Tecnu Extreme-Staphaseptic Wins Mother Lode Adventure Race

Over the weekend the Gold Rush Mother Lode Adventure race came to a close with Team Tecnu Extreme - Staphaseptic taking the win. The team, which consists of racers Liza Pye, Brian Schmitz, Kyle Peter, and Marco Rossini, finished more than four hours ahead of second place Team Gearjunkie.com/YogaSlackers and Dart-Nuun, who took third place.

The four-day long event was conducted on a 307 mile (494 km) course through the Sierra Mountains in California that provided plenty of challenges to go along with the breathtaking scenery. The coed teams of four hiked, mountain biked, and paddled, while their navigational skills were put to the test. They even faced a 600-foot rappel along the way as well.

The Mother Lode was one of just two North American qualifiers for the Adventure Racing World Championship, which will be held in Tasmania this November. With their win, Tecnu Extreme has earned an automatic entry into that race, which will feature a 700km (435 mile) course and more than a week of racing.

Congrats to Tecnu Extreme on pulling of the win and good luck in the AR World Championship.

The Mother Lode 4-Day Adventure Race Underway

Yesterday, the Mother Lode, a 4-day long adventure race, put on by Gold Rush AR, got underway in the Sierra Mountains of California. 16 coed teams set out on the course from Bridgeport and are now racing across more than 275 miles (442.5km) of tough mountainous terrain towards the finish line.

The race is a qualifier for the AR World Championship, which will take place in Tasmania in November, and has 200 points on the line for the Checkpoint Tracker race series as well. The Checkpoint Tracker Championship will take place in Kentucky in October, and a number of teams are still scrambling to qualify for that event as well.

You can track the standings and locations of teams online by clicking here and following updates on both Facebook and Twitter. At the moment, it appears that Dart-Nuun is in the lead, followed by Team Lupus Extreme and Tecnu Extreme/Staphaseptic in second and third respectively. Racing is expected to continue throughout the weekend, with winners being crowned on Sunday.

Thunder Rolls Adventure Race Report

This past weekend, the Thunder Rolls 2011 Adventure Race took place in my old stomping grounds, near Oregon, Illinois. The race is a 24-hour, 100 mile event that pulls in good teams from all over the Midwest, and is part of the Checkpoint Tracker Race Series. One of the teams competing in the event was Rock Racing and they've posted a fun race report, including photos and video, sharing details of their experience.

The real fun started Friday evening, when the teams had their pre-race meeting where they received their maps, passports, and instructions. What astounded me from this report was that they were told that there were 55 checkpoints to be located out on the course. That's an incredibly high number of CP's for a 24-hour race. I'm not sure we had that many in either of the two Primal Quest races that I was a part of. Anyone who has competed in an AR event will also tell you that means an awful lot of plotting points on the maps before you even start the race.

The race actually got underway at midnight, with teams rushing off into the dark, moonless night. The race report gives more details on what it was like out on the course, and it is a good read for beginning racers or those thinking about starting up in the sport. The video below also gives you an indication of what it is like to race at the Thunder Rolls, which looks like it is a good regional race and a perfect example of the often grassroots nature of adventure racing.

Thanks for sharing Chuck!

Early Registration For The Checkpoint Tracker Championship Ends Tonight

Adventure racers planning on competing in the Checkpoint Tracker Championship, to be held in western Kentucky this October, may want to get their registrations in today. Not only is the field for the event filling up very quickly, today is the final day to get the early registration discount.

The race is scheduled to take place on October 21 in the Land Between The Lakes and will feature a 100+ mile course designed to challenge the teams with plenty of mountain biking, trekking, paddling, and more. Currently, registration for the event is $250 per person, but after midnight tonight that price goes up to $275. That entry fee includes registration for the Championship, pre and post-race dinners, a limited edition Checkpoint Tracker Championship fleece, a Checkpoint Tracker hat, maps from MyTopo.com, and more.

