Run It Fast®

Kenya’s Geoffrey Kirui broke away from American Galen Rupp over the last 2 miles to win the 2017 Boston Marathon in 2:09:37.  Rupp finished 20 seconds behind in 2:09:57.

Both men broke away from a large pack of elites with about 10k to go. Many thought Rupp would outkick Kirui to the finish but that simply wasn’t the case as Kirui broke away with ease to secure the victory.

Top 10 Boston Marathon Men

1. Geoffrey Kirui – 2:09:37 (KEN)
2. Galen Rupp – 2:09:57 (USA)
3. Suguru Osako – 2:10:28 (JPN)
4. Shadrack Biwott – 2:12:08 (USA)
5. Wilson Chebet – 2:12:35 (KEN)
6. Abdi Abdirahman – 2:12:45 (USA)
7. Agustus Maiyo – 2:13:16 (USA)
8. Dino Sefir – 2:14:26 (ETH)
9. Luke Puskedra – 2:14:45 (USA)
10. Jared Ward – 2:15:28 (USA)

American Meb Keflezighi finished 2:17:01 in what he has said will be his last Boston Marathon as an elite competitor. His last race will be the New York City Marathon. Big thank you to Meb for all he has done for the sport and marathoning in the USA.

Congrats to Geoffrey and all the elite men on great performances today.

Kenya’s Edna Kiplagat dominated the 2017 Boston Marathon winning the 121st running of the prestigious race in a time of 2:21:51

She led nearly from wire to wire and over the second half of the race she had no one close to her.

Congrats to Edna on an amazing and dominant performance.

Boston Marathon Top 10 Women:

1. Edna Kiplagat – 2:21:51 (KEN)
2. Rose Chelimo – 2:22:51 (BRN)
3. Jordan Hasay – 2:23:00 (USA)
4. Des Linden – 2:25:06 (USA)
5. Gladys Cherono – 2:27:20 (KEN)
6. Valentine Kipketer – 2:29:35 (KEN)
7. Buzunesh Deba – 2:30:58 (ETH)
8. Brigid Kosgei – 2:32:48 (KEN)
9. Diane Nukuri – 2:32:24 (BDI)
10. Ruti Aga – 2:33:26 (ETH)

Amazing performances by all the lead women.

Lazarus Lake explains the hectic and chaos at the finish of The Barkley Marathons yesterday when Gary Robbins arrived at the yellow gate after 60 hours 00 minutes 06 seconds.

Here is what he said to clarify what happened at The Yellow Gate:

Explained in a way only Laz can explain.

Congrats to John Kelly on becoming the 16th finisher of The Barkley Marathons. Big tip of the hat as well to Gary Robbins on an amazing effort that was just barely short. True #RunItFast Grit.

Ultrarunner John Kelly just become the 15th person EVER to complete The Barkley Marathons 100 Miler in a time of 59:30:53 less than 30 minutes before the 60 hour cut off.

You can follow John on Twitter @RndmForestRnnr

Canadian Gary Robbins reached the yellow gate 6 seconds after the 60 hour cutoff in 60:00:06 with all the book pages but was 6 seconds late and had gotten lost returning on the wrong trail. Amazing, amazing effort by Gary. Congrats to him as well. The most painful near Barkley finish ever. Video of an emotional Gary reaching the gate seconds too late can be viewed on our Twitter HERE.

Barkley Marathons Finishers
18 finished by 15 runners

– 1995 Mark Williams 59:28:48 New record
– 2001 David Horton 58:21:00 New record, Blake Wood 58:21:01
– 2003 Ted “Cave Dog” Keizer 56:57:52 New record
– 2004 Mike Tilden 57:25:18, Jim Nelson 57:28:25
– 2008 Brian Robinson 55:42:27 New record
– 2009 Andrew Thompson 57:37:19
– 2010 Jonathan Basham 59:18:44
– 2011 Brett Maune (1) 57:13:33
– 2012 Brett Maune (2) 52:03:08 Current record,  Jared Campbell (1) 56:00:16, John Fegyveresi 59:41:21
– 2013 Nick Hollon 57:39:24, Travis Wildeboer 58:41:45
– 2014 Jared Campbell (2) 57:53:20
– 2016 Jared Campbell (3) 59:32:30
– 2017 John Kelly 59:30:53

