Badwater 135 — 2026 Race Details

Event Overview

Listed edition overview
Date	Jul 27-29, 2026
Location	🇺🇸 Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, California, USA
Format	Fixed-Distance
Terrain	Desert
Region	North America
Distance	135 mi
Elevation gain	14,600 ft / 4,450 m ascent
Elevation loss	6,100 ft / 1,859 m descent
Cutoff	45-hour overall time limit, with intermediate cutoffs at miles 50.5, 72, 90, and 122.
Start	Wave starts at 20:00, 21:00, and 22:00 Pacific Time.
Field size	International invitational field of up to 100 endurance athletes.
Highlights	Iconic Race, Extreme Heat

Course & Terrain

Point-to-point paved highway ultra from Badwater Basin in Death Valley to Whitney Portal.

Key course features to know before comparing this race:

Badwater Basin start below sea level
Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, Panamint Springs, Darwin, and Lone Pine
Whitney Portal finish at 8,300 ft

The course is paved but brutally exposed, with long highway climbs across three mountain ranges.

July in Death Valley means extreme heat, radiant pavement, and long stretches where cooling tactics can be race-defining.

Entry & Logistics

Listed qualification and support details
Registration and fees	Check the official event website for current availability, deadlines, prices, taxes, and refund terms.
Qualification	Invitational race; athletes apply through the official process and must satisfy the organizer's qualifying standards.
Support model	The race is built around the runner, shoes, and support crew moving through remote highway sections.
Crew / pacers	Crew planning is central because access to supplies, ice, cooling, and transport shapes the entire race.
Logistics note	Confirmed entrants need lodging, crew vehicles, ice strategy, paperwork, and pre-race meetings arranged before race week.

Why This Race Matters

Badwater 135 is a useful reference point for runners comparing long fixed-distance ultras that still unfold over multiple days. Its format, terrain, and support model shape the kind of preparation required: not just fitness, but pacing discipline, nutrition planning, foot care, and the ability to make good decisions under fatigue.

Historical benchmark notes in the directory record (verify current records with the linked official sources):

Men: Yoshihiko Ishikawa, 21:33:01, 2019
Women: Ashley Paulson, 21:44:35, 2023

Best Fit

Highly experienced ultrarunners with proven heat and road-ultra experience
Athletes with a disciplined crew and cooling plan
Runners seeking one of ultrarunning's most iconic fixed-distance challenges

Planning Notes

Prepare for sleep decisions, weather swings, and aid-station discipline. The distance is only one part of a multi-day fixed-distance race.
Heat, sun, and dry air require event-specific preparation. Test sun protection and cooling, drink in response to thirst, and remember that sodium cannot make overdrinking safe.
The directory does not mark this as having simpler logistics. Confirm qualification, terrain, support, registration, medical, and withdrawal requirements before planning around it.
The 2026 race uses a 45-hour limit rather than the older 48-hour standard
The route is subject to agency approvals and can be finalized close to race week
There are long stretches with limited services and limited cell coverage

Event FAQs

What is the Badwater 135 time limit?

For 2026, Badwater lists a 45-hour overall time limit with several intermediate cutoffs.

Where does Badwater 135 start and finish?

It starts at Badwater Basin in Death Valley and finishes at Whitney Portal above Lone Pine, California.

Verification & Sources

Verification scope: the listed edition's date, location, format, and available logistics were checked against the event-specific official sources below during the directory review in June 2026. Organizers can revise details after review.

Official Badwater 135 page — https://www.badwater.com/event/badwater-135/
Multiday Running event directory review scope: June 2026.