Badwater Ultramarathon General Information

(See the News Page for more info! See the AdventureCORPS Calendar, too.)

RACE DATE: Monday-Wednesday, July 12-14, 2010.

SUNRISE / SUNSET: Civil Twilight (AM): 5:14am | Sunrise: 533am | Sunset: 8:12pm | Civil Twilight (PM): 8:41pm.

DISTANCE: 135 miles.

WHO: An international, invitational field of up to ninety endurance athletes representing approximately twelve or more countries and twenty or more American states. Click here for the 2010 roster.

APPLYING TO ENTER: The Badwater Ultramarathon is, and always has been, an invitational race. See above for the 2010 application timeline. Click here for the qualifying standards and application procedures.

RACE MAGAZINE: Click here to download the 2010 edition (3.9 meg, 40-page PDF file).

EMAIL NEWSLETTERS: If you are racing or if you are crewing, you should be receiving the regular email updates from the race office. If not, please subscribe to the newsletter right away at the link above! please also "Become a fan of" our FaceBook page and subscribe to our Twitter feed, both linked above.

IMPORTANT FORMS: All entrants need to download the Crew Waiver, the Medical History Form, and the Check-In Form. Please have all crew members complete and sign the Crew Waiver. Bring all these forms, fully completed, to Racer Check-In on Sunday. Be sure to pay your $20 per car Park Entrance Fee at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center BEFORE you come to Runner Check-In.

OFFICIAL CHARITY: The official charities of the Badwater Ultramarathon are the Challenged Athletes Foundation, Major Taylor Association, and Death Valley Natural History Association. We are also members of 1% For The Planet and the Conservation Alliance. Click here for all the info about these wonderful organizations and what you can do to get involved. Click here for info about our environmental efforts.

Entry Fee Refunds via CAF Fund-raising: Race entrants may have their entry fee reimbursed by raising at least $5500 for Challenged Athletes Foundation, an Official Charity of the Badwater Ultramarathon. Fund-raising for CAF is made simple with a fully automated and personalized webpage where friends, family, and co-workers may donate in a secure and simple manner. The $5500 must be raised in full by June 1, 2010. On approximately August 1, those race entrants who raised at least $5500 - as verified by CAF - will be refunded $895 by check.

NEW! Free Guaranteed Entry in the Race For One or Two Major CAF Donors: The race organizers will give one or two qualified applicants the opportunity to be guaranteed acceptance into the race in exchange for a $7,500 donation to Challlenge Athletes Foundation. Here are the guidelines for this opportunity:

A full and aceptable application must be submitted during the February 1-15 timeframe. Within the application, the applicant must state "I am willing to make a $7,500 donation RIGHT NOW to Challenged Athletes Foundation, in order to guarantee my acceptance in the race." The Race Committee will immediately review the application, and if they unanimously agree to accept the applicant, the applicant will receive an Entry Acceptance email within three days. At that time, the applicant must donate $7,500 to CAF via the special weblink provided. Upon confirmation of that donation by CAF, the applicant will receive notice of their Confirmed Entry in the race. NO ENTRY FEE will be required. No more than two of these CAF Entry Slots will be available.

PLEASE NOTE: This offer is only available during the February 1-15 timeframe. It may not be utilized later, for example by an applicant who was not accepted into the race, in order to gain entry.

Also please note: under NO circumstances should an applicant make the $7,500 donation - with the intention of earning Guaranteed Acceptance - until advised to do so by the Race Committee.

Finally, any applicant who utilizes this offer to enter the race must take advantage of this opportunity in 2010. If they are unable to race for some reason, they will NOT be guaranteed entry in a later year. More Info.

PERMITS: This event is held under permits from the Inyo National Forest, Death Valley National Park, California Department of Transportation, and Inyo County, and is overseen by the California Highway Patrol. (If one of these agencies won’t issue us a permit, this race could be cancelled. Please keep that in mind!)

MANDATORY RUNNER CHECK-IN: 12:00-2:00PM, July 11, 2010, Visitors Center Auditorium, Furnace Creek, CA. Every runner must personally attend at some point during the two hour timeframe. Photo identification is required for all runners. Please bring the completed Runner Check-In Form and signed waivers for all crew members and the runner. All paperwork must be complete before walking in the door. Be sure to pay your $20 per car Park Entrance Fee at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center BEFORE you come to Runner Check-In.

