00am this morning. John Quinn and Clive Saffery were out front at the 4 mile mark.

8:30, July 25
Quinn through first at 8:19 followed closely by Afanador at 8:22

10:30, July 25
All first group through Furnace Creek. No. 59 Schicktanz DNF.

11:34, July 25
Chris Kostman, Race Director, here with a brief report. It was an exciting morning. All three starting groups got off on time. It's unseasonably cool (for Death Valley). Driving into Furnace Creek after the 10am group started, it was only 104 to 106 degrees. For this part of the country, that's chilly! All three groups have frontrunners way off the front. Just now I saw Mike Trevino blasting away from his 10am group. Special thanks to Barry Ochsner, brother of entrant Nathan Ochsner, who sang the National Anthem at the 10am group. It was a special touch. Also, Major Maples and his brigade had the National Anthem on tape for the 8am group. It's just so exciting to see the race unfold. Thanks for tuning into the webcast, which I can see is already being masterfully produced by my brother Keith Kostman with Matt Frederick. We have a great team at work, making this race happen for all the runners!

14:18, July 25
Checkout the new Multimedia sound and animation clips on the main Webcast page!

15:17, July 25
All runners through first time station at Furnace Creek.

22:25, July 25
Webcast is back in action in Lone Pine. John Quinn arrived in Panamint first, only to decide it was too hard on his knee to continue. Afanador and Benike arrived around an hour later in Panamint.

3:00am, July 26
All is quiet in Lone Pine as we await reports from the field. Expecting first runners through here between 5:00-7:00am. Should be a lot of new information as daylight approaches. Stay tuned...

4:07am, July 26
Chris Kostman here in Lone Pine, just rolled in from the race course. It's been a long, wondrous day "out there" with all of the athletes and crews. Last time I checked in, I was in Furnace Creek. We're putting together a slideshow of the images I shot between there and here. Click here to see it. It started off relatively "cool" in Death Valley today, about 104F into mid-day. But as the racers made their way north and northwest up and across the Valley, the temperature really started to rise: 104, 106, 110, 112, 115, 120, 124, and finally 126 degrees by the time the runners passed the big dunes on the way into Stove Pipe Wells. It was quickly interesting to study the time splits and see how the "horse race" was going among the top runners in each of the three groups. The 6am frontrunners were John Quinn way out in front, setting a blistering pace, followed by Jim Benike and Rudy Afanador, plus Anne Langstaff for the ladies. The 8am group's hotshots were Sigurd Dutz of Germany and Steve King of Canada, while Pascale Martin of France was matching Anne. In the 10am group, Mike Trevino was soloing off the front. I gave a ten minute phone interview with BBC radio in England in Stove Pipe Wells, then headed up the course.

I was soon called up the road to join the CHP, National Park Rangers, and Ambulance service to attend to Reg Richard, who had blacked out on the side of the road after not urinating for ten hours. This was not a good thing. Thankfully, his crew was quick to drive him back to Stove Pipe Wells and get him into a cool hotel room. He did cool off in the ambulance alongside the roadway before his crew transported him. I won't go any further, such as mentioning his Major-Maples-would-be-proud-quartet-of-projectile-vomits as he headed into his hotel room. Will Reg Richard rise from the ashes and rejoin the course, or become a spectator? The morning will tell, no doubt. It's just a good thing that this incident didn't get any further along than it did.

Next I headed over the hill to spend much of the night at Panamint Springs Resort, a welcome oasis at mile 71. Here a wonderful dinner was had by some of the race staff and the famous photographer Rolo Tomasi. Then I parked myself roadside with time station captain Erich Pokorny to greet the runners as they arrived at this just-past-halfway mark in the evening and later in the middle of the night. The big surprise was the withdrawal of John Quinn, an ultra triathlete from Boulder, CO, who had blasted through the first half of the course in near record pace wearing AquaSocks! Unfortunately, his knee was shot and he had to pull out. However, he didn't pack it in and head home or even to bed. He spent six hours on the roadside, meeting the runners and cheering them on as a true sportsman.

