Badwater Ultramarathon News

By CHRISSY OHLINGER: Pahrump Valley Times

DEATH VALLEY, Calif. -- There is much more to AdventureCORPS in Death Valley than an annual "ultramarathon."

Death Valley offers the backdrop for this world-famous special event production firm to coordinate and produce endurance events practically yearr-ound.

Founded in 1984 by Chris Kostman, AdventureCORPS, Inc. describes itself as "an athlete-run firm producing and promoting ultra-endurance and extreme sports events, lifestyle and media."

Based in Oak Park, Calif., the firm produces countless events in the western states but has a special affinity for Death Valley, which it calls "Mother Nature's greatest sports arena."

On July 14, racers from all over the world competed in the AdventureCORPS Badwater Ultramarathon where contestants ran 135 miles through the summer inferno of Death Valley. The route began at Badwter and ended at the Mt. Whitney Portal.

Furnace Creek 508 is another AdventureCORPS production slated for Oct. 4-6. A very famous event in the world of endurance athletes, cyclers will race 508 miles from Santa Clarita, Calif., across the Mojave Desert and Death Valley to end in Twenty-Nine Palms. This race is touted as the "toughest 48 hours in sports."

Carried on AdventureCORPS' own momentum, the Death Valley Cup recognizes athletes who finish both the Badwater Ultramarathon and Furnace Creek 508 in the same year. Only 15 people have earned that recognition since 1996. Full Story.

Long-time AdventureCORPS sponsor Hammer Nutrition is generously offering cash payouts to top finishers out our world-class races, and selected other high stature events, to those athletes who race in their clothes and use their products. Info:

Hammer Nutrition Cash Contingency Program

What it is:

A cash and credit contingency program open to all age group athletes competing in eligible triathlons, mtb races, road and running races, who use Hammer Nutrition products and wear Hammer clothing.

Eligibility:

ANY Hammer Nutrition sponsored athlete, any member of our TEAM Auto- Resupply program, or any other Hammer Nutrition client wearing our clothing.

Requirements:

You must complete entire race and awards ceremony wearing a 2007 or newer Hammer Nutrition cycling, triathlon or running kit and should be using Hammer Nutrition fuels and supplements in training and on race day. Win or podium in your age group or overall, send us a high resolution digital photo of you on the podium and you'll get PAID in cash or Hammer products.

Click here to see the full list of events which qualify for this program.

The 31st anniversary AdventureCORPS Badwater Ultramarathon, held July 14-16, 2008, concluded at 8360' (2533m) up Mount Whitney, after Jorge Pacheco of Los Angeles, CA and Jamie Donaldson, of Littleton, CO, took impressive wins ahead of high caliber fields to record the second fastest men's and fastest women's times in the history of the event, widely acknowledged as the most demanding and extreme running race offered anywhere on the planet. Read full report.

Moeben Sleeves, the UV-protecting arm sleeves for the outdoor enthusiast, were created by three-time Badwater finisher (2001, 2005, and 2006) Shannon Farar-Griefer. We are pleased to announce that Moeben Sleeves is now an Official Sponsor of the 2008 Badwater Ultramarathon.

The Moeben Sleeve provides comfort and protection from the outdoor environment and its constant change, while it helps protect wearers from the sun's harmful rays. Moeben Sleeves will keep you warm when it's cold, since the sleeve fits like a second skin, and will keep you cool when it's hot with its light fabric to keep the hot sun off of your skin.

Personally, I take them everywhere I go. If I'm cycling, whether it's hot or cold, I wear them. I take them hiking. I keep a pair stuffed in all my bags and in my car. Moeben sleeves are an important part of my active life and they should be for yours, too!

MOEBEN.COM | Action Shot 1 | Action Shot 2

We are pleased to announce that Marmot, makers of the highest quality performance clothes and gear for the outdoor lifestyle since 1974, is now the official clothing supplier of the Badwater Ultramarathon. As such, every race entrant will receive a Mesita short-sleeve shirt and every race staffer will receive a Doctor D short-sleeve shirt, both made of lightweight wicking fabric which is perfect for the Death Valley environment.

Marmot products have been field-tested on every major mountain range on earth and in virtually every outdoor environment imaginable. They work with core professional guide services like Exum Mountain Guides in the Grand Tetons of Wyoming to produce the finest gear in the world. Day in and day out, 24/7, Marmot gear is born professionally and worn obsessively.

