Applying to Compete in the 2008 Badwater Ultramarathon

The selection process begins on January 7, 2008 and ends on January 28, 2008. A committee of five race staff members, one of which is the race director, will review and rank each application on a scale of 0 to 10. The ranks will be tallied on February 15 and the top 80 applicants with the highest scores will be invited. At that time, or later, up to ten more applicants may be invited at the race director's discretion.

It is anticipated that the 2008 race field will include women and men from a dozen or more countries and at least two dozen American states, veterans and rookies, as well as physically challenged athletes.

Section A:
Badwater Ultramarathon Qualifying Standards

Those submitting an application to compete in the 2008 Badwater Ultramarathon must meet at least ONE or more of the following THREE Qualifying Standards. Please review these Qualifying Standards to determine which standard(s) describes you, if any. You will be required to select at least one of these when you submit your race application. Those who do not meet at least one of these standards MAY NOT apply.

1. You have officially finished the Badwater Ultramarathon (the actual race held since 1987; “solo” efforts will not be considered).
2. You have officially finished at least one official 135 mile running race which is a member of the BADWATER WORLD CUP.
3. You have officially finished a running race of at least one 100 continuous miles in length or a multisport event that includes a running section of at least 100 continuous miles in length.

In addition to meeting at least one of the three qualifying standards listed above, the ideal applicant will have extensive experience in ultra endurance sports, defined as at least five years participation in some, or all, of the following:

• Ultra Running: In particular, completing the Grand Slam or multiple week-long desert stage races in the same calendar year.
• Ultra Triathlon: Double Iron, Ultraman, (or longer).
• Expedition-Length Adventure Racing: Eco-Challenge, Raid Gauloises, Primal Quest, or similar.
• Ultra Cycling: Furnace Creek 508 or comparable ultra-marathon bicycle races at least 500 miles in length.

Notes:

• No applicant is guaranteed entry, including race veterans.
• Some special consideration is given to applicants who are veteran Badwater Ultramarathon pacers. (A letter of recommendation from the athlete for whom you paced at the Badwater Ultramarathon is required. It must be sent by email directly from the person for whom you paced directly to the Badwater race office. It should be sent to raceoffice-at-badwater dot com. )
• You must have significant, relevant, applicable race results from 2006 and/or 2007.
• 24 hour track race results may be submitted as equivalent to a 100-miler, as long as at least 100 miles were completed within the 24 hours.
• Minimum application requirements must be attained prior to submitting the application to compete in the upcoming Badwater Ultramarathon. "Provisional applications", i.e. those with qualifications still pending, will almost never be considered.
• "Officially finishing" a qualifying event is defined as meeting all time cutoffs, including the overall time limit, for the event in question.

Section B
Application Process

STEP 1: Between approximately January 7 and January 28, applicants must visit the website to complete the extensive online Race Application Form. This is the only way to apply. There is no "paper application" that one may submit offline.

STEP 2: After completing the online Race Application Form, applicants will be taken to a "checkout page" where they will download several Pdf forms: the Entry Fee Payment Form, Entrant Contract, and the optional CAF Donation Form.

STEP 3: Applicants must immediately send the signed Entrant Contract, the signed and completed Entry Fee Payment Form, and any other necessary documentation to the race office. These forms must be received at the race office by January 31. (It is recommended that all applicants make and keep a copy of their complete application package before mailing it.)

STEP 3A: Rookie applicants must also submit written proof of their qualifying race results with the other forms (do not send a big, thick package which details every event you've done; please just send highlights to show you at least meet the minimum standards).

STEP 3B: As stated above, for those applicants who have experience as a pacer at the Badwater Ultramarathon: A letter of recommendation from the athlete for whom you paced at the Badwater Ultramarathon is required. It must be sent by email directly from the person for whom you paced directly to the Badwater race office. That email must be received by January 28, 2008. It should be sent to raceoffice-at-badwater dot com.

STEP 4: Upon receipt of all required application materials by the race office, each applicant will be notified via email that their complete application package (online forms and supporting materials sent via postal service) has been received and is being reviewed. Please do not inquire as to the status of any application after receipt of that email.