Laz’s Regret with Gary Robbins Near Barkley Finish

source: Wikipedia

Furnace Creek, CA – AdventureCORPS®, Inc., hosts of the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon, is currently accepting applications for this year’s race, scheduled for July 10-12, 2017, until February 9. Now in its 40th year and recognized globally as “the world’s toughest foot race,” this iconic race pits up to 100 of the world’s toughest athletes – runners, triathletes, adventure racers, and mountaineers – against one another and the elements.

The race starts at Badwater Basin within Death Valley National Park, the lowest point in North America at 280 feet (85m) below sea level, and the location officially recognized as the hottest spot on earth (hitting 134 degrees Fahrenheit in 1913). From that auspicious start line, the course covers 135 miles (217km) non-stop over the most epic terrain imaginable. including traversing three mountain ranges for a total of 14,600 feet (4450m) of cumulative vertical ascent and 6,100 feet (1859m) of cumulative descent. The race finishes at the end of the road high on Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the Lower 48, making it the most demanding and extreme running race offered anywhere on the planet. For those who finish in less than 48 hours, their reward is the coveted Badwater 135 belt buckle. (See attached.) There is no prize money.

With a field limit of 100 runners, the Badwater 135 is, and always has been, an invitational race. Applicants must meet rigorous qualifying standards prior to submitting an application, which is then reviewed and scored by a committee. For rookie entrants, minimum requirements include three 100-mile race finishes or a completion of the Brazil 135, plus submitting an extensive application with running resumé, details of charitable efforts, along with answering a variety of questions ranging from “What percentage of your athletic peers would say that you are a good human being?” to “What is the meaning of life?” More information is here: http://www.badwater.com/event/badwater-135/#tab-entry The actual application is here: https://www.runreg.com/bw135

Based on past participation, it is anticipated that the 2017 field will include runners from 20 to 25 American states and represent 20 to 25 countries or nationalities. The 100 world-class athletes selected for the 2017 race will be announced via Facebook Live on February 9.

AdventureCORPS greatly appreciates the support of STYR Labs, Caring House Project Foundation, Farm To Feet Socks, Fisher Space Pen, ZZYXXZ, Nathan Performance Gear, 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: http://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 seventy-six million dollars and directly assisted thousands of challenged athletes world-wide and in all 50 US states.

AdventureCORPS also supports the Bald Head Island Conservancy, Conservation Alliance, and One Percent For The Planet, among others. One of the goals of the Badwater 135 is to raise funds for, and awareness of, these organizations, along with minimizing and mitigating environmental impact. More info: http://www.badwater.com/about-us/charities/ and http://www.badwater.com/about-us/environment/

The event is held under special use permits from Death Valley National Park, California Department of Transportation, Inyo National Forest, and Inyo County.

Additional Badwater events this year include:

50km and 51-mile Badwater Cape Fear on March 18

NOTE: Nearly sold out!

Webpage: http://www.badwater.com/event/badwater-cape-fear/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1582342162078045/

81-mile Badwater Salton Sea on April 30 – May 1

NOTE: Half sold out!

Webpage: http://www.badwater.com/event/badwater-salton-sea/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/512279092291970/

Las Vegas native Karen Vollan is the winner of Run It Fast’s 2016 Extreme Racer. Karen (RIF #525) rocked the Extreme Racer racking up 3,496.7 points. She is the first female to win the Extreme Racer, and joins RIF legends John Leighton, Ed Ettinghausen, David Wingard, and Steve Hughes as winners of this grueling, year-long competition.

Karen completed 125 races in 2016 of marathon distance (26.2) or longer for a total of 3,496.7 points. Extreme Racer awards 1 point for each race mile. She averaged 27.97 miles per race. Impressive and unfathomable numbers for most of us. Congrats, Karen!

