Badwater 135 Qualifying Standards – Badwater 135 Ultramarathon – July 23-25 , 2018

Those submitting an application to compete in the 2018 Badwater 135 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.

Here are the Qualifying Standards, at least ONE of which must be met prior to applying:

1. You have officially finished the Badwater 135 (the actual race held since 1987; “solo” efforts will not be considered, except those made prior to 1990) AND have completed at least one significant ultra running event (or significant ultra cycling or triathlon event) in the previous 12 months other than the Badwater 135.
2. You have officially finished at least THREE running races of at least 100 continuous miles in length, at least one of them in the previous 12 months. Exception: Officially finishing the 81-mile BADWATER SALTON SEA race “counts” as one 100-mile race for this qualifying purpose. (Please see the list of Preferred Qualifying Races below.)
3. You have officially finished the Brazil 135+ (either 135 miles in 48 hours or 160 miles in 62.5 hours) AND have completed at least one significant ultra running or other endurance sports event in the previous 12 months.

Preferred Qualifying Races

Not all 100-mile (and longer) races are created equal; some are more suitable than others for preparing a Badwater 135 applicant to be successful at the world’s toughest foot race.

Our view of ultrarunning is expansive, with the experience of an epic route being intrinsic to what we call “exploring the outer and inner universes.” As well, the physical, mental, emotional, and logistical challenge of traversing  a widely varying course with a plethora of terrain and climatic changes provides a more rewarding – and challenging – experience for all involved.

For 2017 and beyond, applicants with some of the following races on their resumé will have a greater likelihood of being selected to compete in the Badwater 135. (In other words, these races are not strictly required, but completion of some of them is highly recommended for all applicants.)

Brazil 135+, Brazil, 135mi / 217km or 160mi / 257km, Website

Keys 100, Florida, USA, 100mi / 162km, Website

Badwater Salton Sea, California, USA, 81mi / 130km, Website

Angeles Crest 100, California, USA, 100mi / 162km, Website

Arrowhead 135, Minnesota, 135mi / 217km, Website

Coast to Kosciuszko, Australia, 149mi / 240km, Website

Fat Dog 120 Trail Race, British Columbia, Canada, 120mi / 193km, Website

Grand Union Canal Race, United Kingdom, 145mi / 233km, Website

Hardrock 100, Colorado, USA,100mi / 162km, Website

HURT 100, Hawaii, USA, 100mi / 162km, Website

Leadville Trail 100, Colorado, USA, 100mi / 162km, Website

Nove Colli, Italy, 125mi / 202km, Website

Northburn 100, New Zealand, 100mi / 162km, Website

Pinhoti 100, Alabama, USA, 100mi / 162km, Website

Spartathlon, Greece, 153mi / 256km, Website

Superior 100 Fall Trail Race, Minnesota, USA, 100mi / 162km, Website

Tortour de Ruhr, Germany, 143mi / 230km, Website

Tuscobia 150. Wisconsin, USA, 150mi / 241km, Website

Ultramilano-Sanremo, Italy, 175mi / 281km, Website

Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, France, 103mi / 166km, Website

Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji, Japan, 102mi / 165km, Website

Ultrabalaton, Hungary, 136mi / 220km, Website

Wasatch Front 100, Utah, USA, Website

Western States 100, California, USA, 100mi / 162km, Website

Notes:

• No applicant is guaranteed entry, except those noted above in the Badwater 135 Automatic Qualifying Spots section.
• Some special consideration is given to applicants who competed the entire BADWATER ULTRA CUP in any previous year.
• Some special consideration is given to applicants who are veteran Badwater 135 pacers. (A letter of recommendation from the athlete for whom you paced at the Badwater 135 is required. It must be sent by email from the person for whom you paced directly to the Badwater race office. It must be sent to adventurecorps-at-gmail-dot-com immediately prior to your application submission.)
• You must have significant, relevant, and applicable race results from the previous two years.
• 24-hour race results may NOT be submitted as equivalent to a 100-miler, regardless of how many miles are completed. However, feel free to include 24-Hour race results in your application, in addition to meeting the minimum qualifying events.
• The three qualifying events of “100 continuous miles” means literally 100 continuous miles. As such, stage races do not count towards the minimum qualifying standards. However, please include any significant stage racing history in your application, in addition to the qualifying events.
• Minimum application requirements must be attained prior to submitting the application to compete in the upcoming Badwater 135 Ultramarathon.
• For every race mentioned, the application must include the full race name, year, place, and finishing time, plus the weblink to the specific webpage on the event website which will verify your claim. All links listed should be complete, i.e., start with http://.
• “Officially finishing” any event mentioned is defined as meeting all time cutoffs, including the overall time limit, for the event in question.

2018 Application

The 2018 application will be available from 900am PST, January 19 through 500pm PST, February 2, 2018 only. The application is NOW CLOSED and we are no longer accepting applications.

Read More in: http://www.badwater.com/event/badwater-135/#tab-entry

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