STEP 5: You will be notified via email that you have, or have not been, confirmed to compete in the 2008 Badwater Ultramarathon. At that time, your entry fee payment (if sent by check or money order with your paperwork) will either be deposited or destroyed, or (if you choose to pay by credit card) you will have no more than seven days to pay by credit card through a special, password-protected website. Entry confirmations may be made as early as February 15 or as late as June 15. Due to permit, safety, and operational restrictions that limit the field to 90 entrants or less, we apologize now that many qualified applicants will not be accepted. We encourage those not invited to attend the race as a crew member, a gratifying experience in itself, as well as an outstanding addition to a future application to compete.

STEP 6: Applicants who are accepted into the race will have their name and essential biographical information posted on the race website. Complete application forms and/or contact info for any or all athletes may be made available to the media or race sponsors, but will not be made available to the public or posted to the website.

Notes:

• If space in the field remains, or becomes available, a small number of late applicants may be considered between March and June.
• Approximately 90 applicants will be invited to compete and it is anticipated that a field of approximately 80-85 athletes will actually begin the race in 2008.
• All Applicants are encouraged to take the application process seriously and compose an extensive, detailed, and accurate application. Simply put, the applicants with the best applications (in terms of their athletic background, demonstrable commitment to sportsmanship, and in terms of their answers to questions posed on the application) will have the greatest chance of being selected to enter the race. Applications should be written as if the reader has never heard of the applicant and has no prior knowledge of the entrant or any of the events in which he/she has participated, including the Badwater Ultramarathon. Acronyms and initials should not be used when listing events and such; please type out the full name of any event, person, or place mentioned in the application. Keep in mind that the five different committee members will review the applications and will have varying levels of direct awareness or personal knowledge of the applicants and the events mentioned in the applications.
• In preparing your application, keep in mind the standard reasons that generally lead to some applicants not being invited:
• The applicant only just met the minimum standards.
• The applicant’s credentials are only recent, i.e., not a seasoned ultra endurance athlete with a breadth of experience.
• The applicant’s credentials are only old, i.e. all or most of the credentials are from too long ago and may not reflect current ability.
• The applicant has no experience in high heat or specifically on the Badwater course as a pacer.
• The applicant didn't "prove" his or her claims (i.e., they said they paced at Badwater, but no letter of recommendation was received, or they claimed they finished or won any number of major races, but didn't provide any proof of that).
• The applicant submitted a “thin” application - not only few qualifications were listed, but not much time was put into the preparation of the application itself. (Sometimes the applicant assumed "we've already heard of him/her" and therefore didn't provide the necessary details. Applicants should never assume we’ve heard of them or have heard of the events they mention in their application.)
• There are always A LOT of applicants, all "qualified," and thus some applicants must inevitably be turned away.

Section C
Entry Fees, Refunds, Awards, and Details

Race Entry Fee: The entry fee must be paid by all accepted entrants. Entry fees are non-transferable. Entry fees are refundable, less $100, until May 15, 2008, upon written request.

Awards: All racers who begin the event will receive a Badwater Ultramarathon race t-shirt, hat, Race Magazine, and an awesome goodie bag with other one-of-a-kind Badwater items and products from the race sponsors, as well as entry into the post-race pizza party and post-race breakfast (for the racer and up to three crew members). All racers who officially complete the event within 60 hours will receive a finisher’s medal and a finisher's t-shirt. All racers who officially complete the course within 48 hours will additionally receive a commemorative Badwater Ultramarathon belt buckle. Medals will be awarded at the finish line. Buckles and t-shirts will be presented at the Awards Ceremony.

Section D
Field Size and Start Waves

1. 2008 will feature the traditional staggered start format with groups of racers beginning at 6am, 8am, and 10am. Finishing times will be based upon elapsed time for each starting wave. There will be up to approximately 25-30 racers in each starting wave with an expected total field size of approximately 80 racers. Time splits will be kept for each racer at a variety of fixed locations along the route known as Time Stations. Information will be dispersed through these Time Stations and the Internet so that racers and their crews may keep track of one another, regardless of start time.
2. Starting Groups will be assigned on approximately May 1, or later for applicants who may be accepted after May 1. Requests for specific starting times are discouraged and will not be considered.

Section E
2008 Application

We are no longer accepting applictions for 2008.