Badwater 135 — The World's Toughest Foot Race

From the Lowest Point in the Western Hemisphere

Badwater 135 starts at Badwater Basin in Death Valley — 282 feet below sea level, the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere — and ends at the Whitney Portal trailhead at 8,360 feet, the base of Mount Whitney.

The race runs 135 miles in mid-July. Death Valley in July regularly records air temperatures above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Road surface temperatures on the asphalt sections exceed 200 degrees. The combination of distance, heat, and altitude change makes Badwater 135 the most extreme point-to-point ultra on earth.

It is often described as the world’s toughest foot race. That claim is contested — Barkley and Nolan’s 14 make arguments by difficulty per mile, Tor des Géants argues by sheer scale. What Badwater offers that no other race does is sustained extreme heat over 135 miles of exposed desert and mountain terrain.

The Course

The course runs from Death Valley through the Mojave Desert and into the Sierra Nevada, ending at the base of Mount Whitney.

Badwater Basin to Furnace Creek (Miles 0-17): The opening miles run along the valley floor of Death Valley at or below sea level. In July, this section is the hottest part of the hottest race on earth. Crews drive support vehicles and hand off ice, fluids, and cooling equipment every mile. Runners who go out too fast in the heat rarely finish.

Furnace Creek to Stovepipe Wells (Miles 17-42): The course climbs gradually out of the valley floor. Heat remains extreme. Pavement radiates heat upward from below while sun drives it down from above. Some runners experience blisters on the soles of their feet from the road temperature.

Towne Pass (Mile 72): The first major mountain crossing at 4,956 feet. The climb out of the desert provides relief from heat but introduces climb at a moment when legs have already covered 72 miles. The descent into Panamint Valley that follows is long and steep.

Father Crowley Vista (Mile 90): A significant elevation point and psychological marker. Runners here have covered the most extreme heat sections and are entering the Sierra approaches. The character of the race shifts from pure heat survival to mountain endurance.

Lone Pine (Mile 122): The final major town. The Whitney Portal Road begins here — a sustained climb from 3,700 feet to the 8,360-foot finish. After 122 miles in desert heat, this climb is the final demand.

The Crew Requirement

Badwater mandates that every runner have a support crew. A minimum crew of two is required — most competitive runners use crews of four or more. Crew vehicles leapfrog ahead of the runner, providing cooling stations every half mile to mile throughout the valley sections.

The crew experience at Badwater is as demanding as many races. Crew members work in 120-degree heat, manage ice supplies, monitor runner health, and make judgment calls about when a runner is in medical distress. Heat casualties among crew members have occurred.

Qualification

Badwater 135 is an invitational event. Runners apply with race resumes demonstrating experience in extreme conditions. The field is limited to approximately 100 runners. Selection criteria emphasize previous experience at Badwater or equivalent heat events, recent race performance, and medical history.

What Makes It Unlike Any Other Race

The heat is the variable that no training fully prepares runners for. Arriving at the start in July, standing on asphalt at 282 feet below sea level as temperatures climb toward 120 degrees, is a physical experience that cannot be simulated. Heat training protocols — saunas, hot tubs, heat suits — build adaptation. They do not replicate Death Valley in July.

Runners who finish Badwater 135 have not just run 135 miles. They have run 135 miles in an environment that is actively hostile to human survival.

135 miles | 14,600 ft gain | Mid-July | Death Valley (282 ft below sea level) to Whitney Portal (8,360 ft), CA | By invitation only