If your team is looking for a great event to compete in this fall, than you should be strongly considering this race. Not only is the setting going to be a remarkable place to compete, but this will be one of the premiere races in North America for the remainder of the year. Most of the top teams in the country will be on hand, so it is a great place to test your skills, and above all else, it should simply be a fun weekend.

Hurry and register now before the price goes up at the end of the day.

Jornet, Hawker Win North Face Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc

As I mentioned last Friday, this weekend was the annual North Face Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, one of the toughest ultra-marathons in the world. Late Friday, 2300 competitors set out on the 166km (103 miles) course, which circles Mount Blanc, the tallest peak in western Europe, and crosses through Italy, Switzerland, and France in the process. It is a truly spectacular trail with plenty of wonderful scenery and tough challenges.

The race got off to a rocky start when storms delayed the event for more than five hours, and once it was underway, it turned into one of the most challenge UTMB's ever. Rock slides forced the course to be extended to 169km, while rain and snow tested the competitors at every turn. In the end though, it didn't seem to matter, as Kilian Jornet came in first, crossing the finish line in a record time of 20 hours, 36 minutes, 43 seconds. Lizzy Hawker would take first place for the ladies, coming home in 25 hours, 2 minutes even.

So what's it like to run the Ultra Trail do Mont Blanc? Check out the beautiful video below to see for yourself. It is both inspiring and exhausting at the same time. Wow!

New Adventure Race Coming To New Zealand In 2012

A new expedition length adventure race is scheduled to take place next year in Queenstown, New Zealand, one of the top adventure destinations on the planet. The race, which is called GODZone Adventure, will be  put on by 100% PURE Racing, and is apparently part of the AR World Series.

The race will take place from April 7-14, 2012 and will consists of coed teams of four competing on a course that is 450km (280 miles) in length. This will be an unsupported race, meaning teams won't need a support crew to lug their gear around for them, and will involve the usual AR disciplines of trekking, mountain biking, and kayaking.

GODZone Adventure marks the return of adventure racing to New Zealand, a country where the sport can trace its origins. In fact, this will be the first race of its kind on Kiwi soil since the Raid Gauloisis kicked off the expedition race craze back in 1989. That is FAR too long for New Zealand to go without a major AR event in my opinion.

Organizers of the event believe the fastest teams will take between 3-4 days to finish the course, but other teams will be allowed as much as 5.5 days to navigate their way through the different stages. The race will include navigation, ropes courses, a few other surprises as well.

It looks like races are starting to nail down their dates for 2012 already. This has been a busy year for adventure racing, and it is far from over, but teams and race organizers are already looking ahead to next year. 2012 has the potential to be even better for fans of the sport.

Running Across Death Valley

On Friday of this week, Ray Zahab, the man who hasn't met a desert he won't try to run across, and Will Laughlin, will set out to traverse Death Valley on foot. The two men will begin at the northern boundary of Death Valley National Park and won't stop until they hit the southern boundary, some 300km (180 miles) later.

All told, the expedition is expected to take about four days to complete, and it will serve as much as a testing ground for new gear as a hot summertime adventure. The two men will carry all of their emergency supplies with them, as well as their food and water, and will meet with their support crew about every 20-30km (12-18 miles) to receive a resupply. They hope to cover approximately 75km (46 miles) per day in heat that is likely to exceed 43ºC/110ºF each and every day.

The Death Valley Run will give Ray the opportunity to prepare for a couple of planned runs later this year and early next. His impossible2Possible organization is planning another youth expedition to India in October, and Ray has set his sights on running across Saudi Arabia in January. With those two adventures looming, Death Valley is the perfect proving grounds for testing gear, new technology, and expedition foods as well.

You'll be able to follow Ray and Will on their run at the expedition's official website, where they'll be posting dispatches, video and audio updates, and photos. They'll also be carrying a GPS tracker of course, so we'll be able to see where they are at all times, as they travel on foot across the hottest and lowest place in the Western Hemisphere.

