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OFFICIAL CHARITY: Bald Head Island Conservancy: Please join and donate to BHIC today!

2018 Badwater Cape Fear Image Galleries:

• 2018 Racer Mugshots by Chris Kostman

• 2018 Pre-Race Activities by Chris Kostman

• 2018 Race Day Action by Chris Kostman

• 2018 Finish Line by Chris Kostman

• 2018 Race Day by Robert Lee!

The fifth annual Badwater Cape Fear 50km / 51mi ultramarathon took place March 17, 2018 on Bald Head Island, North Carolina. A field of 179 runners from seven countries and twenty-nine American states competed, with 61 of 62 runners completing the 50km race and 113 of 117 runners completing the 51-mile race.

With 50km and 51-mile race options, Badwater® Cape Fear features a twelve-mile warm-up on the car-free, one-lane-wide roads of Bald Head Island, followed by either 19 or 39 miles of running on the wild and secluded sandy beach between Cape Fear and Fort Fisher. The race is held along the Atlantic Seaboard with spectacular views of the Frying Pan Shoals to the east and wild and undeveloped marshlands to the west. Running this remote coast is a dramatic, invigorating, and inspiring manner in which to experience the Cape Fear region in all its grandeur!

This exquisite natural setting is the perfect antidote to the “real world” and a wonderful counterpart to the desert sands and mountains of Death Valley and Anza-Borrego Desert featured in the two West Coast BADWATER® races.

Registration will open soon for the March 2019 edition, and there is a 200-runner limit which will sell out. Whether you are a grizzled Badwater veteran, or looking to take on your first Badwater race, we hope you will join us!

Special thanks, Volunteers! YOU made it happen!

Pre-Race Support: Scott Kollins, Keith Weitz, Bob Becker, Mary Kashurba, Pamela Hogue, Ashley Lindsey, Bernadette DePerty-DuBois, Natalie Nolasco, Stacey Shand, Luke Way, Sarah Shearer, Susie Chan, Sean Cahill,  Jason Foureman, and others

Start Line: Scott Kollins, Keith Weitz, Aidan Peers, and Chris Kostman

Directions: Chris Shank, Julie Lee, Nanette Watjen, Christine Osborne, Steve Acciarito, BHI Conservancy interns, and others

CP1 / Bald Head Island Conservancy: Emily Ryan, Julie Lee, Andrea Lombardi, Alisande Anderson, Aidan Peers, Linda Peterson, Poul Lindegaard, and others

CP2 / Mid-Beach: Jeff Winchester, Mary Kashurba, Andrea Pitera, and Bonny Mcclain; Friends of Pleasure Island State Parks: Jessica Stitt, Ann Hood, Daniel Kempf, and Anne Terry (with massive assistance from Fort Fisher State Recreation Area rangers!)

CP3 / Fort Fisher: Scott Kollins, Keith Weitz, Eleanor Erickson, Jack Erickson, and Michelle Beasley (with assistance from Fort Fisher State Recreation Area rangers!)

Finish Line: Chris Kostman, Stacey Shand, Christy Johnson, Pete Navatto, Luke Way, Poul Lindegaard, Chris Shank, and others

Timing: Pamela Hogue

Photography: Robert Lee of BeamCatchers and Chris Kostman

Public Safety support: Village of Bald Head Island Public Safety and Fort Fisher State Recreation Area Rangers

Thank You!

This event is held under permits from the Village of Bald head Island and Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, and with the incredible support of Bald Head Island Conservancy and Friends of Pleasure Island State Parks. We thank them, and all our North Carolina friends, for their support!

THE WORLD’S TOUGHEST FOOT RACE CELEBRATES 40th ANNIVERSARY OF ICONIC ROUTE FROM DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK TO MOUNT WHITNEY

To download the full Press Release, Media Kit, and Credential Application in PDF format, click here. To download the July 2017 issue of BADWATER Magazine, click here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Death Valley, CA:  On July 10-12, AdventureCORPS presents its legendary STYR Labs BADWATER® 135. Now in its 40th year, the world-renowned event pits up to 100 of the world’s toughest athletes against one another and the elements. In scorching temperatures and at altitudes as high as 8,360 feet (2548m), runners, triathletes, adventure racers, and mountaineers from 19 countries and 20 American states will face off in a grueling 135-mile non-stop run from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, CA. Widely recognized as “the world’s toughest foot race, “ it is the most demanding and extreme running race on the planet.

