THE WORLD’S TOUGHEST FOOT RACE CELEBRATES 48th ANNIVERSARY OF ICONIC ROUTE FROM DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK TO MOUNT WHITNEY

For the duration of the 2025 race, fans can follow the race through a “live” webcast at this link (which will remain archived there.)

Facebook Live-Streaming at the Start Lines and along the route.

Follow the 2025 time splits and results at this link.

To download the July 2025 issue of BADWATER Magazine (20MB, 56 pages), click here.

For the 2025 Press Kit, click here.

See the bottom of this page for many more useful links.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Lone Pine, CA:  On July 7-9, 2025, AdventureCORPS – now in our 41st year producing world-class events – will host its legendary BADWATER® 135 Ultramarathon, the 135-Mile World Championship presented by Mount to Coast. Now in its 48th year, this world-renowned event pits up to 100 of the world’s toughest athletes against one another and the elements in a crucible like no other. From below sea level in scorching temperatures to altitudes as high as 8,360 feet (2548m), 100 endurance athletes representing 24 nations plus 25 American states will face off in a grueling 135-mile non-stop running race from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, CA. Widely recognized as “the world’s toughest foot race,” the invitational Badwater 135 is the most demanding and extreme running race on the planet.

The start line is at Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, 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, Darwin, Keeler, Alabama Hills, and Lone Pine.

The Badwater 135 Ultramarathon is held under permits from – and in close collaboration with – Death Valley National Park, California Department of Transportation, U.S. Forest Service, and the County of Inyo. We thank them for their support and salute them for all they do to steward this majestic landscape year-round. 

Above: Death Valley National Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds welcomes the 2025 Badwater 135 runners, crew, and staff.

AdventureCORPS – on behalf of all competitors and support crews – also gratefully acknowledges that these lands have been lived upon for at least 1000 years by native peoples, including the Timbisha Shoshone and the Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone tribes who live on the race course today. We honor and share their deep reverence for these lands.

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 the Inyo County Board of Supervisors, the Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce, and a wide panorama of businesses and charities which are positively impacted.

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THE 2025 RACE FIELD

The ultimate “challenge of the champions,” the 2025 Badwater 135 – presented by Mount to Coast – features 30 Badwater previous finishers and 70 rookies: die hard “ultra-runners” who have the necessary running credentials to not only apply for, but be selected, to compete in the race.

As always, the race will boast a very impressive, very international field.

The 100 athletes (32 women and 68 men) in the 2025 Badwater 135 represent twenty-four nations: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and United States of America. See the full roster here.

Twenty-five different American states are represented: Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin.

There are 32 women and 68 men, 30 of whom have previously finished. The youngest runner is Kaylee Frederick, 20, of Johnstown, PA, and the oldest is Robert Becker, 80, of Fort Lauderdale,FL; both are Badwater 135 veterans. The overall average age is 48.

Of special note, this year Kimberlie Budzik is going for her tenth finish, Karla Kent is going for her thirteenth consecutive finish, Harvey Lewis is going for his fourteenth consecutive finish, Ray Sanchez is going for his 16th finish, and Danny Westergaard is going for his 18th consecutive finish.

Every year is a new year at the Badwater 135, with both veterans and rookie athletes impressing everyone with incredible, gutsy performances. With every single runner hungry to go home with the coveted Badwater 135 Official Finisher Belt Buckle – and give their absolute best performance – both known and new stars will shine as the race unfolds.

Full roster details, including links to personal website, charities, social media, race results, and more are available here.

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COURSE RECORDS and FINISHING TIMES:

Men’s: Yoshihiko Ishikawa, 2019, Japan: 21:33:01.

Women’s: Ashley Paulson, 2023, USA, 21:44:35.

For Age Group records and more info, click here.

It is expected that the winners of the 2025 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, referred to as “the Holy Grail of Ultra Running.” There is no prize money.

WAVE STARTS

As detailed on the race roster, the race will begin in three waves on Monday evening, July 7. They are assigned according to their predicted finishing time, with the Fast Runners going first, Faster Runners going second, and – at least on paper – the Fastest Runners going third.