Marmot is a values-based company that stands for more than the technical outerwear, clothing and equipment they sell. Marmot supports social entrepreneurs like the dZi Foundation, the CancerClimber Association, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Chicks with Picks, and many, many more groups who are out to change the world.

More info. | Marmot.com

The Science of Badwater: 2008 Research: "Measures of water turnover, body temperature, activity and heat strain during the Badwater ultramarathon"

The Montana Center for Work Physiology and Exercise Metabolism (Montana WPEM) is conducting an exciting research project at the 2008 Badwater Ultramarathon. You have been there done that as far as ultras go. However, here is a chance to put some physiological bragging rights behind your 2008 race. Just how much water does the human body turn over in 135 miles? How does your hydration strategy stack up and protect you from overheating? Have you ever seen a mobile physiological lab in the form of a Airstream trailer? If you want to know - we want you in our project. We have done Western States, now we want to see how Badwater stacks up as we encroach towards the human ceiling for energy expenditure and hydration demands.

We are limited to studying 12 racers. Also, we are only able to use racers from the western part of the U.S. for reasons mentioned in the attached brochure. If you are interested, please contact Brent Ruby at the email address on the attached Pdf document.

The 2008 edition of the race magazine is now available for download. Note that we have decreased its size in order to save trees. If you print a copy, PLEASE be sure to set it to print two pages to a page (since the pages are half of a normal page size). Click here for the download. It's a 2 meg Pdf file. Enjoy!

Injinji Performance Toe Socks Named "Official Sock" of the Badwater Ultramarathon July 14-16

SAN DIEGO, CA (May 28, 2008) Injinji, the San Diego-based pioneer of performance toe socks or "tsoks," has been named the "Official Sock" of the Badwater Ultramarathon, the world's toughest foot race.

"Our socks are all about performance. Badwater is the ultimate test, and the perfect platform to showcase our products," explained Injinji co-founder Randuz Romay.

Mirroring the mittens-versus-gloves concept, Injinjis break the traditional sock mold with a design that enables the entire foot to perform naturally and efficiently. The tsoks allow each toe to function individually, resulting in proper balance, posture and gripping, and the seamless, lightweight construction alleviates performance-hindering foot problems commonly experienced by those participating in Badwater.

Covering 135 miles over a 14,000-foot cumulative elevation gain, the legendary Badwater Ultramarathon pits 90 of the world's toughest athletes against each other in a non-stop race from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, CA, July 14-16. With race temperatures often reaching up to a grueling 120 degrees, Badwater is true test of will and athleticism.

"We are really pleased to have Injinji's support, and can say with absolute certainty that Injinji socks are a must-have for anyone participating in ultramarathons, especially the Badwater Ultramarathon," said Chris Kostman, race director for the event.

Now moving into its fifth year of sponsoring Badwater, Injinji provides every participant with a pair of performance toe socks prior to the race, and also sponsors its own team. Team Injinji has placed first in the women's competition twice, and Injinji athletes Monica Scholz, Akos Konya and David Goggins have all nabbed the race's top three spots while wearing tsoks.

In addition to Team Injinji, more than half of last year's competitors wore the performance toe socks and finished the race without any foot problems.

"To actually witness someone run and finish this race, you never come back the same. You always remember the lessons from that road," Romay said. "We're honored to be such an integral part of Badwater."

The elite runners, marathoners, coaches, and adventure and ultra athletes that make up Team Injinji have all enhanced their performance and alleviated foot problems with Injinjis, their sock of choice.

For more information on the company, visit http://www.injinji.com. Editorial media may contact On the Horizon Communications at (805) 773-1000 or email holly<at>thepressroom dot com for additional information, images or product samples.

We are pleased to announce that the Coleman Company, Inc., whose Ultimate® Xtreme® Cooler can keep ice up to six days in extreme heat, is, for the second year in a row, The Official Cooler supplier of the 2008 Badwater Ultramarathon. As such, Coleman is supplying each of the 90 race participants with a 50 quart Ultimate Xtreme Wheeled Cooler. Full Story | Coleman.com

BÄR SHOES: NEW BADWATER ULTRAMARATHON SPONSOR

We are pleased to announce a new partnership with an extraordinary Germany shoe company, BÄR Shoes. They have a proven track record at the Badwater Ultramarathon which will expand greatly this year. This year, ALL Badwater runners will receive a complimentary pair of the BÄR HighPerformance 2.5 shoe!

Please visit the BAER website.

Click here to see a very well done video about the Bär-wearing runners in the 2007 Badwater Ultramarathon.