The start line is at Badwater, Death Valley, which marks the lowest elevation in North America at 280’ (85m) below sea level. The race finishes at Whitney Portal at 8,300’ (2530m). The course covers three mountain ranges for a total of 14,600’ (4450m) of cumulative vertical ascent and 6,100’ (1859m) of cumulative descent. Whitney Portal is the trailhead to the Mt. Whitney summit, the highest point in the contiguous United States. Competitors travel through places with names like Mushroom Rock, Furnace Creek, Salt Creek, Devil’s Cornfield, Devil’s Golf Course, Stovepipe Wells, Panamint Springs, Keeler, Alabama Hills, and Lone Pine.

While runners began running the course in the 1970s, the race itself has been part of the fabric of life in Inyo County since 1987. A recent study indicated an annual economic impact of 1.2 million dollars, half of it spent in Death Valley National Park and surrounding gateway communities such as Lone Pine, CA. The race is supported by U.S. Congressman Col. Paul Cook (Ret.) of California’s 8th District, the Inyo County Board of Supervisors, the Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce, and a wide panorama of businesses and charities which are positively impacted.

A true “challenge of the champions,” the 2017 STYR Labs Badwater 135 features 57 Badwater veterans and 38 rookies: die hard “ultra-runners” of every speed and ability, as well as athletes who have the necessary running credentials, but are primarily known for their exploits as adventure racers, mountaineers, triathletes, or in other extreme pursuits.

With one of the most international fields in race history, the athletes represent nineteen countries: Argentina (3), Australia (2), Brazil (5), Bulgaria (1), Cayman Islands (1), Colombia (1), Czech Republish (1), France (1), Germany (3), Hungary (1), Italy (2), Japan (4), Jordan (1), Mexico (5), Philippines (2), Portugal (1), Sweden (1), United Kingdom (2), and USA (58).

Twenty different American states and territories are represented: Arizona (1), California (27), Colorado (3), Florida (6), Georgia (1), Hawaii (1), Kentucky (1), Massachusetts (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (1), Nevada (2), New York (2), North Carolina (2), Ohio (3), Oklahoma (1), Pennsylvania (2), Puerto Rico (1), Tennessee (3), Texas (8), and Wyoming (2).

There are 31 women – a record number – and 69 men. The youngest runners are both 28 (Marcia Zhou of Hong Kong and Jared Fetterolf of Dallas,TX.) The oldest female is 61 (2016 finisher and age group record holder Pamela Chapman-Markle of San Leon, Texas) and the oldest male is 70 (six-time finisher Mark K. Olson of Covina, CA). The overall average age is 47. Full roster details are available here: http://dbase.adventurecorps.com/roster.php?bw_eid=83&bw=Go

Both men’s and women’s course records were broken in 2016: Pete Kostelnick, 28, of Lincoln, NE set the new men’s record of 21:56:31, while Alyson Venti (now Allen), 34, of New York, NY, set the new women’s record of 25:53:07. (The former records were held by Valmir Nunez of Brazil with a time of 22:51:29 set in 2007, while the women’s course record of 26:16:12 was previously set in 2010 by Jamie Donaldson of Littleton, CO.) It is expected that the winners of the 2017 STYR Labs Badwater 135 will finish in near record time for both men’s and women’s divisions. The average finishing time is approximately 40 hours, while the overall time limit is 48 hours. For those who finish in less than forty-eight hours, their reward is the coveted Badwater 135 belt buckle. There is no prize money.

The Holy Grail of Ultra Running

The 2017 race field is particularly competitive. Veteran men’s contenders include 2015 and 2016 champion Pete Kostelnick, 29, of Hannibal, MO (who also broke the 36-year-old Trans-USA running record last year), 2014 champion Harvey Lewis, 41, of Cincinnati, OH (who placed 2nd in 2016), 2011 men’s champion Oswaldo Lopez, 45, of Madera, CA (Mexico citizenship), two-time men’s runner-up Grant Maughan, 53, of Australia, and other notable contenders such as 2016 Badwater Salton Sea champions Jared Fetterolf, 28, of Dallas, TX and Ray Sanchez, 50, of Sacramento, CA, as well as Marco Bonfiglio 39, of Abbiategrasso, Italy, a three-time Nove Colli champion and Spartathlon runner-up in 2016. (For a  full preview of the top men’s field, click here.)

