Ultramarathon Guide

Preferred Qualifying Races for 2017 and Beyond

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

Mt. Gaoligong 100 Trail Ultra, China, 100mi / 162km, 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.
• Special consideration is given to applicants who are BADWATER SALTON SEA veterans and/or BADWATER CAPE FEAR veterans, or 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, 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.

Section B
Application Process

STEP 1: Between January 19 and February 2, 2017, applicants must visit the website to complete the extensive online Race Application Form. This is the only way to apply. There is no “paper application” that one may submit offline. The link for the application is at the bottom of this page.

STEP 2: As stated above, for those applicants who have experience as a pacer at the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon: A letter of recommendation from the athlete for whom the applicant paced at the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon is suggested. It must be sent by email from the person for whom the applicant paced directly to the Badwater race office. It must be sent to adventurecorps-at-gmail-dot-com prior to the application submission.

STEP 3: According to the timeline outlined on the website, we will notify each applicant via email whether he or she is, or is not, confirmed to compete in the 2017 Badwater 135 Ultramarathon. Each accepted applicant will then be emailed the three-page Entrant Contract, Entry Fee Payment Form, and Charitable Donation Form (this last page is optional). The accepted applicants will then have just two weeks to submit the paperwork and entry fee to the race office in order to secure their spots on the race roster. Those potential entrants who miss this deadline will lose their spot on their roster and that vacated spot will be made available to next most qualified applicant.

Due to permit, safety, and operational restrictions that limit the field to 100 entrants or less, we apologize now that many qualified applicants will not be accepted. We encourage those not invited to attend the race as a crew member, a gratifying experience in itself, as well as an outstanding addition to a future application to compete.

Step 4: Confirmed entrants in the race will have their name, essential biographical information, and perhaps some selected quotes posted on the race website, printed in BADWATER Magazine, and used in a promotional manner. Complete application forms and/or contact info for any or all athletes may be made available to the media or race sponsors, but will not be made available to the public or posted to the website.

Notes:

• Only 100 applicants will be invited to compete.
• All Applicants are encouraged to take the application process seriously and compose an extensive, detailed, and accurate application. Simply put, the applicants with the best applications (in terms of their athletic background, demonstrable commitment to sportsmanship, and in terms of their answers to questions posed on the application) will have the greatest chance of being selected to enter the race. Applications should be written as if the reader has never heard of the applicant and has no prior knowledge of the entrant or any of the events in which he/she has participated, including the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon.
• Acronyms and initials should not be used when listing events and such; please type out the full name of any event, person, or place mentioned in the application. Keep in mind that the different committee members will review the applications and will have varying levels of direct awareness or personal knowledge of the applicants and the events mentioned in the applications.
• In preparing your application, keep in mind the standard reasons that generally lead to some applicants not being invited:
  • The applicant only just met the minimum standards.
  • The applicant’s credentials are only recent, i.e., not a seasoned ultra endurance athlete with a breadth of experience.
  • The applicant’s credentials are only old, i.e. all or most of the credentials are from too long ago and may not reflect current ability.
  • The applicant has no experience in extreme heat or on the Badwater course as a pacer.
  • The applicant didn’t “prove” his or her claims (i.e., they said they paced at Badwater 135, but no letter of recommendation was received, or they claimed they finished or won any number of major races, but didn’t provide any proof of that).
  • The applicant submitted a “thin” application – not only few qualifications were listed, but not much time was put into the preparation of the application itself. (Sometimes the applicant assumed “we’ve already heard of him/her” and therefore didn’t provide the necessary details. Applicants should never assume we’ve heard of them or have heard of the events they mention in their application.)
  • There are always A LOT of applicants, all “qualified,” and thus some applicants must inevitably be turned away.

Read More in: http://www.badwater.com/