Good luck guys. Stay cool out there!

Expedition Idaho Update: Thule Wins!!

Over the weekend, the Expedition Idaho adventure race came to close after six long days of racing through a stunningly beautiful course in Northern Idaho. The 500+ mile competition featured challenging trekking, paddling, and mountain biking sections that pushed teams to the limit all week long, while still offering them a fantastic racing experience to match any other on the planet.

When the race got underway last Sunday, there were 13 teams in the field, but as the week progressed, it became increasingly evident that this was a two team race. Teams Thule and Seagate jumped out to early leads, and never looked back as they pursued one another through the backcountry all week long. In the end, it was the international team of Thule that crossed the finish line first, with the Kiwi's of Seagate claiming second place. Team Bones, an all American squad, took third, rounding out the podium.

While the course was most certainly a challenging one, the race organizers were keen on making it fair as well. As a result, all the teams that entered the race also completed it, although some finished unranked due to dropping a teammate along the way. A few were short coursed as well, but it is rare in adventure racing to have all the teams cross the finish line, as inevitably it seems that some get caught in a time cut-off or physically can't continue. It's a testament to the race organizers that they put together a course that is, by all accounts beautiful and very tough, but was still fun and fair for the racers.

Speaking of the finish line, I teased a few times this week that the race had a unique finish in store for the racers and that turned out to be very accurate. The final leg of the race, as you'll see in the video below, was a steep trek up to Silver Mountain Resort, which just so happened to be holding its Silver Mountain Blues & Brews music festival at the same time that the teams were finishing. As a result, there were more than 2000 fans on hand to welcome them home, giving the finish line a feel that is very different from most expedition length races like this one. It seems the racers apprec

iated the reception, as I'm told many of them stayed around to enjoy the atmosphere, even after they had been racing all week long.

By all accounts, Expedition Idaho was a very successful race, especially considering this was its inaugural run. I'm told that logistics went very smoothly and teams arrived at Checkpoints and Transition Areas, to find their gear boxes waiting for them and often hot food available as well. There are already plans in place for the race to return in 2012, with some great ideas on how to enhance the event even further and provide new, unique experiences for racers and fans alike.

Congratulations to all the teams of course, but also the staff that put on the race. You should all be very proud of what you've accomplished. Now go get some rest. I'm sure you sill have a lot of sleep to catch up on!

Update: Here is the official rankings for all the teams in the race.

1) Thule
2) Seagate
3) Bones
4) Light & Motion
4A) Team Gear Junkie/Yogaslackers
5) Team SOG
6) Team Gramicci
7) Team Florida Xtreme
8) NYARA
9) Gung Ho
10) Topo Adventure Sports
11) Train Chicago Studios
12) Team Idaho

The Leadville Trail 100 Run Is This Weekend

The epic Leadville Trail 100 Run is set to take place tomorrow in Leadville, Colorado. The 100-mile long "Race Across the Sky" will test some of the best endurance runners on the planet with a grueling course designed to push anyone to the limit.

The actual race itself begins at 4AM in the morning with the athletes setting out for one very long day on the trail. The top runners will finish in around 18 hours (last year's champ Duncan Callahan came in with a time of 17:43:24) while the bulk of the pack will take somewhere in the neighborhood of 24-28 hours to finish, depending on conditions. There is a mandatory 30-hour cut off for the race as well, and a lot of runners fall outside of that window.

While obviously the length of the trail is always a concern, the altitude in Leadville adds another dimension to the run. It is a 50-miles out and back course, with the lowest point falling at 9200 feet (2804 meters) while the highest is 12,600 feet (3840 meters). Needless to say, in between there are a lot of ups and downs.

Last year, Lifetime Fitness took over the Leadville series of athletic events and has been promoting it ever since. Before, it was always more of a grassroots affair, but it feels a bit more corporate this time out. On the other hand, the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race, which took place last weekend, seemed to fly under the radar. The past few years it has been a media circus, with guys like Lance Armstrong and Levi Leipheimer, amongst others, riding in the event. I actually had to actively search for the results this time out, and barely knew that it was taking place.