The largest women’s field in race history is also stacked with talent, but – for the first time in perhaps two decades – no recent women’s Badwater 135 champions. The women’s field of 31 runners includes 11 rookies and 20 veterans. Notable contenders include two-time Badwater 135 veteran Brenda Guajardo who is a three-time winner of the Nove Colli ultramarathon in Italy and placed 2nd female and 10th overall in the 2016 STYR Labs Badwater 135. Rookie entrant Noelani Taylor, 37, of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL is the women’s 2015 and 2016 Daytona 100 winner and 2016 women’s Badwater Cape Fear champion. Rookie entrant Szilvia Lubics of Nagykanizsa, Hungary, 43, is the three-time women’s champion of the Spartathlon in Greece and three-time women’s winner of the Ultrabalaton in Hungary. With a record number of women competing, it will be an intense battle. (For a full preview of the top women’s field, click here.)

Also competing are Badwater legends Marshall Ulrich, 66, of Evergreen, CO, a twenty-time Badwater 135 finisher and four-time winner in 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1996, along with David Jones, 65, of Murfreesboro, TN, the 1997 Badwater 135 race champion, eight-time finisher, and 60+ age group record holder, as well as Badwater Hall of Fame inductee Lisa Smith-Batchen, a nine-time finisher who was the women’s champion in 1997 and 1998. Danny Westergaard, 58, of Palos Verdes Estates, CA notched his tenth consecutive Badwater 135 finish in 2016 and will receive a special plaque commemorating that effort before he toes the line again this year.

Every year is a new year at the Badwater 135, with rookies and “previously unknown” athletes surprising the contenders with top performances. New stars will shine as the race unfolds.

As detailed on the race roster, the race will begin in three waves on Monday evening, July 10:

• Wave 1 (800pm): 15 men and 16 women; 11 rookies and 20 veterans

• Wave 2 (930pm): 28 men and 5 women; 18 rookies and 15 veterans

• Wave 3 (1100pm): 24 men and 7 women; 9 rookies and 22 veterans

The Badwater 135 is the final event in the Badwater® Ultra Cup, a three-race series which began with the 51-mile Badwater® Cape Fear in March, continued with the 81-mile Badwater® Salton Sea in April, and now concludes with the STYR Labs Badwater 135 in July. Those runners who complete all three events in the same calendar year are featured on the Badwater.com website and their virtues are extolled throughout the Internet and in future editions of BADWATER Magazine. In 2014, seven athletes completed the entire Badwater Ultra Cup, nine completed the 2015 Badwater Ultra Cup, sixteen completed the 2016 Badwater Ultra Cup, while nineteen racers completed the first two Badwater races this year and will toe the line at this third and final Badwater race on July 10.

Now in its eighteenth year producing this race, AdventureCORPS is pleased to welcome the return of our title sponsor, STYR Labs, an innovative nutrition customization and tracking platform delivering cutting-edge supplements to connected athletes and health and fitness consumers worldwide. The advanced ecosystem includes an activity tracker, wireless scale, wireless water bottle, and free app that collects health and fitness data to create personalized multivitamins or protein blends specific to the user’s health and fitness goals and needs. Sergio Radovcic, founder of STYR Labs, is no stranger to this race with three consecutive Badwater 135 finishes. More info at www.styr.com

AdventureCORPS  also greatly appreciates the support of Farm to Feet Socks, Caring House Project Foundation, ZZYXXZ, and ZombieRunner.com, plus the local support of Furnace Creek Ranch, Stovepipe Wells Resort, Panamint Springs Resort, Dow Villa, Pizza Factory, the community of Lone Pine, CA, the people of Inyo County, and other generous companies and individuals. More info: www.badwater.com/about-us/sponsors/

Official Charities of the Badwater 135 include the Challenged Athletes Foundation. As one of the very few charities that provides grants directly to athletes with a physical disability, the Challenged Athletes Foundation has raised over thirty million dollars and directly assisted thousands of challenged athletes world-wide. AdventureCORPS also supports the Bald Head Island Conservancy, Death Valley Natural History Association, Conservation Alliance, and One Percent For The Planet. One of the goals of the Badwater 135 is to raise funds for, and awareness of, these organizations. More info.