Here is the official press release:

BÄR HighPerformance 2.5 - "The Official Shoe of the Badwater Ultramarathon 2008 - The World's Toughest Foot Race!"

In 2003, BÄR (high quality shoe manufacturer from Germany) was faced with a pretty big challenge in terms of material and functionality in the TransEurope footrace (3150 miles from Lisbon to Moscow). The know-how gained from this experience was channelled into a new generation of running shoes which was put to one of the hardest tests in the world in 2004: the Badwater Ultramarathon (135 miles non-stop through Death Valley in the hottest month of the year). Otherwise you will only find leading automobile manufacturers testing their new developments here under these conditions. BÄR decided to test its new developments under precisely these conditions (50C air temperature, 80C ground temperature, 135 miles? non-stop tarmac, two mountain ranges and a total of 13,000' of cumulative vertical ascent and 4,700' of cumulative descent).

It was striking that a large number of runners (all of them top international athletes who had been invited to run because of their excellent record in the past) suffered from injuries and pain, particularly in the toe area. This often led to a runner having to pull out of the race, or at least having to have breaks and change his/her shoes frequently.

BÄR has continued to develop its running shoe concept over the years with the experience made in various extreme races (Achim Heukemes across Australia in record time, Dagmar Grossheim Decatriathlon World Champion) always being included in new developments. The latest stage in this development is the BÄR HighPerformance 2.5 worn by both Achim Heukemes and Dagmar Grossheim at the Badwater Ultramarathon in summer 2007 where they finished as the first male and female German competitor, respectively. Neither of them evr had to change their shoes once and both came home without having suffered any problems with their toes or feet, a top performance not only by the runners, but also by the shoes!

Due to this unique test result, both in terms of the material and the functionality of the shoe, the Badwater Ultramarathon and BÄR decided to embark on a partnership in 2008 to make this concept more accessible to a greater number of runners.

Contact for detailed information:
Heike Steingaesser
Phone: +49 (0) 7142 - 95 66 14
Fax: +49 (0) 7142 - 95 66 33
E-Mail: heike.steingaesser "at" baer-schuhe.de

Postal address:
BÄR GmbH ? Premium Comfort Footwear
Pleidelsheimer Straße 15
74321 Bietigheim, Bissingen
GERMANY

Please visit the Bär website.

Click here to see a very well done video about the Bär-wearing runners in the 2007 Badwater Ultramarathon.

2007 Death Valley Cup finishers
Click here for the updated Death Valley Cup page, now featuring the three 2007 Badwater Ultramarathon finishers who also completed the 2007 Furnace Creek 508.

Jay Birmingham's book, The Longest Hill, an in-depth look at his Badwater to Mt. Whitney run in 1981. This is the entire book! Click here to download it (3.4 megs).

Badwater Ultramarathon Race Roster
Click here for the 2008 race roster and click here for the 2008 pre-race press release.

Badwater Ultramarathon: Will You Get In?
There's a question we're asked all the time and it goes like this:

"I've done X, Y, and Z races. Will I get into Badwater next year?"
Click here for the answer

The Badwater Library at the AdventureCORPS Store: Good Reading and Viewing
If you'd like to really invest some time in learing about our race, we suggest the books and DVD which we have in our store. Note that some of them offer "historical perspective" that does not apply to the race as it exists now. So when you read that Kirk Johnson got into the race without any qualifications, or you see entrants with huge swarms of pacers at their side or in the middle of the road in "Running on the Sun," keep in mind that that was in 1999. Times have changed, for the better and definitely for the safer! Click here for the store.

BADWATER WORLD CUP
An international series of 135-mile races held in exotic locations and extreme conditions. Stay tuned for much more information about these 135-mile Badwater-distance events around the globe. More info.

The goals of the Badwater World Cup are:

• To establish the "Badwater Distance" of 135 miles as a standardized distance worldwide.
• To encourage runners to challenge, and learn from, themselves in epic races in exotic, extreme conditions.
• To support ultrarunning race promoters in the development and promotion of their events.
• To recognize runners who complete three or more BADWATER WORLD CUP races in one year, including a points system for overall classification.
• To qualify ultrarunners to compete in the Badwater Ultramarathon, the 135 Mile World Champtionship and the final stop on the circuit (A "Badwater Year" runs August 1 to July 31).

BADWATER IN THE NEWS
Visit the "In the News" page at adventurcorps.com for all the latest media coverage of the Badwater Ultramarathon

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