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2017 Badwater 135 Application Process Underway

Badwater 135 Ultramarathon Buckle TM - 2014 - Run It Fast

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/

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Joshua Holmes – Vol State 500K 2011

Run It Fast Club Members Pushing Their Limits To The Extreme

 

Two EPIC races will be starting in the next few days. Guess what? Two Run It Fast – The Club members will be representing at both races and pushing their limts to the extreme!

You’ve probably heard of one of the races – AdventureCORPS Badwater, a 135 mile race across Death Valley in California. It starts on Monday, July 16th and I hear the temperatures for this year’s race will be in the range of 118 to 123 degrees! The runners start out from Badwater (85Ft below sea level, the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere) and climb up to the trailhead at Mt. Whitney. Along the way, they will battle the heat, possibly melting shoes, their own minds and bodies and do a little climbing (13000 Ft). That sounds like fun, right?

Some famous names in the running world are running Badwater this year: Marshall Ulrich, Dean Karnazes, Pam Reed, and Amy Palmiero-Winters. Last year’s winners, Oswaldo Lopez and Sumie Inagaki will be back this year to defend their titles.

And back for his second year at Badwater is our very own Ed Ettinghausen, RIF #121! He will be starting this year’s race in the 10:00 am wave. At last year’s Badwater, Ed finished 13th in a time of 31:21:54. I’d say he was running it fast! Now that he’s no longer a rookie, I expect he’ll Run It Fast this year too. I just wonder if he’s going to be sporting the Jester hats at Badwater?  Good luck Ed!

The other race? You probably haven’t heard of that one. It’s a “little” race called the Last Annual Vol State 500K. The race is 314 miles across Tennessee…in the middle of July. Now it may not be as hot as it is in Death Valley but it’s WAY more humid. Also, a FEW more miles too. The small band of runners in this race will leave tomorrow morning from Dorena Landing, Missouri and make their way across Tennessee to “The Rock” at Castle Rock, Georgia. The runners have 10 days to complete the journey.

Our fearless leader, Joshua Holmes RIF #1, is running the Last Annual Vol State 500K…again! He ran it last year in 8 days and 7 minutes and change. He has plans to Run It Faster this year and I KNOW he will. He’s got the experience and this year he’s a much stronger runner. I can’t wait to see how much time he shaves off his time from last year. Good luck Joshua!

What I find so amazing and inspiring about both Ed and Josh is that they did these races before and STILL signed up for another year. They know exactly what they are getting in to and they aren’t afraid to face those challenges again. While marathons across the country are being cancelled because of “heat”, these two, along with all the other entrants, are saying “Bring it on!”. I know they have every intention of running harder, faster, and stronger this year and it will be fun to watch.

I hope you’ll join me in sending lots of encouragement to Ed & Josh as they head out. They are two of the most supportive and encouraging runners I’ve met. They love running and they share that love with runners of all ages and abilities. Both of them are so down to earth as well that they would probably be embarrassed when I say they are inspiring but I know I’m not alone in thinking this. They are AWESOME! Please show them some love!

Here are some links you can use to follow both races/runners:

Badwater

Twitter: @adventurecorps
Facebook: Badwater Ultramarathon
On the Web: webcast
The live photostream on Instagram: RD Chris Kostman

 Last Annual Vol State 500K

Runner’s Map (updated twice a day): Google Map
Joshua on Twitter: @bayou
Joshua on Facebook: Joshua Holmes
Run It Fast on Twitter: @RunItFast
RunItFast on Facebook: Run It Fast
Joshua’s 2011 Vol State 500K Race Report

And don’t forget to check back here for updates and results!

*Update* I just found out another RIF Club member will be running the Last Annual Vol State 500K! Please also send Run It Fast Good Luck vibes to Sulaiman Seriki RIF #154!

If you’d like to join Run It Fast – The Club or would like more information about it, please click this link:

Run It Fast – The Club (JOIN TODAY)

Posted in Running, THE CLUB, Ultra Marathon, Vol StateComments (1)

Badwater 135 Mile  Ultra Marathon Sign

Oswaldo Lopez Wins the 2011 Badwater 135 Mile Ultra Marathon

Californian Oswaldo Lopez won the extremely tough and brutal Badwater 135 mile ultra marathon through Death Valley on Tuesday.  Lopez finished with a time of 23:41:40.

Japan’s Ryoichi Sekiya was leading for most of the way before Lopez overcame him in the last 35 miles.  Sekiya finished in 2nd with a time of 24:49:37.

2011 Badwater 135 Top 5 Results

  1. Oswaldo Lopez (USA-California) – 23:41:40
  2. Ryoichi Sekiya (Japan) – 24:49:37
  3. Michael Wardian (USA-Virginia) – 26:22:01
  4. Zach Gingerich (USA-Illinois) – 26:45:15
  5. Nobumi Iwamoto (Japan) – 27:30:48

Sumie Inagaki was the women’s Badwater champion finishing with a time of 28:49:27

More 2011 Badwater 135 Results

Posted in Running, Ultra MarathonComments (1)

Recommended Race: Strolling Jim 40 Mile Run

Recommended Race: Strolling Jim 40 Mile Run

From time to time here on Run It Fast we feature races that we highly recommend because one of us have run the race before and had a great experience doing so.

The Strolling Jim 40 Mile Run in Wartrace, TN is one of these races. It’s an ultra marathon of 40 miles that is run entirely on paved roads.

The race is challenging and very hilly. The heat and humidity can also take a toll on you as the day progresses.  SJ40 usually comprises a collection of elite athletes, ultra veterans, and newbies to ultras.  There is always a friendly environment between all of the runners and you get a lot of bang for your buck with a pre-race pasta dinner and post race meal included.

The 2010 edition of ‘The Jim’ was won by 2007 Badwater champion Valmir Nunes, of Brazil, with at time of 4:44:43.  The last finisher crossed the line in 12:46:37. The race has no cut off and waits for everyone who wants to finish it.

The 33rd annual Strolling Jim takes place on May 7, 2011.  Signups are underway and the race will be capped at 250 runners (101 ran it last year).

Strolling Jim 40 Miler Website – (Sign Up at UltraSignUp.com) -$50 before Feb 28, $60 after

Race Director Mike Melton can be reached via email at mike@mcmelton.com

Strolling Jim 40 Mile Ultra Marathon Review

Posted in Ultra MarathonComments (0)

Scott Jurek Discusses Running Ultra Marathons with Dr. Sanjay Gupta (Video)

Ultra marathon legend Scott Jurek discusses how he became interested in running, ultra marathons, and how he gets through such extreme races and distances with CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Scott has won Badwater, Western States several times, and almost every other endurance running race in the United States.

Follow Scott Jurek on Twitter

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Posted in Running, Ultra Marathon, VideoComments (1)



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