• Wave 1 (800pm): 27 men and 11 women; 27 rookies and 11 veterans = 38 runners

• Wave 2 (900pm): 24 men and 13 women; 30 rookies and 7 veterans = 37 runners

• Wave 3 (1000pm): 17 men and 8 women; 13 rookies and 12 veterans = 25 runners

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A LEGENDARY HISTORY

This year’s race celebrates the 48th anniversary of Al Arnold’s original trek from Badwater Basin to Mt. Whitney in 1977. Arnold, an ultrarunning pioneer, human potential guru, and health club manager, competed in a solo effort: it was just Arnold and his support crew against the elements and the clock. It took him three efforts before he was successful, having first attempted the route in 1974 and then 1975.

Four years later, Jay Birmingham also completed the course, in 1981. The official head-to-head race began ten years after Arnold’s pioneer trek, in 1987, and has been held annually since then without serious incident, fatality, or any citations issued by any branch of law enforcement. (The race was sadly canceled due to COVID-19 in 2020.)

AdventureCORPS brought Al to the race in 2002 and inducted him into the Badwater Hall of Fame. This was the 25th anniversary of his run, and he was treated like a rock star by everyone in attendance. Sadly, we lost our incredible friend Al Arnold when he passed away on September 6, 2017 at the age of 89.  He is sorely missed, but his spirit lives on with each year’s edition of the world’s toughest foot race.

Jay Birmingham, who turns 80 in July, remains very active with the world of Badwater, not only by serving on the Badwater 135 Application Review Committee for more than 15 years, but also as an athlete. He has competed in all of the Badwater races over the past twenty years.

The first women to complete the course were Jeannie Ennis (USA) and Eleanor Adams (United Kingdom), both of whom competed in the inaugural race in 1987, along with American Tom Crawford and Brit Kenneth Crutchlow. Ennis was brought to the race as a special guest in 2005 and inducted into the Badwater Hall of Fame.

For more info about Al Arnold and the original race click these links:

1977 Al Arnold / 1981 Jay Birmingham /  1987 Race

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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 late April, and now concludes with the 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 it in 2015, sixteen in 2016, fifteen in 2017, eight in 2018, eleven in 2019, six in 2021, seven in 2022, and 12 in 2023, and 7 in 2024. In 2025, eleven Badwater 135 runners have already completed both Badwater Cape Fear and Badwater Salton Sea, and will now attempt the final – and most difficult – leg of this epic, three-event series.

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OFFICIAL SPONSORS AND CHARITIES

Now in its twenty-sixth year producing this race, AdventureCORPS is pleased to recognize Mount to Coast – the first performance shoe brand to specialize in ultra running and long-distance pursuits – as the Presenting Sponsor of all AdventureCORS / Badwater races in 2025 as well as the Official Shoe of Badwater.

AdventureCORPS also recognizes RoadID, Fenixlight, and De Soto Sport as Official Sponsors. We also thank the Oasis at Death Valley, Stovepipe Wells Resort, Panamint Springs Resort, and Dow Villa of Lone Pine, the community of Lone Pine, CA, the County of Inyo, the Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce, and other generous companies and individuals who support Badwater 135 each year. More info about our sponsors.

Official Charities of Badwater 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 191 million dollars and directly assisted more than 44,000 challenged athletes in all 50 states and 70 countries world-wide. Since 2002, together with our athletes who fundraise, we have raised over $900,000 for Challenged Athletes Foundation.

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. Additionally, many of the race entrants are competing on behalf of a charity of their choice, and these are noted and linked from the race roster.

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FOLLOWING THE BADWATER 135 ONLINE

For the duration of the 2025 race, fans can follow the race through a “live” webcast at this link (which will remain archived at that link.)

Follow the 2025 time splits and results at this link.

Official Hashtags across all social media: #Badwater135 and #WorldsToughestFootRace and #adventurecorps

Follow the AdventureCORPS staff’s live photostream on Instagram @BadwaterHQ

Follow the AdventureCORPS race staff’s photostream archive on Flickr

Follow our Facebook @Badwater135 page and the #Badwater135 Facebook conversation

Follow the AdventureCORPS YouTube Channel

Download the July 2025 issue of BADWATER Magazine at this link.

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

A stock image gallery – for bona fide media use only – may be accessed at this link, with Photographer Name / Badwater.com attribution required.

For media wishing to attending the event in person, please contact us directly for the Media Kit and Credentials Application.