Last year’s Extreme Racer champion, RIF #190 John Leighton, finished strong again with a second place finish of 1,889.35 points. John is the most consistently impressive runner in Extreme Racer history. In addition to last year’s win, he has three runner-ups including this year, and a fourth place finish the very first year of the XR.

Third place Extreme Racer is RIF #279 George Southgate with 1,761.3 points. In his four years of competing in Extreme Racer he has a 3rd, 2nd, and two 5th place finishes.

Run It Fast Members (who participated in Extreme Racer) ran 25,156.19 miles total for the year!

Don’t forget to update your points for January at the end of the month! If you are a RIF member and have questions on participating in Extreme Racer then simply message us.

 Looking for races to enter? Be sure to check out the Run It Fast – Club Race Discounts in the Facebook group.

Top 3 Women for 2016: First Place, RIF #525 Karen Vollan – 3,496.7 points. Second Place, RIF #473 Teal Clark – 1071.55 points. Third Place, RIF #159 Diane Bolton – 1026.72 points.

Top 3 Men for 2016: First Place, RIF #190 John Kent Leighton – 1,889.35 points. Second Place, RIF #279 George Southgate – 1,761.3 points. Third Place, RIF #387 Steven Smith  – 1,335.7 points..

Extreme Racer Final 2016 Standings

Extreme Racer Top Ten Leaderboard

1.       Karen Vollan – 3,496.7 points (RIF #525)
2.       John Kent Leighton – 1,889.35 points (RIF #190)
3.       George Southgate – 1,761.3 points (RIF #279)
4.       Steven Smith – 1,335.7 points (RIF #387)
5.       Mark McCaslin – 1,226.7 points (RIF #486)
6.       Teal Clark – 1,071.55 points (RIF #473)
7.       Mike Samuelson – 1,037.6 points (RIF #282)
8.       Diane Bolton – 1,026.72 points (RIF #159)
9.       Marylou Corino – 1,022.1 points (RIF #410)
10.       Joshua Holmes – 914 points (RIF #1)

Extreme Racer Women’s Leaderboard

1.       Karen Vollan – 3496.7 points (RIF #525)
2.       Teal Clark – 1071.55 points (RIF #473)
3.       Diane Bolton – 1026.72 points (RIF #159)
4.       Marylou Corino – 1022.1 points (RIF #410)
5.       Andrea Kooiman – 727.9 points (RIF #404)
6.       Tiffani Glass – 570.82 points (RIF #328)
7.       Kit Brazier – 530.58 points (RIF #548)
8.       Patricia Klein – 497.8 points (RIF #450)
9.       Robin Brunet – 496.23 points (RIF #564)
10.   Maricris Beauchamp – 436.08 points (RIF #518)
11.   Christy Bowers – 436.07 points (RIF #60)
12.   Cheryl Bryll – 379.4 points (RIF #432)
13.   Jill Williams – 255.8 points (RIF #521)
14.   Marj Mitchell – 196.7 points (RIF #4)
15.   Suzanne Michelson – 191.2 points (RIF #280)
16.   Shannon Miller – 124.8 points (RIF #338)
17.   Michelle Lenahan – 114.4 points (RIF #283)
18.   Jennifer Liles-Dorris – 99.9 points (RIF #398)
19.   Michelle Talbott – 99.7 points (RIF #527)
20.   Erin Goetz – 92 points (RIF #443)
21.   Candice Graciano – 77.9 points (RIF #545)
22.   Lisa Gonzales – 51.7 points (RIF #5)
23.   Daniela Obregon – 30 points (RIF #49)
24.   Robin Crouch – 29.3 points (RIF #208)
25.   Angie Whitworth Pace – 29.3 points (RIF #447)

