True Stories from the Badwater Ultramarathon

This is an ongoing archive of Badwater stories, past, present, and future. If you have written something or would like to write something about any aspect of this event or its course, please send it our way for possible inclusion on this website. We are looking for articles about everything, especially first person "I was there" accounts of what it was like to race or crew on this course.

Race Reports

	2008 Race Report by Chris Kostman: Redemption, Records (and Rain?)
	2007 Race Report by Chris Kostman: Records Broken as the Kiehl's Badwater Ultramarathon Turns 30
	2006 Race Report by Chris Kostman: Veterans Triumph at the 135-Mile Kiehl's Badwater Ultramarathon
	2005 Race Report by Chris Kostman: 2005 Kiehl's Badwater Ultramarathon: An "Unbreakable" Record Falls
	2004 Race Report by Chris Kostman: San Francisco Adventure Runner Dean Karnazes Wins By A Mere Seven Minutes After 135 Miles
	2003 Race Report by Chris Kostman: Pam Reed Does It Again At World's Toughest Foot Race
	2002 Race Report by Chris Kostman: Female Runner Makes History By Dominating International Field of Racers In World's Toughest Foot Race
	2001 Race Report by Chris Kostman: Californians Triumph in Mother Nature’s Greatest Sports Arena
	2000 Race Report by Chris Kostman: A classic race is reborn as an epic international battlefield
	Badwater Turns 25: History of the race from 1977 through 2002, by Roy Wallack (PDF reprinted from 2002 Race Magazine)
	For Pete's Sake: the 1987 Race and the First Badwater Double, by Richard Benyo (PDF reprinted from 2004 Race Magazine)

2009 First Person Accounts, Profiles, Features, and More

	NEW! Badwater Ultramarathon, 2009 race report by finisher Sharon Gayter
	NEW! Phoenix man completes Badwater Ultramarathon, Feature story in the Arizona Republic on Perry Edinger's Badwater race; written by Bob Young
	NEW! Audio slideshow of Perry Edinger's race, featured on azcentral.com
	Elizabeth's 2009 Badwater 135 Mile Ultramarathon race recap, by finisher Elizabeth Carrion

2008 First Person Accounts, Profiles, Features, and More

	NEW! Badwater 2008 photo gallery by Ben Jones
	NEW! Badwater 2008 photo gallery by Badwater Medical Director Lisa Bliss
	NEW! 2008 Badwater Ultramarathon Crew Report, by Dave Bursler, crew person for 2008 finisher Phil Rosenstein
	NEW! Badwater 2008 photo gallery by veteran Don Lundell of Badwater sponsor ZombieRunner.com
	NEW! Hot on the Trail, In July, iRun runner-in-chief Ray Zahab and a small support crew followed Jen Segger as she embarked on the challenge of a lifetime - the 2008 Badwater Ultramarathon
	2008 Badwater Ultramarathon: The Call of the Desert, by finisher Alisa Springman
	A Folly, by finisher Mary Gorski
	Mary Gorski Goes the Distance - 135 Miles in Summertime Heat

2007 First Person Accounts, Profiles, Features, and More

	NEW! Badwater 2007 race report by finisher Jan Herrmann
	NEW! Three Part Article by Dave Remington (discusses charity, the race, nutrients)
	3 years, 405 Badwater miles, and FINALLY a buckle! by finisher David Harper
	Badwater, a Way of Life, by Ben and Denise Jones, 2007 Badwater Hall of Fame Inductees (Story from the 2007 Race Magazine; PDF format.)
	Badwater Ben Jones' photo gallery of the 2007 race
	Crewing for a Champion, by Dave Bursler, crew for Lisa Bliss
	My Badwater Family, by finisher Jamie Donaldson
	Badwater 2007 by finisher Ludovic Chorgnon (Very extensive, with photos ) en Francais
	Badwater 2007 photo gallery by veteran Don Lundell of Badwater sponsor ZombieRunner.com
	Romancing the Stone, a 2007 Badwater Story by finisher Arthur Webb
	Badwater and Extreme Event Survival, by nine-time official finisher Arthur Webb
	Badwater Runner Adopted by Dr. King School: Todd Baum, 2007 finisher (Includes multiple photos, plus video and media links)