This year, over 50 of the race entrants are competing on behalf of a charity of their choice. Some of those include 100 Mile Club, Bald Head Island Conservancy, Caring House Project Foundation, Challenged Athletes Foundation, Death Valley Natural History Association, Great East Japan Earthquake, Race to Erase MS, The Herren Project, WeROCK Orange County, and others. All are listed on the race roster.

This year’s race celebrates the 40th anniversary of Al Arnold’s original trek from Badwater to Mt. Whitney in 1977. Arnold, an ultrarunning pioneer and human potential guru, competed in a solo effort: it was just Arnold and his support crew against the elements and the clock. The official head-to-head race began ten years after Arnold’s pioneer trek, in 1987, and has been held annually without serious incident, fatality, or any citations issued by any branch of law enforcement. For more info about Al Arnold and also the original race click these links:

1977 Al Arnold: http://www.badwater.com/blog/category/al-arnolds-insights/

1987 Race: http://www.badwater.com/blog/1987-the-year-badwater-became-a-race/

WEBCAST, RACE UPDATES, PRESS CREDENTIALS, AND FURTHER INFO:

A stock image gallery – for bona fide media use only – may be accessed at the following link, with Photographer Name / Badwater.com attribution required: www.flickr.com/photos/chriskostman/sets/72157654693333871

For the duration of the 2017 race, fans can follow the race through a “live” webcast at http://www.badwater.com/2017-styr-labs-badwater-135-webcast/

The Badwater 135 is held under permits from Death Valley National Park, California Department of Transportation, Inyo National Forest, and Inyo County. Media and/or commercial photographers attending the event may be required to obtain permits from some of those same agencies.

FOLLOWING THE STYR LABS BADWATER 135 ONLINE

Follow the 2017 webcast at (including real-time GPS tracking of all runners):

http://www.badwater.com/2017-styr-labs-badwater-135-webcast/

Follow the 2017 time splits and results at:

http://dbase.adventurecorps.com/results.php?bw_eid=83&bwr=Go

Follow the race on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/badwater

Official Hashtag: #Badwater135

Follow the race staff’s live photostream on Instagram:

http://instagram.com/badwaterHQ

Follow the race director’s live photostream on Instagram:

http://instagram.com/chriskostman

Follow the race staff’s photostream archive on Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/adventurecorps/

Follow the race director’s photostream archive on Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chriskostman/

Join the Facebook conversation:

http://www.facebook.com/badwater135

Download the July 2017 issue of BADWATER Magazine:

http://www.adventurecorps.com/downloads/bw/2017July.pdf

ABOUT ADVENTURECORPS, INC.:

Oak Park, CA-based AdventureCORPS®, Inc. is an athlete-run firm producing and promoting ultra-endurance sports events and the world’s toughest brand, BADWATER®. Adventure is our way of life. AdventureCORPS’ world-class events for athlete-adventurers include epic races such as the STYR Labs Badwater® 135, BADWATER® Salton Sea, and BADWATER® Cape Fear, and other events. Our products include the Badwater® line of apparel, skin care products, gear, and services. Founded in 1984 by Chris Kostman, this group effort is dedicated to exploring the inner and outer universes, seeking adventure, energy, and insight both in daily life and “out there.” More info is available at  www.adventurecorps.com and www.badwater.com.

Badwater® is a federally registered trademark owned by AdventureCORPS, Inc.

CONTACT:

Chris Kostman
Chief Adventure Officer and Race Director
AdventureCORPS, Inc. 638 Lindero Canyon Road, #311
Oak Park, CA 91377 USA

Special thanks, Volunteers! YOU made it happen!