Good luck to all the runners tomorrow. Stay safe on the trail!

Expedition Idaho Update: Thule and Seagate Out In Front

The Expedition Idaho Adventure Race continues into its fourth day today, with teams continuing to navigate their way through a tough course in the wilds of northern Idaho. The racers have been going nearly non-stop since Sunday morning, and there is a real battle shaping up at the top of the leader board for who will eventually win this race.

At the moment, Teams Thule and Seagate are pushing each other to the limit at the front of the pack, with the rest of the teams chasing further back. The lead teams have endured long treks and mountain bike legs, intermixed with some paddling and "special" challenges, that included having to build their own raft and starting a fire without matches or a lighter. Team GearJunkie/YogaSlackers, who are racing unranked due to the loss of a teammate, and Team Bones are in third and fourth place respectively.

The race hasn't gone without its mishaps. While the elite teams at the front are chugging along, some of the others have had their struggles. For instance, Team Idaho made a navigational error that put them 50 miles off course, while one racer crashed on a mountain bike section and had to be airlifted off the course.

When it's all said and done, the teams will have raced for more than 500km over a six day period, and organizers of the event are promising them quite a welcome at the finish line. I don't want to give too much away yet, but I can say the finish should be unlike any other in adventure racing.

Follow the action on the Expedition Idaho website, blog, and Twitter feed. There is still plenty of racing to go, and I think there will be an epic battle between Thule and Seagate before its all done.

World Run II Update: Heading North Through Peru

I was reminded earlier today by my friend Darrell Raubenheimer, who organizes the terrific Rhodes Run in South Africa, that I hadn't posted an update on Jesper Olsen and his World Run II in awhile. Turns out Darrell was right, I haven't written about Jesper in nearly a year and a half, and since that time, he's continued to make tremendous progress.

For those that don't remember, World Run II was the Danish ultrarunner's attempt to run more than 40,000km (24,855 miles), fully documenting and tracking his progress via GPS. The run began at the northernmost point in Finland and continued south across Europe, into Turkey and onto the Middle East, then into Africa, before finally running out of land in Cape Town. From there, Jesper jumped across the pond, and turned his way north at last, resuming his run in Punta Arenas, Chile. He has since made his way into Argentina, and now Peru, as he continues to make steady progress towards the top of South America. From there, he'll cross into Cuba, run the length of that island, then move on to the United States, where he'll travel from Miami to the tip of Nova Scotia, Canada, his eventual finish line.

Along the way, Jesper has been posting updates from the field and sharing information and photos on his progress. He is now into his 30th day in Peru, and while he has experienced stomach issues (something that plagued him throughout Africa as well), he continues to make steady progress. In his last dispatch, he was running near Nazca, Peru, home of the famous Nazca lines, where he mentioned he was hoping to find a good hotel where he could rest up for a few days, and let his stomach ailments pass.

When I've written about the World Run II in the past, I've always been in awe that anyone would undertake such a journey on foot. Of course, this isn't Olsen's first long distance run. As you might have guessed, he has the World Run I under his belt as well, during which he quite literally ran around the world, covering 26,232 km (16,300 miles) in the process. The sequel to that run is much longer of course, and, it seems, more demanding as well.

I'll try not to take so long between updates next time. Obviously Jesper still has a long way to go and will be experiencing some interesting things as he continues. Reaching Cuba should definitely be an interesting milestone. Oh, and for the record, he has so far run 27,346km (16,992 miles). I'm not sure my car has that many miles on it!

Expedition Idaho Adventure Race Begins Sunday!

The Expedition Idaho adventure race is set to get underway this Sunday near Coeur d'Alene. The race will send teams of four on a 500+ km course through the rugged backcountry of northern Idaho. As usual with adventure races, the athletes will trek, mountain bike, paddle, and navigate their way through a course that has been described to me as "stunningly beautiful."