2006 First Person Accounts, Profiles, Features, and More

	The Grinder, by eight time official finisher Arthur Webb
	Badwater Ben Jones' photo gallery of the 2006 race
	My Life at Badwater, by 11-time finisher and 2006 hall-of-fame inductee Jack Denness (Story from the 2006 Race Magazine)
	In Pursuit of the Elusive and Coveted Belt Buckle Badwater 2006, by finisher Bill LaDieu
	Dr. Lisa Bliss' 2006 Badwater photo gallery
	Fun in the Sun, 59-minute video created by finisher Jonathan Gunderson and his crew
	Five-time finisher Ian Parker's 2006 Badwater web page with links to lots of great photos
	Bad Feet at Badwater, from the Zombie Runner blog, written by Gillian Robinson
	2006 Badwater Ultramarathon photos taken by Don Lundell of Zombie Runner
	The Return of the Desert Fox, race report by 2006 finisher Guenter Boehnke (PDF, 8 pages)
	The Return of the Desert Fox, race report by 2006 finisher Guenter Boehnke (PDF, 8 pages in German)
	2006 finisher Jonathan Gunderson has a web site with a play-by-play report of his race, photos, and much more
	Race report by 2006 rookie finisher Dave Bursler
	2006 Badwater: Blisters, Broken Van, Dust Devils, High Humidity, Race report by 2006 finisher David Harper

2005 First Person Accounts, Profiles, Features, and More

	Badwater Ben Jones' photo gallery of the 2005 race
	Four-time finisher Ian Parker's 2005 Badwater web page with links to lots of great photos
	Race report by Jason Dorgan, 2005 Badwater finisher (PDF, 13 pages)
	For Arlington Man, a Marathon is Just a Warmup, story on 2005 finisher John Dodds that appeared in the Washington Post in August, 2005
	Badwater Ultramarathon: A cuire au four... thermostat 50°!, extensive race report by 2005 finisher Gérard Cain. Contains over 150 photos. (French)
	Badwater: Chaussée Brûlante, ("Badwater: Extreme Roadway") from the French magazine Ultrafondus: the most extensive Badwater report we've seen. (PDF, 29 pages in French)
	Reflections on the 2005 Badwater Ultramarathon by Geoffrey Hilton-Barber, the first blind athlete to complete the race
	2005 Badwater finisher Greg Minter has a great site with links to numerous photo galleries of the race and his training blog
	2005 Badwater Ultra, race report by finisher Dave Harper
	S.J. Man Shows he Can Take the Heat, story about finisher Dan Marinsik that appeared in the San Jose Mercury News
	To Sleep Now or Later? by Nikki Seger, 2005 official finisher

2004 First Person Accounts, Profiles, Features, and More

	Three-time finisher Ian Parker's 2004 Badwater web page with links to lots of great photos
	Above & Beyond, Curt Maples was featured in this story about U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq who did more than just serve their country: they put time and effort into causes close to their hearts.
	67:59:45 — A Long Time to be Outdoors in Death Valley by Jonathan Rice, crewmember for 11-time finisher Jack Denness
	Albert Martens Survives Blistering Death Valley by crewmember Gwen Blatz, published in The Carallon newspaper of Southeastern Manitoba, Canada (PDF, 7 pages)
	Bangemachen Gilt Nicht ("Fear Does Not Count") by Andrea Schuster-Betz, crewmember for Thomas Betz (German)
	Höllische Leidenschaft ("Infernal Passion"), this coverage of the 2004 Badwater Ultramarathon appeared in the German magazine FLOW (PDF, 7 pages)
	See You on the Mountaintop by Arthur Webb, 2004 finisher
	Trials and Travails of Team Coonhound and the 2004 Badwater Ultramarathon by 2004 finisher Bruce Gungle
	Death Valley Welcome by Guenter Boehnke, 2004 finisher (English)
	Death Valley Welcome by Guenter Boehnke, 2004 finisher (German)
	Racing Badwater for Camp Sunshine by Mike Brooks, 2004 finisher
	Tusconians Reed and Gungle Tackle the Badwater Ultramarathon by Amit Mehrotra for the Arizona Daily Star
	Badwater 2004 Race Report: Robert Wimmer #34 by Sebastian Bär, support crew (English)
	Badwater 2004 Race Report: Robert Wimmer #34 by Sebastian Bär, support crew (German)
	Baghdad Badwater: Major Curt Maples with 52 boxes of School Supplies for Iraqi School Children