Pre-Race Support: Scott Kollins, Keith Weitz, Scott McAllister, Bob Becker, Pamela Hogue, Andrea Kooiman, Ashley Lindsey, Bernadette DePerty-DuBois, Natalie Nolasco, Payge McMahon, Ralph Griggers, Dave Krupski, Ethan Olds, Ray Sanchez, Jared Fetterolf, Michele Hallit, Keith Blade, Andrew Glaze, and others

Start Line: Scott Kollins, Keith Weitz, Scott McAllister, Mary Kashurba, and Chris Kostman

Flagpole: Steve Henson

Directions: Steve Henson, Chris Shank, Gerald Godoy, Mona Landy, Julie Lee, and others

Bald Head Island Conservancy (CP1): Emily Ryan, Payge McMahon,  Poul Lindegaard, Natalie Momier, Tammy Calloway, and others

Mid-Beach / Friends of Pleasure Island State Parks: Jeff Winchester, Michelle Beasley, Chris & Kathy Batchelor, Ann Hood, Daniel Kempt, and Bob Maffitt; plus Mary Kashurba, Karen Williams, Sarah Hoss, and Steve Willett (with assistance from Fort Fisher State Recreation Area rangers!)

Fort Fisher: Scott Kollins, Keith Weitz, Eleanor Erickson, Jack Erickson, and Scott McAllister (with assistance from Fort Fisher State Recreation Area rangers!)

Finish Line: Chris Kostman, Mona Landry, Poul Lindegaard, Chris Shank, Michele Hallit, and others

Timing: Brooke Milligan, Amber Walters, Natalie Momier, and Tammy Calloway  of Bald Head Island Conservancy

Photography: Robert Lee of BeamCatchers and Chris Kostman

Public Safety support: Village of Bald Head Island Public Safety and Fort Fisher State Recreation Area Rangers

Thank You!

This event is held under permits from the Village of Bald head Island and Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, and with the incredible support of Bald Head Island Conservancy and Friends of Pleasure Island State Parks. We thank them, and all our North Carolina friends, for their support!

Runners round Cape Fear itself during the 2017 Badwater Cape Fear, captured on 35mm film by Chris Kostman

Oak Park, CA / Tengchong, China – BADWATER®, the world’s toughest brand, is pleased to announce the inaugural Mt. Gaoligong Ultra in Tengchong, Yunnan Province, China on November 18-19, 2016. The Badwater Race Director, Chris Kostman, is serving as the Co-Race Director and is involved with every aspect of the race. The 104-mile (168km) challenge – with a 36-hour time limit and and 29,000 feet (8800m) of elevation gain – is a mountain trail race through history and time. Live tracking of the competitors will be available both here on this page, as well as on the official website for the race at this link: MtGaoligong.com. The full race roster is below, and the field includes seventeen Badwater 135 veterans, many of whom are featured on the official race website at this link. Also below is the course map (which includes a 124km / 77mi “short cut” route with alternate awards and results), elevation profile, and outline of the checkpoints.

For our full race announcement, including a remarkable promotional video, click here.

Roster By Bib #: (scroll down for roster by first name)

Roster by First Name:

Held in “China’s Colorado,” Mt Gaoligong Ultra is a Mountain Trail Race through Time and History

Oak Park, CA / Tengchong, China – BADWATER®, the world’s toughest brand, is pleased to announce the inaugural Mt. Gaoligong Ultra in Tengchong, Yunnan Province, China on November 18-19 of this year. The 104-mile (168km) challenge – with a 36-hour time limit and 29,000 feet (8800m) of elevation gain – is a mountain trail race through history and time.

As befits anything that Badwater is developing and backing, the Mt. Gaoligong Ultra is extremely difficult, with well over 29,000 feet (8800m) of cumulative elevation gain, and a corresponding loss of more than 29,000 feet. It will be held primarily on mountain trails, including single track, double track, jeep roads, and some cobblestone paths. The start line will be at the Yin and Yang Gates in WenZhi-GuangChang Square in Tenchong – allowing the racers to balance their energies as they embark upon this epic challenge – but quickly disappears into the Mt. Gaoligong National Park and mountain range in all its green grandeur covered in trees, bamboo, ferns, and the occasional rice paddy.

Sections of the route traverse the 2400-year-old Southern Silk Road, while the Stillwell Road, a critical supply line built by the Americans during World War II, is also part of the race route. (Americans are particularly appreciated in Tengchong, in part because of the Stillwell Road, and also because the Flying Tigers – American pilots who volunteered to fly for the Chinese during WWII – were based here. (A large sculpture commemorates them outside the Tengchong Airport.) The finish line will be in 600-year-old HeShun Town, the ancient, cobblestone part of Tengchong, providing a historic and exhilarating final few miles for the racers as they complete their historic tour.