Extreme Racer Men’s Leaderboard

1. John Kent Leighton – 1889.35 points (RIF #190)
2. George Southgate – 1761.3 points (RIF #279)
3. Steven Smith – 1335.7 points (RIF #387)
4. Mark McCaslin – 1226.7 points (RIF #486)
5. Mike Samuelson – 1037.6 points (RIF #282)
6. Joshua Holmes – 914 points (RIF #1)
7. Shane Tucker – 769.7 points (RIF #337)
8. Sal Coll – 711.55 points (RIF #425)
9. Denis McCarthy – 508.17 points (RIF #263)
10. Chuck Engle – 463.15 points (RIF #70)
11. Jeff Liu – 423.8 points (RIF #275)
12. Seth Crowe – 414.1 points (RIF #541)
13. Michael Dasalla – 369.42 points (RIF #411)
14. Scotty Winston – 276.4 points (RIF #364)
15. Andy Noise – 245.2 points (RIF #570)
16. Michael SK Mortensen – 204 points (RIF #553)
17. David Mickelsen – 142.4 points (RIF #164)
18. Shane Beck – 120.3 points (RIF #585)
19. Rich Peers – 107.2 points (RIF #591)
20. Karl Studtmann – 78.6 points (RIF #221)
21. Stewart Crouch – 42.4 points (RIF #89)
22. Arland Blanton – 26.2 points (RIF #290)

Past Extreme Racer Winners

2015 Extreme Racer Winner – John Leighton (Results)
2014 Extreme Racer Winner – Ed Ettinghausen (Results)
2013 Extreme Racer Winner – David Wingard (Results)
2012 Extreme Racer Winner – Steve Hughes (Results)

“Believe that you can run farther or faster. Believe that you’re young enough, old enough, strong enough, and so on to accomplish everything you want to do. Don’t let worn-out beliefs stop you from moving beyond yourself.” –John Bingham, running speaker and writer

[Extreme Racer points are awarded per each racing mile completed. Example: marathon = 26.2 points, half marathon 13.1 points, etc.]

Nebraska native Pete Kostelnick moments ago broke the record for the Fastest Trans-Con Run Across the United States of America. He finished the 3,100 mile journey in 42 days, 6 hours, 34 minutes.

His first words upon finishing, “I’m not running back!”

Pete broke Frank Giannino Jr’s record of 46 days 8 hr 36 min that Frank set 36 years ago almost to the day.

Dozens ran the last few miles with him to New  York City’s City Hall steps with his wife doing the steps to the top, arm in arm, with Pete.

He averaged about 73 miles per day during his journey.

Pete is the defending 2x Badwater 135 champion. He set the course record at Badwater back in July.

You can follow Pete on Twitter @PeteKostelnick.

Congrats, Pete.

Elite ultrarunner Karl Meltzer just broke the Appalachian Trail thru-hike speed record set last year by Scott Jurek!

Meltzer finished this tough trek of 2,190 miles in 45 days, 22 hours, 38 minutes!!! Jurek’s now ‘old’ record was 46 days, 8 hours, 7 minutes.

Congrats to Karl and his team on the new record.

[photo: Karl Meltzer FB

Boston Marathon Race Report by Milan, Tennessee native Robin Robbins

Competing in the 2016 Boston Marathon is something I have been working towards for about 5 years.    After I ran my first marathon in 2012 and finished in 4 hours I really thought qualifying for Boston may be a possibility.  I needed to beat 3:55 and felt like I could do it with better training and preparation.  I was able to BQ in 2014 and 2015 in December each year only to get bumped out during September registration because of overcrowding and adjustment of qualifying times the BAA made.  The 2014 BQ wound up not good enough by 40 seconds (needed 3:53:58) and the 2015 BQ fell short by 1 second (needed 3:52:22)!  So I was resigned to waiting for another chance at qualifying in a few years when I will be approaching my 65th birthday.  Then I will get 15 more minutes and hopefully not lose much speed between now and then.  So much for the stats, how did I get to Boston this year?

