Welcome to Hell on Earth
Every July (this year July 7-9th), while normal people are slathering on sunscreen at the beach, a select group of lunatics willingly run 150 miles through Death Valley, one of the hottest places on the planet. It’s called the Badwater 135, a race so brutal it makes your CrossFit coach look like a mall walker.
The course starts at Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level, and drags runners across a nightmarish landscape of burning asphalt, relentless sun, and hallucination-inducing dehydration. If that’s not sadistic enough, the route climbs over 19,000 feet in elevation, ending at the towering Mt. Whitney Portal—because running through hell apparently isn’t enough unless it also includes an uphill death march.
This Race Will Ruin You
To even apply for Badwater, you need to prove you’re not some amateur with a death wish. Only 100 hand-picked psychos get the chance to run it, and they’re not exactly weekend joggers. We’re talking elite ultrarunners, military veterans, and straight-up masochists who have completed at least three 100-mile races just to qualify.
Once they’re in, the suffering begins immediately. Daytime temps regularly hit 130°F, making the road hot enough to melt shoes. Runners often veer to the white line on the highway to avoid literally cooking their soles. Shade is non-existent. The wind? Hot, like opening an oven in your face.
By mile 50, people are vomiting, cramping, and questioning all their life choices. By mile 100, they’ve gone full zombie mode, trudging through the night on shredded legs, hallucinating shadow figures in the desert. Some runners claim to have seen floating skulls, ghosts, and giant insects. Whether that’s dehydration or Death Valley actively trying to consume them is unclear.
And then there’s Mt. Whitney Portal, the cruel final climb. After 135 miles of running in Satan’s backyard, runners still have to climb another 4,600 feet to the finish line. At this point, their bodies are completely shutting down, running on sheer willpower and electrolyte goo.
Why Do They Do It?
Because they can. Because normal marathons are for cowards. Because once you’ve destroyed your body in the most extreme way possible, everything else in life feels easy.
There’s no million-dollar prize. No TV deals. Just the glory of finishing what is arguably the toughest foot race on Earth. And the coveted Badwater belt buckle, which you can wear as proof that you’re an absolute maniac.
Want to Try?
If you’re reading this thinking, I should try Badwater!—don’t. Unless you are a total badass. But if the idea of running 150 miles in a human air fryer still sounds fun, good on you.
What can you do instead
Come to Lone Pine, hang with the locals and party with everyone else at Whitney Portal. It’s super fun and it’s the least we can for these absolute legends.