The race will be fully supported, with a marked trail, 14 fully stocked aid stations, drop bag service, and more; personal support crews are neither necessary nor encouraged due to the remoteness of the route. Though the main event will be the full 104-mile route, a 77-mile (124km) “short cut” route will be offered mid-race for those not on schedule to finish the entire route within the 36-hour time limit.

Registration for the event is already open, and many well-known Badwater race veterans have already registered. These include Americans Bob Becker, Catra Corbett, Jimmy Dean Freeman, Jared Fetterolf, Joshua Holmes, Andrea Kooiman, Greg Pressler, Ray Sanchez, and Danny Westergaard, plus Luigi Dessy of Puerto Rico, Mick Thwaites of Australia, Dan Lawson of the United Kingdom, Mauro Chasilew of Brazil, Stacey Shand of Canada, Breze Sharma of India, and Hiroyuki Nishimura of Japan.

This new race is not a Badwater® race, per se, but it is a “Badwater Presents” event which Chris Kostman, the Badwater Race Director, is helping to develop and for which he serves as co-race director. Kostman’s Chinese partners, XingZhi Yunnan Co. Ltd, are absolute professionals and extremely enthusiastic to host a world-class event this November, and annually thereafter.  Kostman’s Chinese co-race director, Lin Ma, is rock solid and Kostman’s nickname for him is “Mr. Cool.” Even though his English is minimal and Kostman’s Chinese is even more non-existent, they both speak the same language when it comes to developing and hosting incredible, life-changing sporting events. Another of the principals from XingZhi, Margaret King, recently attended the STYR Labs Badwater 135, which Kostman directs. She and her colleagues work for  XingZhi, a China-wide event production company helmed by Xiangdong (Ben) Qu, with over a decade of experience hosting scores of multi-day endurance events with up to 2000 entrants. All their events emphasize the crossroads between sport, culture, and tourism.

Hired as a consultant because of this 32 years of developing world-class – and world-famous – ultra events, Kostman spent eight days in Tengchong in June consulting on every aspect of the race, from routing to start line and finish line, trail marking, aid stations, medical support, communications, marketing, and more. Said Kostman, “I literally spent a full week teaching ‘the Badwater Way’ of creating, hosting, directing, managing, and marketing events. Fourteen to eighteen people shadowed my every move and took about a hundred pages of notes! On top of that, I was absolutely blown away by the entire route, the historic setting, and even more so by my Chinese partners!” Since June, Kostman and his Chinese colleagues have been having regular WeChat video conferences to work together to develop the race. In November, Kostman will be spend a full month in China to help host and direct the race. Further collaborations there and elsewhere in China are already in development.

For 2016 Mt. Gaoligong Ultra race results and live GPS tracking, click here.

Co-Race Directors Chris Kostman and Lin Ma exchange gifts during the Contract Signing Ceremony at Tengchong City Hall on June 13, 2016.

Kostman is a lifelong historian who speaks several languages, has traveled extensively in over 50 countries, and worked for ten years as an archaeologist in the Middle East and South Asia. As such, the historic setting and deep multi-cultural opportunities of this event intrigue and inspire him on many levels: “I couldn’t be more thrilled about the race, the route, the history, and my partnership with the team at XingZhi. Bringing together my love of history and culture, with ultra sporting events, is a dream come true for me. But beyond that, I truly believe this race will be quickly recognized as one of the world’s top ‘Must Do’ ultramarathons. Plus, ultra running is relatively new to China as they have only about ten ultramarathons, so I’m excited and privileged to help bring this sport to the Chinese mainstream!”

The official website, including registration link, is http://www.mtgaoligong.com/

The race is also featured here on the Badwater website.

For Further Information, Contact:

Race Management: Margaret King of XingZhi Co. Ltd. at jindoudou “at” exploring.cn

Runners / Participants Contact: Ms. Zoe Qianzhao of XingZhi Yunnan Co. Ltd. at zhaoqian “at” expewise.com

Race Director / International Representative: Chris Kostman of AdventureCORPS at adventurecorps “at” gmail.com

Oak Park, CA – AdventureCORPS® is pleased to formally announce its partnership with Farm To Feet™ Socks of Mt. Airy, NC and to recognize them as the Official Sock of Badwater®, the world’s toughest brand and the world’s toughest races.