Well go to late February 2016 to begin the rest of the story.  I responded to a request from RIF #1 Joshua Holmes wanting to know which Run It Fast members qualified for Boston but got bumped out because of the qualifying adjustment. About 2 weeks later Joshua contacted me about an opportunity to go to Boston and run the 2016 Boston Marathon as part of a team of 10 runners from across the country being sponsored by Hyland’s.  Hyland’s is the official leg cramp medicine sponsor for the race.

Hyland’s decided to let runners like me who had qualified, but then got turned down, use their sponsorship entry into the race.  It was like winning the lottery!  Needless to say I had to rearrange some things so I could travel that weekend and immediately step up my miles to be ready for it on short notice.  The race entry also had an obligation to engage in a social media campaign called Hyland’s Find Your Finish Line for 26 days leading up to the race.  It was intended to help get not only my thoughts on the race out on social media, but to get the Hyland’s name out there as well.  That “homework” plus stepped up training plus tremendous work stress made it a very challenging time leading up to the race.

Friday before the race my wife and I flew to Boston and got settled into our hotel for the days to come.   The hotel was conveniently located just a block from Copley Plaza and the nearby finish line.  We had several required events to attend and other optional events that the Hyland’s team had organized.  I had decided not to join the Saturday morning 4 mile shakeout run.  Although I did not run, we went over to a good vantage point on Boylston Street to watch the 5k race that morning.  It was windy and blustery and I was glad I was not running that morning!  As we were crossing the street about 10 minutes before the runners started coming towards us, Bill Rodgers came from out of nowhere in a hurry crossing in the other direction.  He was too quick for a conversation or hello, but it was neat to actually see him scurrying about as we were.

After watching what seemed like a 1000 runners go by, we crossed the street and headed back to the hotel for a meet and greet breakfast for our team.  There we met all the other runners (except one who was arriving Sunday) and most of the Hyland’s folks.  They gave us our goody bag which was a very nice backpack filled with Hyland products, pullover long sleeve warm up, visor, socks, sunglasses, sunscreen, and other items.

At noon we were required to go to the expo and meet at the Hyland’s booth to meet and have pictures made with Dave McGillivray, the Boston Marathon Race Director.  McGillivray has run the Boston Marathon each year since 1973 and since 1988 at night when he completes his duties as race director.  Pretty amazing!  Go to www.dmsesports.com to learn more about this man.  Then I went to the packet pick-up area to get my bib and shirt.

After our time together at the expo we had free time which we used to walk around the Boylston and Newberry Street shops and finish line area until that afternoon when we were meeting up at Fenway Park to watch the Red Sox take on the Toronto Blue Jays.   The weather was great and we sat in the sunshine in the outfield bleachers among the “bleacher creatures”.  We had a great time there getting to see a homerun hit over the “Green Monster” wall in left field and joining in for the singing of “Sweet Caroline” which has become a tradition there since the early 2000’s.  After the game we met some longtime friends of ours for dinner in the Italian part of the market area and then back to the hotel.

Sunday began with a brunch for our group at the townhome of one of the Hyland’s Boston employees, Margot Moore, in the South End which was a short walk south of our hotel.  A great time visiting with the team was enjoyed by all.  The rest of the day was more free time, so my wife and I took a Duck Tour of Boston.   It was very interesting seeing so many historic places by land and by water.  I would recommend this to anyone going to visit Boston as a starting point of you exploration of this city.  Sunday night we joined Roy Tamez and others for an RIF pre-race dinner at the Anthem Kitchen and Bar in the Faneuil Hall area of the city.

Race day began early with a 5:00 am breakfast at our hotel and then a short walk over to our tour bus ride out to Hopkinton. We made it to the Athletes Village around 7:00 am and rested on the grassy area near our bus. While waiting around I saw some Indiana RIF representatives, Jen Metcalf, Kevin Gerteisen, Kendra Schoffstall, and Angie Pace.  Always fun to see other RIFers at the races.  We could tell that the heat would be a factor because it was very pleasant even that early in the morning.  The temperature rose steadily reaching the high 60’s before we started the race.  When it was finally time for my wave to head over to the start line, we left the Athletes Village (Hopkinton High School) and walked almost a mile down to town and the starting line.  A retired veteran sang a rousing rendition of the different armed forces fight songs and then the gun was fired and we were off to Boston!