The race will run for six days and promises to have one of the most unique finishes in the sport. I don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone yet, but lets just say that race director David Adlard has put a lot of thought into making the teams feel very welcome at the finish line.

Live coverage for the event gets underway tomorrow, and is being handled by Checkpoint Tracker Race Central. That means you'll get excellent coverage of the event and be able to track the location of the teams in real time, as they make their way through the challenging course that has been co-designed by adventurer racing legend Mike Kloser. Expect updates from the field to be posted on the race's blog as well as the official Twitter feed.

Good luck to all the teams competing in the race. Have fun and enjoy the scenery. Also, good luck to all my friends who are involved in organizing and running the race as well. It'll be a very busy week, but I'm sure it is going to be a big success.

RTNX Update: WildernessTraverse.com Wins!

While most of the teams are still out on the course, the winners of this year's Raid the North Extreme have been crowned, as Team WilernessTraverse.com came across the finish line early this morning, to claim the victory. Congratulations to the team, which consists of Captain Bob Miller, Jakob Van Dorp, Gordon Blythen, and Sarah Fairmaid, on the impressive win.

The rest of the podium has yet to be decided, although it does appear that Team Wild Rose has a firm grip on second place at the moment. They're on the final mountain bike stages, and will transition back on foot later in the day, as they make their way to the finish. Behind them, there seems to be a battle brewing between DART-nuun, Atmosphere MOMAR and Tecnu Extreme/StaphAseptic for third place, while the Team GearJunkie/YogaSlackers, the only other team on the full course, seem to be MIA from the leaderboard at the moment.

This year's RTNX is being run in the West Kootenay region of Canada's British Columbia. The 500+km (310 mile) race promised "real wilderness" to anyone who signed up, and it seems that most teams have gotten all of that and more. With only six teams still competing on the full course, and 15 others going unranked, it appears that the race has lived up to its billing. It also seems that the teams are having a great time and are enjoying the course, despite having poor weather conditions early in the week.

Good luck to the rest of the teams. Get home safe!

RTNX Update: WildernessTraverse.com In Command!

We're now several days into the Raid the North Extreme adventure race, which is taking place as we speak in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia. With more than four days of racing under their belts, the teams have already had to endure some tough challenges. In fact, the course is so tough that only six of the 30 teams racing have a chance at completing the full course.

As of this writing, Team WildernessTraverse.com seems to have a commanding lead, and are currently on foot and steaming towards the next Transition Area, where they'll climb on their mountain bikes for the last leg of the race. In second place, and chasing hard is Team Wild Rose, followed by DART-nuun in third. At this point, the only other three teams who have a hope of completing the full course are GearJunkie/Yogaslackers, Team Atmosphere MOMAR, and Tecnu Extreme/StaphAseptic. There are also 10 teams that are continuing unranked at the moment, most likely due to a team mate dropping out of the race.

The full course teams will cover more than 500km (310 miles) by the time the reach the finish line on Saturday. The race has been a tough combination of trekking, mountain biking, and paddling, with plenty of navigation mixed in as well. There is still a lot of  miles to cover, and with serious navigation involved, anyone can get lost, but at the moment, the trailing teams will be hard pressed to catch WildernessTraverse. They seem to be running a good, solid race with few mistakes, and as a result, they've built a comfortable lead. For now.

Stay tuned for results tomorrow or Saturday.

Raid The North Extreme Is Underway!

The Raid the North Extreme adventure race got underway yesterday with 30 teams setting off on a 500km (310 mile), six day race through the West Kootenay region of British Columbia. The coed teams of four will now trek, paddle, mountain bike, and navigate their way through the beautiful and demanding Canadian backcountry.

As I write this, the teams are roughly one day into the Raid, and as of now Team WildernessTraverse.com is in first place, having passed through Checkpoint 4 on the course as they continue on their mountain bikes. Behind them is Team Custom Cellular, although coming on quickly is Team GearJunkie/YogaSlackers. Each of the lead teams still have a ways to go on their  bikes before transitioning to the kayaks for the first time.