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ABOUT ADVENTURECORPS, INC.:

Founded in 1984 by Chris Kostman, Oak Park, California-based AdventureCORPS® has made its name producing the world’s toughest endurance races in dramatic, remote locations that few people would ever visit, let alone run or bike across. Held under the Badwater® banner, AdventureCORPS events have allowed runners and bicyclists to explore the Death Valley, Salton Sea, Cape Fear, Mojave Desert, and Nevada outback regions in the USA, as well as the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Mustang region of Nepal, Yunnan Province of China, and the Republic of Artsakh. AdventureCORPS has now produced more than 175 endurance sports events, and this is our 26th Badwater 135. For our 40-year (1984-2024) history, click here.

AdventureCORPS®, Inc. owns and represents BADWATER®, “The World’s Toughest Brand, Gear, and Races.” As a brand, BADWATER represents digging deep and going farther; it is the lifestyle brand for all who push their limits while exploring the outer and inner universes.

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

More info: Adventurecorps.com and Badwater.com.

CONTACT:

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

 

 

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It’s like applying to college all over again. Whether you skip your long run to anxiously watch the results roll in, or you leave your phone at home and take out your jitters on the trails, the same fate awaits nearly us all. That dreaded email:

Thank you for your interest. We’re sorry to inform you

It’s trail and ultrarunning race lottery season. Some of the big hitters, like Western States and Hardrock, drew the names of the precious few lucky enough to get into the 2025 race last weekend. Others, such as High Lonesome, Zegama, and Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, are right around the corner. And then there are the ultra-exclusive Barkley Marathons of the world which even require you to write an admissions letter.

And like elite college admissions, your chances of getting in grow slimmer with each passing year. Sure, there are some races that come and go in popularity. (Do you remember Way Too Cool, Lake Sonoma, or Miwok? Nah, me neither.) But the staples remain as popular as ever. Well, actually, more popular. Race caps remain the same and entry numbers continue to climb as more runners turn to the trails.

Western States, for example, saw 9,993 applicants apply for a total of 260 lottery slots this year. Thanks to the weighted lottery system, first-year applicants had a whopping 0.4 percent chance of getting in. This ranks somewhere between getting stung to death by bees (0.0016 percent chance) and getting into Harvard (3 percent chance). Just a decade ago the total number of applicants was 2,704. Doing some back-of-the-napkin math, that means your chances of getting in now are roughly less than a third of what they were in 2014, never mind when Western States initiated a lottery in 2000 and just 583 weirdos bit.

While you fight back tears—your dream race, your top bucket list goal, your life’s mission, eluded once again—acquaintances humble-brag about their lottery luck on Strava and Instagram:

“It’s been my dream for five years to run the Hardrock 100, and this year I will be running it just three weeks after Western States and six weeks before UTMB!”

Five years? You think. Try five decades. (Never mind Hardrock was established in 1992, what does it matter when you’ll never get in anyway?) You unfollow that acquaintance. Or worse, you leave a passive aggressive comment, “Congratulations! You are so brave!” 

Maybe your schadenfreude is punishing you. Before you punish yourself even further, overdo it on craft stouts, or do something drastic like sign up for a Hyrox race (just to get into something), we’ve rounded up a few last-ditch methods of salvation.

1. Quit running

Let’s face it, ultrarunning is a waste of time at best, a mortal hazard at worst. It’s expensive: so many lightly-used, $250 shoes creating a fire-hazard in your doorway because they rub your Achilles but you can’t bear to part with the sunk cost; yucky energy gels you dutifully deep-throat on your long runs to “practice fueling;” and chiropractor appointments that you pay for out of pocket because the U.S. healthcare system unduly fails to recognize the importance of preventative medicine and self-care.

Ultrarunning is also needlessly extreme. You do not need to run 100 miles to be “healthy,” to feel a “runner’s high,” or to “make friends.” In fact, as physical therapist and 1993 marathon world champion Mark Plaatjes laughed in my face as I lay on the treatment table recently, you don’t need to burn your disposable income on treatments for that calf strain when you just run “for fun.” “You feel great when you run less!”

And ultrarunning is not fun. How many times have you puked your guts out, hobbled into the finish on a sore foot, or fallen asleep on the trail? That’s what I thought. Butmaybe that’s precisely what makes it fun. Type II, maybe Type III, fun is all you know. Where some see the 120-degree heat of the Western States canyons as a wish to end up in the hospital, you see an opportunity to prove you are a badass. Whereas others view Hardrock as an old man’s club, you see it as a chance to finally be in the inner circle that’s eluded you since middle school. Where the self-assured think of UTMB as the overly crowded Disneyland of trail running, you see the Instagrammable European vacation of a lifetime.