2003 First Person Accounts, Profiles, Features, and More

	Ian Parker's 2003 Badwater web page with links to lots of great photos
	Desert Diva: Pam Reed's Run into the Record Books, This article, which originally appeared in the December 2003 issue of Running Times, covers Pam Reed's overall win in the 2003 Kiehl's Badwater Ultramarathon
	The Long Road by Dan Marinsik, 2004 finisher, for The Magazine of Sigma Chi, Fall 2003. (PDF, 3 pages)
	135 miles. 125 degrees. 3 mountain ranges. 2 days. No IVs. No prize money. It could only be ... by Mark Zeigler from the San Diego Union-Tribune
	Bettendorf woman goes the distance to reach her goals, feature about 2003 finisher Bonnie Busch by Sean Moeller for Quad City Times
	2003 finisher Luis Escobar's Badwater website with numerous images
	Read Jack Denness' reports for EventRate.com, sent via satellite phone while he crewed for Wayne Simpson
	The Last Lone Runner by 2003 honorable mention finisher Arthur Webb
	Rooke to Veteran, Ultraladies’ Style: More Ultra, Less Lady by Nancy Shura, 2003 official finisher
	A DNF story, One Step at a Time by Jody-Lynn Reicher, 2003 entrant and 2002 finisher
	Badwater to Mt. Whitney: The Way to Happiness by Ivory Phillips, crew for 2003 official finisher John JR Radich
	Badwater Week: And What a Week it Was by Scott Ludwig, 2003 official finisher
	Badwater: My 4 and 1/2 Minutes of Fame by Bill Lockton, 2003 official finisher
	Badwater, A Good Comfortable Road by Bill LaDieu, 2003 official finisher
	Bad Water Maybe, but a Good Experience, Nonetheless by Marvin Snowbarger, 2003 race official
	Badwater Runners' Report for the JustDo262 Yahoo Group by 2003 staffer and 2002 finisher Stephan Matsuda
	Badwater: It Seems Foolish at First by Joe Prusaitis, 2003 finisher

2002 First Person Accounts, Profiles, and Poems

	Badwater Turns 25: History of the race from 1977 through 2002 by Roy Wallack (Story from the 2002 Race Magazine, also published in Ultra Running Magazine.)
	Finisher Ian Parker's 2002 Badwater web page with links to lots of great photos
	Marathon is a Breeze Compared to this One: Tucson Marathon Organizer Recalls 135-miler by Amit Mehrotra, Arizona Daily Star
	National Public Radio: Braving the Badwater Ultramarathon
	2002 Badwater, The Tuffest by 2002 finisher Rick Nawrocki
	Badwater Runners' Report for the JustDo262 Yahoo Group by 2002 finisher Stephan Matsuda
	Badwater Threepeat by 2002 finisher Ruben Cantu
	The Badwater Report by 2002 finisher Jan Ryerse
	My Badwater 2002 Story by 2002 finisher Kari Marchant
	Crewing for Kari by Howie Stern, crew for 2002 finisher Kari Marchant
	Desert Dance by Larry Robbins
	Reflections upon Badwater by 2002 finisher Angela Brunson
	Steven Silver @ Badwater 2002 by Blade Norman, crew for 2002 finisher Steven Silver
	Bridge Over Troubled Water by 2002 finisher Arthur Webb
	Out of My League, or Home at Last? by 2002 finisher Vito Bialla
	Running with the Gods by 2002 finisher George Biondic
	Bild Magazine, German language coverage of 2002 finisher Winfried Friedel (large file size)
	German language newspaper coverage of 2002 finisher Winfried Friedel (large file size)

2001 First Person Accounts and Profiles

	Dead Run, a feature on Vilma Mejia by Michael Gougis, New Times L.A.
	Badwater Poem by Eberhard Frixe of Germany
	Brave One-Legged Briton Runs 135 Miles Across Desert in 130F Heat by Stewart Cook, London Daily Express (large file in jpg format with lots of photos)
	One-Legged, One-Armed Runner Conquers Blistering Race through Death Valley by Stewart Cook, National Examiner USA (large file in jpg format with lots of photos)
	Wenn Laufen Zur Nebensache Wird: Badwater Ultralauf 2001 von Dr. Holger Finkernagel PDF format: requires Adoba Acrobat. Thirteen pages and lots of photos (in German)
	Meeting the Challenge at the 2001 Badwater Ultramarathon by Phil Hicks for the Tyler Morning Telegraph
	Retun to Badwater 2001 by Ruben Cantu
	Mr. Bo Peep Runs Badwater by Arthur Webb
	My Time in the Desert by Jim Benike
	He's Not Heavy, He's My Brother by Courtney Boova, crew for Marshall Ulrich
	Industriekaufmann Eberhard Frixe aus Meine durchquerte Death Valley by Annika Koch about Eberhard Frixe
	From Lowest to Highest in 2001 by Rick Nawrocki, Cancer Survivor
	Crewin' for Rick Nawrocki, the "Cry Tuff!" Man by Al Parell
	Badwater Quad for Starving Children by Marshall Ulrich with lots of photos by Tony DiZinno
	Badwater 2001: My Account by Rick Miller
	Steven Silver's Badwater 2001 by Blade Norman
	Shannon Farar-Griefer's Badwater 2001 Double Story
	Badwaterultra.com: Website of the Week by Tom Owen, Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier, Waterloo, Iowa
	USMC Major Wm Curt Maples Barfathon at Badwater
	Matt Palocsay's Badwater 2001 Story