AdventureCORPS and Badwater only partner with reputable brands with similar values and which already have a proven track record among Badwater athletes. AdventureCORPS first learned of the American-made Farm to Feet socks from Pam Rickard, a veteran of Badwater Cape Fear and Badwater Salton Sea who is a big fan of these wool socks made in her home state of Virginia. Rickard sent two pair to Chris Kostman, the BADWATER race director, and he wore them every day while running the eight-day Badwater Presents Mustang Trail Race in Nepal last October. He came away with happy feet, no blisters, and totally impressed. Kostman said “I have long been sold on merino wool because it is simply the best fabric to put against the skin: it almost has ‘artificial intelligence’ because it ‘knows’ whether the wearer needs to be warm or cool. It’s wicking property is unparalleled, and one can wear wool for several DAYS before it starts to stink! These Farm To Feet socks are the ultimate for the training and racing that the world’s toughest athletes take on!”

All entrants in all 2016 BADWATER races, including the legendary STYR Labs Badwater 135 on July 18-20 and the Silver State 508 ultracycling race on September 17-19, are receiving Farm To Feet Socks and the feedback from the March 19 Badwater Cape Fear and May 1-2 Badwater Salton Sea sock wearers has been incredible favorable.

Farm To Feet is committed to goal of creating the world’s best wool socks by exclusively using an all-American recipe: US materials, US manufacturing, and US workers. Using a domestic supply chain, Farm To Feet manufactures premium products with the highest quality materials, while minimizing the impact on the environment.

Get a 15% discount when you order Farm To Feet by mentioning BADWATER at www.farmtofeet.com

In 2015, Badwater is going to a region of Nepal that even the Nepalese consider remote: The Kingdom of Mustang! It’s a dramatic, gorgeous, and exotic locale unlike anywhere else you’ve ever been, let alone run. To host this race and insure that the entire trip goes off fabulously, we have partnered with Richard Bull, organizer of Trail Running Nepal and the race director of the Mustang Trail Race and other events. He’s a British expat who has lived in Nepal for many years. His Mustang Trail Race is held annually in April, but in 2015 he is hosting a special “Badwater Presents” edition of that event in October, just for us.

Though the race course will be challenging, on rugged terrain at high altitudes, we believe it is the cultural experience that we will remember most, along with the camaraderie with fellow Badwater runners from around the globe. We are particularly pleased to mention that your Badwater race director, Chris Kostman, will be competing alongside everyone, as will his brother Keith Kostman, who has worked on the Badwater 135 webcast for more than ten years. It is now time for us to get “out there” and run with you!

The whole itinerary for the trip – from October 17 to 29 – is here and you can read much more about the event (also held annually in April) here.

Runner Tracking

You can track each runner’s movements via GPS with the Trackleaders.com service in the map embedded below. We have  “Stage Zero” hike on the 19th and then the actual race days will be October 20-22 and 24-28, so those are the days you should “see” movement below. All the data will also be archived and can be “replayed” after the race.

NOTE: Keep in mind that this service is provided for fun and for informational purposes. Accuracy, – and functionality, for that matter – is not guaranteed. Satellite coverage in the Mustang region of Nepal is not as comprehensive as in Europe and the USA, so the “ping rate” will not be as frequent. Also, it’s possible that a unit could have its battery die, it could be turned off, or it could be carried / mounted improperly and thus not have its antenna pointed towards the sky. So, if some particular runner is “not moving” or just not appearing, it’s almost certainly just a technical glitch. DO NOT CONTACT US OR TRACKLEADERS with any complaints or queries. We will be OFF THE GRID and NOT checking email. Thanks for tuning in, though, and for your support!

NOTE: How could our adventure in Nepal possibly have gotten any better? Well, running legend Lizzy Hawker (UTMB 5x champ, 100km world champ, 24-hour world record holder, and a Cambridge Ph.D) has just joined the race field! She will lead out the field each morning and do the course markings. Her Delorme unit will be embedded with our units, so you will be able to track her, too, via the map below.

Badwater Presents Mustang Trail Race Roster: