AdventureCORPS®, Inc. hosts Badwater® Salton Sea – presented by Mount to Coast – an 81-Mile Ultramarathon annually in April. The twelfth edition will take place Saturday-Sunday, April 26-27, 2025 on a course stretching across Imperial and San Diego Counties in southern California. (The 2026 edition will take place one week earlier, on April 18-19, 2026!)

This remarkable event challenges teams of two or three ultrarunners – running together as duos or trios for the duration, NOT in a relay – to tackle an unimaginable traverse of Southern California deserts and mountains. The race begins at 600am, Saturday morning on the shore of the Salton Sea and concludes up to 28 hours later high atop Palomar Mountain. Each team of runners is accompanied by a personal support team which tended to all their needs. 

This year 46 runners – comprising 19 two- or three-person teams – are competing, representing sixteen US states, China, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. There were 18 women and 28 men, 18 veterans and 28 rookies. The age range is from 20 (Kaylee Frederick of Johnstown, PA) to 80 (Robert Becker of Fort Lauderdale, FL.)

The 81-mile (130km) BADWATER Salton Sea route begins on the shores of the seemingly post-apocalyptic Salton Sea in Salton City, CA at an elevation of 234 feet below sea level and traverses the Anza-Borrego Desert and two mountain ranges to its finish line atop Palomar Mountain, the almost tallest mountain in San Diego County at an elevation of 5500 feet. There is a total elevation gain of over 9000 feet along the route. Eight of the 81 race miles pass through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park on a single track trail from Borrego Springs to Ranchita, creating a race route which is a mix of road and trail. 

Special Thanks to our Local Partners Borrego Springs Resort and Ranchita Bodega.

All official finishers receive the coveted Badwater Salton Sea belt buckle pictured below.
 
For the full press release, click here.

Race Roster | Race Results | Race Magazine | Race Home | Race Staff Images

Image Galleries on Flickr

CLICK: Image and video gallery of the pre-race social run through some of the amazing sculptures in Borrego Springs’ Galleta Meadows; Chris Kostman appears on AccuWeather TV Live; Racer Mugshots; Runners posing with their Support Crews; and the Pre-Race Meeting by Chris Kostman, April 25, 2025. (Click here for this gallery – images only, no videos – on FB.)

CLICK: Image gallery from start to finish by Arnold Begay, April 26-27, 2025.

CLICK: Image gallery from the Salton Sea start line to almost Borrego Springs by Ian Parker, April 26, 2025.

CLICK: Image gallery from the trailhead (mile 40) to the finish line by Ian Parker, April 26-27, 2025.

CLICK: Image gallery of Ian Parker’s top pix (“hero shots”) from the 2025 Badwater Salton Sea, April 26-27, 2025.

CLICK: Image gallery from the start line to Checkpoint 1 at mile 14.4 by Chris Kostman and Lori Summers, April 26, 2025

CLICK: Image gallery from CP1 – Borrego Springs – Trailhead – Ranchita – Palomar Mountain, including ALL finish line shots by Chris Kostman, Lori Summers, and Alison Rudrud, April 26-27, 2025

CLICK: Image gallery from the entire race by crew member of Team Rita’s Men, Tuan Nguyen, April 26-27, 2025

Videos

CLICK: Short TV video of Chris Kostman, Race Director, live on AccuWeather TV, April 25, 2025.

CLICK: Two short videos and multiple pix on IG from Borrego Springs Resort, seeing the entire race field at the conclusion of the pre-race meeting. April 25, 2025.

CLICK: IG post with three short videos from the race start line, April 26, 2025.

Special thanks to the Race Volunteers!

Alison Rudrud: Checkpoint 1 (Mile 14.4, Microwave Tower), CP 3 (Mile 40.5 Lower Trailhead), CP 5 (Ranchita)

Dave and Margaret Nelson: Checkpoint 2 (Mile 35.2, Borrego Springs Resort)

Regina Peters and Lori Engle: Trail Marking, Checkpoint 3 (Mile 40.5 Lower Trailhead), and Trail Sweep

Randy Stephenson and Dawn Steinfort: Checkpoint 4 (Mile 45.5 Culp Valley / Pena Spring Trailhead) & Roving

Mark & Carie Olson, signage plus finish line

Dr. Kent Wang, Dr. Pamela Starnes, Wade Beane, Mark Maunder: Medical Support

Ian Parker: Photography

Arnold Begay and Ev: Photography

Sebastian Chiu: Videography

Lori Summers: Assistant to the Race Director

Chris Kostman: Race Director

Shelby and Wayne Kostman: With Us In Spirit!

Thank You!

This event is held under permits from Imperial County, San Diego County, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and the California Department of Transportation. We thank all our permitting agencies and local area friends for their support!