Studying the time splits here at Panamint, and then further up the road at Darwin as I moved up the course, has gotten to be a lot of fun. The male frontrunners from all three groups are in just a one hour spread, while Anne Langstaff is just 32 minutes ahead of Pascale Martin. But keep in mind that half the race remains! We expect the first male to reach Lone Pine around 7am. Stay tuned!

5:57, July 26
Trevino moving up the ranks fast, 40 Minutes faster than anyone else through Darwin! Benike slows pace.

6:36, July 26
Afanador first runner on the road, near the Dolomite Loop, still running and stretching his lead over Benike but starting to show the first signs of wear. Trevino on the down grade near the grave sites rolling along, looking stronger than anyone else on the course. Many runners still on the upgrade out of Stovepipe Wells.

7:47, July 26
Rudy Afanador passes through Lone Pine!

This is Ben Jones. I just drove into Lone Pine from Stovepipe Wells durnig the last four hours. It is nowabout 0800 on Thursday morning. Working backwards, Rudy Alfanador of the 0600 start has just passed this time station (122 miles) with 13 miles to go to the Portals. Five miles behind him is Jim Benike also of the 0600 start. Next is Sigurd Dutz and Steve King both of the 0800 start and they are at about 114 miles. Mike Trevino is at 110 miles and he was in the 1000 start. Behind them are: David Kim and Daniel Edwards at 100 miles. Andy Humphries is at 92 miles, Geoff Scott at 90 miles. Anne Langstaff is at 89 miles.

9:00, July 26
Olmo dropped out at mile 90. Benike through Lone Pine at 9:00.

10:10, July 26
Sigurd Dutz comes through Lone Pine looking good.

10:19, July 26
Steve King makes a short pitstop at Webcast Headquarters in Lone Pine.

10:53, July 26
Trevino comes through Lone Pine with a 55-minute advance over his nearest rival. Time to climb...

12:48, July 26
Anne Langstaff : 100 mile mark at 10:10

Dan Edwards takes a break in Lone Pine at 12:48

13:15, July 26
Kim through Lone Pine. Anne Langstaff 13.6 miles out.

13:28, July 26
Major Maples DNF at Stove Pipe due to dehydration.

14:24, July 26
Afanador finishes in 29:03:42

Benike finishes in 31:16:24

15:36, July 26
Trevino wins in 28:18:12! Here is a winning photo by Jim Holt, Canadian Press Stringer:

16:59, July 26
First woman marches through Lone Pine. Anne Langstaff at 16:59.

18:00, July 26
Race officials go to extreme lengths to protect the safety of runners.

20:36, July 26
Mike Trevino's comments after the race:

"I think this race encompasses an enormous amount that can make it incredibly challenging, but also incredibly rewarding. There are so many facets to consider – the obvious things like the training and conditioning, but also the logistics of organizing a crew, necessary supplies and other related things. Personally, this has been one of the most gratifying experiences I have had in quite some time. While it was incredibly challenging, it was extremely rewarding. It’s also about surrounding yourself with great people in a beautiful environment. Thanks to all the people that made it possible."

21:10, July 26
Germans Weber and Frixe pass through Lone Pine.

20:40, July 26
Despite many rumors, the "Rocket" is still out on the course! Pascal Martin approaching Lone Pine.

23:10, July 26
Anne Langstaff (first woman) finishes at 22:13 for a time of 40:13:40

0:30, July 27
Errol "The Rocket" Jones' crew reports "he's out there. Way out there." (like 23 miles from Lone Pine)

7:40, July 27
The Rocket passed through Time Station #5 a few minutes ago. He was walking with purpose. Larry Mann (aka 'Pippy Longstocking') arrived this morning in good spirits and of course, shirtless. His braids were flying in the wind as he breezed by. Your Web Master and Web Mistress are hanging in there consuming copious amounts of caffiene so that you get up to date results and reports. It's all good...