Oswaldo Lopez Wins 2011 Badwater Ultra

The 2011 Badwater Ultramarathon was run earlier this week, with Oswaldo Lopez claiming the victory. Lopez, who finished second the past two years, finished the 135 mile course in 23 hours, 41 minutes, and 40 seconds. That was good enough to put him past the finish line more than hour ahead of the second place finisher, Japan's Ryoichi Sekiya, who finished at 24:49:37.

The annual foot race is considered to be one of the most challenging in the world. The runners start in the town of Badwater, located in Death Valley at 280 feet (85 meters) below sea level and finishes at 8300 feet (2530 meters) on Mt. Whitney. Along the way they have to endure the desert heat and then take on more than 13,000 feet of vertical gain, while running for hours on end.

Third place in this year's race went to Michael Wardian, who finished in 26:22:01 and the first woman to cross the finish line was Sumie Inagaki of Japan, with a time of 28:49:27.

Impressive times for a race that is 135 miles in length. Congrats to all the athletes who participated in the event and managed to finish. Its crazy enough to run in Death Valley in July, let alone for 24+ hours. Well done.

2011 Badwater Ultra Is Underway

Earlier today, the 2011 Badwater Ultramarathon got underway in Death Valley, with some of the top endurance athletes in the world setting out on a 135 mile course will test their abilities, while pushing them to the limits both physically and mentally.

Held annually in the July heat of Death Valley, this ultra is always listed amongst the toughest in the world. The race begins in the small town of Badwater, which has the distinction of being the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere at 280 feet (85 meters) below sea level. From there, the runners head out into the desert towards the eventual finishing point at the Mt. Whitney Portals, located at 8300 feet (2530 meters) on that mountain. In between, they'll cross over three mountain ranges, with a cumulative altitude gain of over 13,000 feet (3962 meters).

Of course, by now we're use to reading about these amazing endurance athletes running incredibly long distances that would require a car for most of us. But what usually sets the Badwater apart, is the extreme heat that the runners can experience in Death Valley. As of this writing, temperatures are around 93ºF/33.8ºC, but it hasn't even reached the hottest part of the day yet.

Traditionally, it takes about 24 hours for the first runners to cross the finish line, give or take an hour. Last year's winner, Zach Gingerich, completed the course in 24 hours, 44 minutes, and 48 seconds. That's a long time to run in the best of conditions, let alone in the desert heat and up and down some mountains. The vast majority of the runners will take 35+ hours to complete their Badwater experience.

For the record, I'll go for a run today in temperatures that are expected to be around 101ºF/37.7ºC. The difference is, my run will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 4-5 miles (6-8km) in length, and afterwards I'll be rehydrating for an hour. I can't imagine what it must be like for these athletes.

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!