Badwater 135 July 7-9, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Lone Pine, CA: On July 7-9, 2025, AdventureCORPS® 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 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 (217km) 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 282’ (85m) below sea level. The race finishes at Whitney Portal at 8,360’ (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 is held under permits from - and in close collaboration with - Death Valley National Park, California Department of Transportation, Inyo National Forest, 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. 

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 and their rich history.

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  2014 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.

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.

COURSE RECORDS and FINISHING TIMES:

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

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

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." (See attachment.) There is no prize money.

WAVE STARTS

The race will begin in three waves on Monday evening, July 7. Waves are assigned according to each runner's 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

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 choose to "Run It Forward" and are competing on behalf of a charity of their choice, and these are noted and linked from the race roster and in the race magazine. 

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 #TranscendDistance

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

Follow the AdventureCORPS race staff’s photostream archive on Flickr

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

Follow the AdventureCORPS YouTube Channel

Download the 56-page 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. (Media are also welcome to publish the images we post to all our social media and online channels.)

For media wishing to attend the event in person, please download and submit the Media Kit and Credentials Application.

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.

CONTACT

Chris Kostman
Chief Adventure Officer and Race Director

AdventureCORPS, Inc. 

638 Lindero Canyon Road, #311 

Oak Park, CA 91377 USA