The excitement and adrenaline was flowing and everyone roared out of the corral and down the road which was steadily falling, making it too easy to go too fast.  Cheering spectators lined both sides of the road here and all the way to Boston except for a few small spots in between towns.  I kept pulling back on my pace until I reached 4 miles and decided to use a quick porta potty break to help slow me down.  After that quick stop I was able to hold a steady pace through the towns of Ashland and Framingham until I reached Wellesley.

It was here that I planned another slow down while passing the “scream tunnel” of college girls at Wellesley College.  Of course I had to take a short video and a few pictures there as well as giving a few kisses away during my short recovery slow down.  This was about the half marathon point in the race and I knew the town of Newton and the famous Newton Hills would be next.  I started seeing signs entering Newton at 16 miles.  Around mile 17 the Newton Fire station came into sight and the road veered to the right heading straight into the Newton Hills for the next 4 miles.  The final hill of course was Heartbreak Hill cresting at mile 21.  Boston College students were on both sides of the road there screaming and handing out red roses to the runners. I have to say that I know now why that last hill is called Heartbreak.  I was really chugging along slowly when I reached the top and hoping that I could maybe pick up the pace slightly and hold it there until the finish.  But that was not going to happen for me.  I did manage to pick it up slightly the next mile but then I steadily slowed with each mile going in to the finish.

I fought off a cramp in my left calf using Hyland’s Leg Cramp tablets those last few miles.  Thankfully Fenway Park was in sight to my right and then the large Citgo sign signaling only 2 miles to go.  When I finally got to the last 2 turns I knew I could finish with the huge crowds cheering for me and all the other runners,  Right on Hereford and left on Boyston and then the finish line was in sight.  I finished the race in 4:12:11, not my best marathon, but considering I was undertrained, I feel like it was a respectable time and a good ending to a dream come true.

Once across the finish line I received my finisher’s medal, a heat wrap, a bottle of water and then walked a block over to the University Club for our post race celebration.  After I got in there and sat down, I got extreme cramps in both calves and even my quads.  Immediately I was being treated with Hyland’s leg cramp lotion and tablets to help relieve the pain.  After about ten minutes I was able to stand and walk around enough to get a shower and come back to enjoy the party.  We all had plenty of food and beverages as we shared stories about our day and celebrated our accomplishment.

I want say that if it had not been for being a part of Run It Fast this would not have been possible. I have to thank Joshua Holmes for making this opportunity available to me as a result of his deep connections to the running community.  Thanks to all who followed and supported me along the way and for enduring my 26 days of posts about this adventure.  I am pretty sure that there may be other opportunities for RIF members to be a part of something else special that Hyland’s may have coming in the future and I hope someone else from Run It Fast can be a part of it.

– Robin Robbins (2016 Boston Marathon finisher)

Robin Robbins Hylands Find your Finish Biographical Page

THE WORLD’S TOUGHEST FOOT RACE CELEBRATES 39th ANNIVERSARY OF ICONIC ROUTE FROM DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK TO MOUNT WHITNEY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Read this Online / Download the Race Magazine / Download the 5-page Press Kit)

Death Valley, CA:  On July 18-20, AdventureCORPS presents its legendary STYR Labs BADWATER® 135. Now in its 39th 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 8,300 feet, runners, triathletes, adventure racers, and mountaineers from 21 countries and 27 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.

A true “challenge of the champions,” the 2016 STYR Labs Badwater 135 features 51 Badwater veterans and 46 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 twenty-one countries by citizenship or residence: Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Philippines, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and United States of America (with 27 different American states represented).

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.

