The Badwater Ultramarathon
The Badwater web site describes this ultramarathon in these words:
"Globally recognized as the toughest race of its kind, the July 11-13, 2005 Badwater Ultramarathon is a pure athletic challenge of athlete, shoes, and support crew versus a brutal 135 mile stretch of highway, a hellish environment of up to 130 degrees, and a sixty-hour time limit. From the start line in the bowels of Death Valley to the finish line high on Mt. Whitney, this one-of-a-kind foot race offers the promise of a supremely personal achievement along with international accolades for those who rise to the occasion.
"A true 'challenge of the champions,' the Badwater Ultramarathon pits approximately seventy-five of the world's toughest athletes - runners, triathletes, adventure racers, and mountaineers - against one another and the elements. For those whose finish in less than forty-eight hours, their reward is the coveted Badwater belt buckle."
The experience of running Badwater was captured in Running on the Sun, the film about the 1999 race. You can view the theatrical trailer for this film at Frank McKinney's web site; Frank and John will be starting together this summer in the 6 a.m. wave.
Each applicant had to submit a written application in response to certain questions, and each applicant was "graded" by a race committee of five persons. Applications were submitted in January 2005, and the entrants were notified in mid-February that they would be invited to this year's race.
You can get more information at the Badwater Web site. You can also see the list of entrants. There are runners from 12 countries and 20 states. Finally, here is a description of the course.
John Dodds with 2004 Badwater Champion, Dean Karnazes