MANDATORY PRE-RACE MEETING: 3:30-5:00PM, July 11, 2010, Visitors' Center Auditorium, Furnace Creek, CA. Every runner and at least one crew must attend for the entire meeting We highly recommend that all crew members attend.

MEDIA MEETING: There will be a brief, mandatory meeting of all journalists after the Pre-Race Meeting in the auditorium. All media should download the Press Kit and must request Media Credentials in advance of the race.

HOTELS: We have reserved blocks of rooms in Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, and Lone Pine during our event. Information about our special pricing is provided ONLY to confirmed entrants in the race, as well as media and sponsors. That special information is necessary to make reservations and to secure the special rates that we have obtained for Badwater Ultramarathon racers, crew, and staff. Entrants, media, and sponsors: do not delay in making your reservations; the Death Valley and Lone Pine areas are very popular destinations in the Summer.

STARTING LOCATION: Badwater, Death Valley, CA, 282 feet below sea level.

STARTING TIMES: 6:00AM, 8:00AM, and 10:00AM, July 12, 2010. Up to 30 runners per group, as assigned by the race organizers. Runners may attend only their assigned start time. Runners must check in, ready to race, 30 minutes prior to their start.

ENDING LOCATION: The end of Whitney Portals Road, above Lone Pine, CA, on Mt. Whitney, elevation 8360 feet. The race does not continue up the Whitney Trail further onto the mountain.

ENDING TIME: The event is officially over 60 hours after each starting group, so either 6:00PM, 8:00PM, or 10:00PM, July 14, 2010.

COURSE RECORDS: Men’s: Valmir Nunes, 2007, Brazil: 22:51:29. Women’s: Jamie Donaldson, 2008, USA, 26:51:33.

POST-RACE GET-TOGETHER: 6:00PM, Wednesday, July 14, 2010, Lo-Inyo Elementary School, Multi-Purpose Room, Lone Pine, CA. All racers are encouraged to complete the race in time for this event! Pizza and drinks will be served. No charge (up to six crew per runner).

AWARDS: All racers who begin the event will receive a Badwater Ultramarathon t-shirt, hat, Race Magazine, and a goodie bag. All racers who officially complete the event within 60 hours will receive a finisher’s medal and a finisher's t-shirt. All racers who officially complete the course within 48 hours will also receive a commemorative Badwater Ultramarathon buckle.

RACE HEADQUARTERS: This will be set up during the race in at the Furnace Creek Ranch on Monday, then in Lone Pine at the Dow Villa from the first evening onwards.

WEBCAST: Spread the word that we will post time splits, commentary, and images at this link on a continual basis for the duration of the 60 hour race. We will be "live" throughout the race in July, plus we keep the entire webcast archived forever. We will post time splits, results, images, video, and much more, beginning a few hours after the start of the race. As for time splits, keep in mind that the first time station is 17 miles into the race and it will take people several hours to get there. And remember, this is a webcast, not television. You have to be patient and keep in mind that you are not "viewing" the race in "real time." That said, it's going to be great! (Please do not email us or ask us to pass along any information to any runner during the race. We don't even check email during the race. Enjoy the show, everyone!)

DONATE YOUR LEFT-OVER GEAR: After the race, when you're staring at coolers, folding chairs, umbrellas, and things you can't get on the plane with you, please donate them to a good cause! Click here for links to the Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce, Good Will of Santa Monica, and the Las Vegas Rescue Mission. Thanks to Elizabeth Mullen of www.litterproject.com for her help with this effort.

DRIVING DISTANCES:
Las Vegas Airport to Furnace Creek: 140 miles
Los Angeles Airport to Furnace Creek: 250 miles
Lone Pine to Las Vegas Airport: 240 miles
Lone Pine to Los Angeles Airport: 210 miles

DIRECTIONS TO FURNACE CREEK FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND LAS VEGAS:
Click Here: Pdf download of the best route to drive to and from Death Valley. Print this and use it for your drive to and from the event! NEVER USE A GPS TO NAVIGATE TO DEATH VALLEY!

RELATED WEB LINKS: Click here for more useful information relating to the event.