There are 25 women and 72 men. The youngest male runner is 25 (rookie entrant Sam Weir of Australia) and the youngest female entrant is 29 (rookie entrant Kayla Delk of the USA). The oldest male is 69 (five-time finisher Mark K. Olson of California) and the oldest female is 60 (rookie entrant Pamela Chapman-Markle of Texas). The overall average age is 46. Full roster details are available here: http://dbase.adventurecorps.com/roster.php?bw_eid=78&bw=Go

The men’s course record is 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 set in 2010 by Jamie Donaldson of Littleton, CO. It is expected that the winners of the 2016 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 2016 race field is particularly competitive. Veteran contenders include 2015 men’s champion Pete Kostelnick of Nebraska, 2014 champion Harvey Lewis of Ohio, 2013 men’s champion Carlos Sa of Portugal, 2011 men’s champion Oswaldo Lopez of Madera, CA (Mexico citizenship), two-time men’s runner-up Grant Maughan of Australia, and other notable contenders such as Marathon des Sables champion Mohamad Ahansal of Morocco, Grand Union Canal champion Dan Lawson of the UK, 2016 Badwater Cape Fear and 2016 Badwater Salton Sea champion Jared Fetterolf of Texas, among others. Also competing is Marshall Ulrich, 65, of Evergreen, CO, a twenty-time Badwater 135 finisher and four-time winner in 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1996, along with David Jones, 64, of Murfreesboro, TN, the 1997 Badwater 135 race champion, seven-time finisher, and 60+ age group record holder. For a  full preview of the top men’s field, click http://www.zwittyultra.com/remember-you-paid-to-be-in-this-race-daves-blog/2016-styr-labs-badwater-135-mens-preview

The women’s field, with 25 entrants, includes 12 rookies and 13 veterans. Notable contenders include the 2015 women’s champion, Nikki Wynd of Australia, 2014 women’s champion, Alyson Venti of Barbados, Badwater 135 veteran Brenda Guajardo who is a three-time winner of the Nove Colli ultramarathon in Italy, 2016 Brazil 135+ women’s champion Sada Crawford of Cayman Islands, and others. For a full preview of the top women’s field, click http://www.zwittyultra.com/remember-you-paid-to-be-in-this-race-daves-blog/2016-styr-labs-badwater-135-womens-race-preview

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.

The STYR Labs 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 May, 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 remarkable athletes completed the entire Badwater Ultra Cup, nine completed the 2015 BadwaterUltra Cup, while seventeen racers completed the first two Badwater races this year and will toe the line at the third and final Badwater race on July 18.

Now in its seventeenth year producing this race, AdventureCORPS is pleased to welcome 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, 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 consecutiveBadwater 135 finishes. More info at www.styr.com

AdventureCORPS  also greatly appreciates the support of Farm to Feet Socks, Fisher Space Pen, 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: www.badwater.com/about-us/charities/

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, Break the Stigma Project, Caring House Project Foundation, Challenged Athletes Foundation, Death Valley Natural History Association, Homes for our Troops, Hope So Bright, The Herren Project, and others.

This year’s race celebrates the 39th 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/

PRESS CREDENTIALS, IMAGE GALLERY, and PERMITS

Download the 5-Page Press Kit and Media Credential Application here:

http://www.badwater.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/2016presskit.pdf

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

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

FOLLOWING THE STYR LABS BADWATER 135 ONLINE

Follow the 2016 webcast at:

http://www.badwater.com/2016-styr-labs-badwater-135-webcast/

Follow the 2016 time splits and results at:

http://dbase.adventurecorps.com/results.php?bw_eid=78&bwr=Go

Follow the race on Twitter (Join the conversation by adding hashtag #Badwater135 to all your tweets about the race.):

http://twitter.com/badwater

Follow the race staff’s live photostream on Instagram (Contribute to the photostream by adding hashtag #Badwater135 to all your IG images about the race.):

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 2016 issue of BADWATER Magazine:

http://www.adventurecorps.com/downloads/bw/2016July.pdf

ABOUT ADVENTURECORPS

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 Badwater® 135, BADWATER® Salton Sea, BADWATER® Cape Fear, and Silver State 508™, 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: www.adventurecorps.com and www.badwater.com.

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