And who are you without the purpose of a big, hairy, scary goal on the calendar? What will you do if you can’t justify skipping a few stressful hours at family holiday time to get a few peaceful hours to yourself on the trails? How will you manage if your Instagram bio doesn’t say “ultrarunner?” How will you distract yourself at work without the virtual fireworks from your coworkers on Slack after you walk it into the finish of your next race?

If the answer to all of those questions is, I will not survive, then keep reading.

2. Find a backup (or several)

Look, I get it, you only care about getting into Hardrock. Or Western States. Or whatever, they are all miserable in their own ways. But per point number one, you cannot live without a race on the calendar. And you didn’t get into Hardrock/Western States/whatever so, it’s time to find a backup. Plus you need to renew your Hardrock qualifier anyway, remember?

After you spend a run or two going through denial, anger, and grief, it’s time to graduate to acceptance and throw down that credit card number for some more lotteries and race entries. It’s not too late to put your name in the lottery of a few “safeties,” or if you have the means, sign up for a race in another country that doesn’t have as stringent of field caps and hence might be slightly easier to get into.

A good place to start, as you’ve probably realized if you are reading this (but just in case), is with the Western States and Hardrock qualifiers. Many, if not most of these races will sell out—perhaps within hours of race registration opening. But for many it’s not too late. I just did a quick, random perusal of the list, and of all the ones I looked at, Bighorn, Hellbender, Cruel Jewel, and Swiss Alps, they all have spots left. Just register now, reconsider your life choices later. Because let’s face it: If you don’t register while you have the chance, you’ll inevitably regret it once it’s sold out. There’s even a psych term for this—the desire of the unattainable.

If you’re hell-bent on not learning your lesson, or if you just secretly get a kick out of rejection, it’s not too late to enter some more race lotteries. The UTMB lottery, for those with enough “stones,” will be open from December 19 to January 9. (If you’re wondering what a “stone” is, the UTMB qualification process is so convoluted we wrote an entirely separate guide for it.) The Cascade Crest 100 lottery is open from December 9 to January 5. The Vermont 100 lottery is January 1-10. Or ditch the 100-mile bandwagon and enter the Zegama lottery, open January 13-24. (This list is nowhere near exhaustive!)

3. Go local

Ultra-trail running is in this curious era of conglomeration and consolidation. Call it the Industrial Revolution of the sport. While independent races used to hold prestige in their own right (Miwok, Leadville, Way Too Cool), we’re seeing more races swept into race series such as UTMB and Golden Trail and into qualifiers for Western States and Hardrock. This pseudo-monopolization has benefits, such as stiffer competition at the pointy end of the field. It also has a downside. Namely, the death of the local race. Well, my forlorn friends, it’s time to make local, independent, and one-of-a-kind cool again.

I’m going to make a serious prediction, buried here half way down this silly article, that like the rise of couture, indie running brands local racing is going to make a comeback. The proletarian revolution against the bourgeoisie is coming. Be a changemaker and lead the charge!

Where I live in Colorado, Gnar Runners puts on a whole series of races of all types of distances that are exceptionally well-run and have that backyard, community vibe where everyone laughs about their tribulations on the trail over a beer and a hot dog at the finish line. New Hampshire’s 603 Endurance is similar. Let’s make the post-race BBQ cool again.

4. Get creative

Here’s the problem with racing: To get the most out of yourself, you have to truly want to be there. If no other races light that fire, then maybe it’s time to look elsewhere. Go after that fastest known time you’ve been afraid of for years, or make up a project of your own. Sign up for a “backyard ultra” or a “fat-ass” event, like this hellishly epic-looking 100-mile non-race through the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Or, dare I say it, commit this year to training for a road marathon.

That’s what I decided to do recently, Father Time scared me into realizing that my years to run to my potential on the roads are dwindling. After too much time of slogging it out on the trails, I think it’s going to take me about a year to rekindle a semblance of speed. So I ran my first road half marathon ever, got back on the track for the first time in eight years, and reconnected with old college teammates and new friends for workouts and long runs. Like Lucy falling through the wardrobe into Narnia, I’ve discovered another world right in front of my face. New faces yelling “good job!” on the track, new running routes, and so much more time to do other things since 20 miles on the roads takes about half the time as on the trails. (I haven’t read this many books in years.) It’s reinvigorated my running in a way I didn’t even realize I needed, and it’s reconnected me to my absolutely least favorite term, my “why.” (Ugh.)

