Badwater 135 Course Profile

Badwater Basin to Whitney Portal, CA, California

• Distance: 135 miles
• Elevation Gain: 14,600 ft
• Elevation Loss: 6,100 ft
• High Point: 8,300 ft
• Low Point: -280 ft
• Time Limit: 45 hours (waves start 8/9/10 PM)
• Month: July
• Finisher Rate: ~90% (invitational, ~100 athletes)

Billed as the world's toughest foot race: 135 miles of pavement from Badwater Basin in Death Valley — 280 ft below sea level, the lowest and hottest point in North America — to the Mt. Whitney Portal at 8,300 ft. Held in mid-July with air temps to 120°F+ and pavement far hotter, it is entirely unaided and crew-supported, with three major climbs stacked on the back half: Townes Pass, Father Crowley, and the final wall to the Portal. This is a heat-management event, not a running event.

Aid Stations

Name	Mile	Elevation	Crew Access	Drop Bag	Cutoff
Badwater Basin (Start)	0	-280 ft	Yes	No	—
Furnace Creek	17.4	-120 ft	Yes	No	—
Stovepipe Wells	42	0 ft	Yes	No	—
Townes Pass	58.7	4,956 ft	Yes	No	—
Panamint Springs	72.3	1,970 ft	Yes	No	—
Darwin	90.8	5,260 ft	Yes	No	—
Lone Pine	122.8	3,710 ft	Yes	No	—
Whitney Portal (Finish)	135	8,300 ft	Yes	No	45h

Course Segments

Segment	Miles	Terrain	Difficulty	Notes
Badwater Basin → Stovepipe Wells	0–42	flat	extreme	42 mi of dead-flat, shadeless valley floor — the hottest ground on Earth. Feels easy; that's the trap. Conserve, douse constantly, bank a cool core.
Stovepipe Wells → Townes Pass	42–58.7	climb	extreme	CRUX #1: 17 mi, +4,900 ft from sea level, zero shade, peak afternoon heat. Ice/water hand-offs every 1-2 mi. Power-hike, manage core temp above all.
Townes Pass → Panamint Springs	58.7–72.3	descent	hard	Long paved descent into Panamint Valley, −3,400 ft. Free speed but it bills the quads for what's ahead — protect them.
Panamint Springs → Darwin	72.3–90.8	climb	extreme	CRUX #2: the Father Crowley climb, +3,600 ft to the Darwin plateau, usually at night. Sleep-lows and stomach issues start — reset fueling and caffeine.
Darwin → Lone Pine	90.8–122.8	rolling	hard	Long, gently descending grind across Owens Valley past Keeler. Monotonous, exposed — the mental low point. Stay awake, keep eating.
Lone Pine → Whitney Portal	122.8–135	climb	extreme	CRUX #3 / finish: 13 mi all uphill, +4,600 ft, last ~4 mi steepest (Portal Road). Almost everyone hikes it. Empty the tank.

View the full interactive elevation profile, 3D course flyover, and race strategy tools on HARDN.

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