The BADWATER® ultra running experience returns to Imperial and San Diego Counties when the eleventh BADWATER SALTON SEA race takes place on April 27-28, 2024.
Borrego Springs, CA: AdventureCORPS®, Inc. – organisers of the world-famous Badwater® 135 Ultramarathon from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney in July – hosts the Badwater® Salton Sea 81-Mile Ultramarathon annually in late April. First held in 2013, this eleventh edition will take place this weekend on Saturday-Sunday, April 27-28, 2024, on a course stretching across Imperial and San Diego Counties.
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 630am Sunday 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 tends to all their needs.
This year 54 runners – comprising 22 two- or three-person teams – will compete, representing nineteen US states and the United Kingdom. There are 37 men and 17 women, 16 race veterans and 38 rookies. The age range is from 19 (Kaylee Frederick of Johnstown, PA) to 71 (Peter Kline of Bellevue, WA.) Three runners (Kevin Delk, Emily Ryan, and Ray Sanchez) are aiming for their seventh finishes.
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 then two mountain ranges to its finish line atop Palomar Mountain, the almost tallest mountain in San Diego County.
With the finish line at an elevation of 5500 feet, there is a total cumulative 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.
The race is headquartered at the Borrego Springs Resort, and then Palomar Views Lodge. A dedicated team of world-class AdventureCORPS race staff will host the event, roving the course, running timing checkpoints, posting images to Flickr and social media, and supporting the runners and their support crews as they traverse the epic race route. California State Park Rangers will also support the runners.
FOLLOWING THE RACE
Event Webpage: http://www.badwater.com/event/badwater-salton-sea/
2024 Webcast: https://www.badwater.com/2024-badwater-salton-sea-webcast/
2024 Splits and Results: https://dbase.adventurecorps.com/resultsSaltonSea.php?ss_eid=105&ss=Go
2024 Roster: https://dbase.adventurecorps.com/roster.php?ss_eid=105&ss=Go
Race Staff Images: https://www.flickr.com/photos/adventurecorps/albums
Official Hashtags: #BadwaterSaltonSea and #adventurecorps
Twitter: @Badwater
Instagram: @BadwaterHQ
Facebook: @Badwater135
BADWATER ULTRA CUP
Badwater Salton Sea is the second leg of the BADWATER® ULTRA CUP, a three-event series which also includes Badwater Cape Fear in North Carolina in March and the Badwater 135 from California’s Death Valley to Mt. Whitney in July. Those runners who complete all three events in the same calendar year are featured on the Badwater website and in BADWATER Magazine.