Ask yourself: What am I truly seeking by devoting all of my free time (and then some) to this sport? Where can I find it outside of that one race that really doesn’t want to let me in? For many of us, including me, part of that answer at least lies in pushing ourselves in new ways, beyond our own perceived limits. Good news: You can do that with anything from the mile on the track to 200 miles on the trails. Whatever you choose, it will inevitably help you hone a skillset, be it speedwork or problem-solving, that’s beneficial when you enter that lottery again next year. Mixing up the stimulus, I’ve found, releases a whole new level of endorphins and let’s face it that’s one hell of a drug. Maybe by taking on a new challenge, you’ll evolve and that lottery won’t seem quite as important anyway.

Or just sign up for that Hyrox race, and you’ll have an excuse to throw heavy objects multiple times a week.

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It was 5:30 A.M., pitch dark, 15 degrees Fahrenheit, and day three of the Snowman Race. We were camped in a village in the Lunana Valley in northern Bhutan, just a stone’s throw below the Tibetan border in the heart of the Eastern Himalayas.

“How’re we feeling?” I asked fellow runners in the dining tent over a breakfast of fried rice, eggs, pancakes, and sausage.

“Haha ha haaa!” roared Pascal Egli, an acclaimed Swiss mountain runner and glaciologist with tired bags under his mahogany eyes.

Privately, Pascal was worried about his injury-riddled knees. He wasn’t sure he could finish the five-day race, and he was anxious about putting any staff in jeopardy. This wasn’t just another trail race where you could drop out at the next aid station. The nearest road was a five-day walk away. The only escape option: a helicopter rescue about 6 miles into the day’s 23-mile stage with 6,500 feet of climbing. He was considering it.

“I think it will be very tough,” said Leki, a Bhutanese runner and forager from Laya, the village where the race started. We were all nervous about Gophu La Pass, which topped out at 17,896 feet. “The trail will be rocky and with ice. I think today will be the most challenging,” he nodded.

Bucking the trend, I was feeling optimistic about the day. The forecast was sunny and I believed—OK, I hoped—that today’s stage wouldn’t wreck me as badly as the first two, which I’d finished much slower than anyone anticipated. I thought maybe I was finally adjusting to the altitude and might be able to run today.

On the start line, the 16 of us racers laughed like giddy kids about to go to recess. “Also don’t die!” Luke Nelson, a runner and physician’s assistant from Pocatello, Idaho, yelled.

Little did I know I wouldn’t smile like that for a long time.

At His Majesty’s Invitation

The Snowman Race is a 110-mile, five-day stage race that follows a historic trekking route through the Bhutanese Himalayas. It’s a vision of His Majesty, the ever-popular, 44-year-old king of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who believes trail runners are the ideal witnesses to share the impacts of our warming planet—specifically Bhutan’s melting glaciers—with the wider world.

I honestly didn’t believe Luke when he told me His Majesty came up with this idea: a mountainous stage race doubling as a climate change publicity stunt. I mean, let’s be real, trail running is a niche sport, at best. Why us? Wouldn’t it be easier to ask an NBA player to tweet something about melting glaciers?

“No. His Majesty specifically said trail runners are best suited to see the impacts,” Luke said, adding something about how I’d be a moron to miss out on this invitation. Known for prioritizing “gross national happiness” over gross domestic product, Bhutan opened its borders to visitors in 1974. The country limits tourists in an effort to preserve a landscape that remains so untouched, you can only see the glaciers by trekking for days on foot. In addition to the seven Bhutanese runners, the government would sponsor the nine foreigners invited to the race this year, waving the $150 per day tourist visas. We’d just pay for our flights and voluntary carbon offsets.

“Trail running is a niche sport, at best. Why us? Wouldn’t it be easier to ask an NBA player to tweet something about melting glaciers?”

I received the invitation in August, and the race was slated for October. I chewed it over for a few days. I despise being cold. I’d never done a stage race before. I feared my year-long back injury flaring up. I’d need my advisor’s permission to miss a month of school.

But, this was a climate change race! Since winning the Leadville 100 in 2016 and helping to start the trail running chapter of Protect Our Winters shortly after, I’ve spent my running career combining racing with environmental advocacy. Could a race halfway around the world actually serve as environmental advocacy?

Curious, honored, supported by my advisor, and just scared enough, I said yes.

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