Race headquarters has a host of live feeds to help keep you updated on the race as it unfolds throughout the week. Not only is there a running Twitter feed, but you'll also find a live leader board and a course tracker to show you where the various stages begin and end, as well the current locations of all of the teams. It is a slick interface that gives fans of adventure racing the opportunity to follow the action as it unfolds, while also keeping them up to date on the current standings in the field.

Look for the fastest teams to start arriving at the finish line on Thursday or Friday of this week. It seems that at the moment, weather conditions are good and the course is a beautiful challenge for the athletes to enjoy. Stay tuned for updates as the race continues throughout the week.

Long Distance Runner Going From LA To New York

Long distance runner Alex Bellini has set out on one heck of a run. A month ago, the Italian set out from Los Angeles on a road run that will take him more than 4900km (3045 miles) to New York. He hopes to run 70 stages, each 70km (43.5 miles) in length, to complete the run in just 70 days.

Alex is currently 32 days into the run and is making his way across Oklahoma. If you're at all aware of the current weather conditions here in the U.S., you know that at the moment that region is getting hit with a nasty heat wave that is causing temperatures to soar well over 100ºF/38ºC. As a result, it has been some very long, and hot, days out on the road. Read more about his progress on his official blog, which can be found by clicking here.

The entire project is sponsored by Jeep, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. The company has been practically synonymous with adventure for much of that time, and they are backing Bellini as a sign of their continued support for adventurous lifestyles. The 70th anniversary is also what inspired Alex to run the 70 stages/70km/70 days itinerary.

I can't even imagine running these kinds of distances in the current heat we're experiencing. I live further South from where Alex is running, and I've been averaging about 4-5 miles per day recently and the heat has been taking it out of me in a very bad way. Putting in these kinds of miles, then doing it again the next day, and the next... Just brutal! Hopefully he stays on pace and hits his target on schedule. For now though, he's going to suffer.

Swiftwick Sponsors Checkpoint Tracker Adventure Racing

Earlier today, Checkpoint Tracker Adventure Racing and Swiftwick, a company that makes compression socks and sleeves, announced that they are extending their partnership. As part of the deal, all of the racers taking part in the Checkpoint Tracker National Championship in October will receive a pair of Swiftwick socks and sleeves for use during the race. The offer is open for anyone who registers before August 15th, and the gear will be shipped to them ahead of time to it can be throughly tested prior to the October 21st Championship.

Has anyone used compression socks or sleeves in their training/recovery? I first saw the athletes using them at Primal Quest, particularly after race was over, and they all swore by them, but I've yet to invest in a pair for myself. I'd be interested in hearing reports from others who have used them and how they aided you.

Also, this is a good sign that sponsorships are starting to return to adventure racing. The past few years have been lean in that department, but the sport seems to be on a great trajectory at the moment with some excellent races taking part all over the world. Hopefully this bodes well for more sponsors getting on board in the near future.

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.

Watch The Expedition Africa Adventure Race Online

Back in early May, the Expedition Africa adventure race took place in South Africa. The 500km long event sent teams of four out into the bush on one of the most challenging course in AR this season. In the end, Team Merrell Adventure Addicts claimed victory after 63-hours of racing. They were shadowed throughout the race by a camera crew, and the video of their race is now available for fans of adventure racing everywhere.

The video, which you'll find below, was produced by D4 Productions, a company that specializes in filming outdoor endurance events such as EA. Of course, the only way to film an adventure race is to get out there and do it yourself, carrying a camera with you the whole time no less. As you can see from the video, this was no easy task for the athletes or the crew that followed them.

Make sure you have plenty of time to watch, as the video is 52+ minutes in length. Kick off your shoes and get comfortable for this one, it's worth the time.


2011 Merrell Adventure Addicts @ Expedition Africa from D4 Productions on Vimeo.

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.