2000 First Person Accounts and Profiles

	My Journey through Hell by Arthur Webb, 2000 finisher
	Scott McQueeney's Incredible Badwater Story Archive
	Badwater 2000 Race Report From my Perspective by Scott McQueeney, 2000 finisher
	Badwater 2000 by Rick Nawrocki, 2000 finisher and cancer survivor
	Coach Weber's Badwater 2000 Incredible Photo Album and Race Report, by Scott Weber, 2000 finisher
	Badwater Reflections by Erika Gerhardt, 2000 finisher
	Life is Either and Adventure or Nothing at All by Dixie Madsen, 2000 finisher
	Story From the Back by Frank Macmillan, 2000 finisher
	Badwater 135. They Said it Could Not Be Done! by Lisa Smith, 2000 finisher
	This Is My Story by Ruben Cantu, 2000 finisher
	A Badwater (Love) Story... by Mick Justin, 2000 finisher
	Badwater and Back by Chris Moon, 2000 finisher
	The Relatively Uneventful Badwater 2000 by Lynne Werner, 2000 finisher
	Badwater Ultramarathon Race Report in French, by Marc Perier, 2000 finisher

1999 First Person Accounts and Profiles

	Breast Cancer Survivor Takes Second, this account of Louise Cooper-Lovelace's race appears on mountainzone.com
	My Most Unforgettable Ultramarathon (& What I Learned From It) by Marshall Ulrich, first person account of his solo, UNASSISTED crossing prior to the 1999 race
	Real Life for Us Wierdos by Adam Smiling Man Bookspan, 1999 finisher
	Badwater 1999: What Worked / Didn't Work For Me by Scott Weber, 1999 finisher
	Fire and Ice: the 1999 Badwater Story by Jason Hodde, 1999 entrant
	The Arthur Webb and Steven Silver Badwater Saga by Arthur Webb, 1999 finisher
	The Other Half of the Arthur Webb-Steven Silver Story by Steven Silver, 1999 finisher
	A Crew Report, by Jim Wolff, 1999 crew for Steven Silver (with link to tons of race photos)
	Badwater and Beyond by Lisa R. Smith, 1999 unofficial finisher
	A Badwater High by Brian Manley, 1999 finisher
	1999 Badwater Reflections by Ephraim Romesberg, age 68, 1999 finisher
	Death Valley Hallucinations, a Personal Top Three List by Death Valley Jack Denness, 1999 finisher
	Real Heroes by Joe Decker, 1999 finisher

Not So Ancient History: Where It All Started

	Read original 1977 articles, with photos, about Al Arnold, the first person to complete the trek. Includes two PDF downloads.
	Read an 1977 article from Marathon Magazine about Al Arnold—in full color! (5 meg PDF file).
	Read original 1981 articles, with photos, about Jay Birmingham, the second person to complete the course.
	Photos from Jay Birmingham's book, The Longest Hill, now online as a slideshow. Jay is the second person to complete the Badwater to Mt. Whitney course, back in 1981 (and again 2004).
	Jay Birmingham's book, The Longest Hill, an in-depth look at his Badwater to Mt. Whitney run in 1981. This is the entire book!
	I Was There when Hell Froze Over, By Tamara L. Dickey, stepdaughter and crew member for Jay Birmingham
	Birmingham Sets Another Record by Greg Larson, Florida Times-Union, August 19, 1981
	From Lowest to Highest: Birmingham Claims Another Record from The Starting Line Newsletter, September 1981
	Death Valley: A Sojourner's View, by Jay Birmingham contrasting his 1981 and 2004 experiences (PDF)
	Le Desert: Badwater Becomes a Race by Richard Benyo, originally printed in Runner's World, August 1988. Includes ten photos plus an additional Q&A interview article with Jeannie Ennis and Tom Crawford!
	The Tale of Badwater Bart by Bob Wischnia, Runner's World, July 1990, regarding the 1989 race. (PDF)
	For Pete's Sake: The First Badwater Double by Richard Benyo, 1989 (Story from the 2004 Race Magazine)
	Rhonda Provost: The First Woman to Complete a Badwater Double by Richard Benyo (Story from the 2006 Race Magazine)
	Read chapter five about the 1991 Badwater Race from Over The Edge: A Regular Guy's Odyssey in Extreme Sports
	Badwater Turns 25: History of the race from 1977 through 2002 by Roy Wallack (Story from the 2002 Race Magazine, also published in Ultra Running Magazine.)