Badwater 135
135 miles from Badwater Basin, 280 feet below sea level, to Whitney Portal at about 8,300 feet. July in Death Valley, three mountain ranges, no official aid stations, and a 45-hour limit.
At Badwater 135, plan 800 to 1200 mg sodium per hour through Death Valley and Panamint Valley, more for salty sweaters, and raise fluid and sodium together, since plain water in this heat invites low blood sodium. There are no official aid stations, so your crew carries and doses every milligram.
Badwater Fueling Plan
The sodium and fluid calculators are built for race days in the 70s to 90s. Death Valley in July runs 110F and up, outside anything they model, so this page shows no per-hour table. Measure your own sweat rate in heat training at race effort and build the crew plan from that number.
Where The Sodium Math Bends
Badwater starts at -282 ft and finishes at its high point, 8,360 ft, a net climb of 8,642 ft. Cramping tends to cluster on the long climbs and the descents that follow them.
- Mile 0, Badwater Basin, -282 ft
- Mile 17.5, Furnace Creek, -165 ft
- Mile 42, Stovepipe Wells, 0 ft
- Mile 58.9, Towne Pass, 4,956 ft
- Mile 68.5, Panamint Valley, 1,640 ft
- Mile 72.8, Panamint Springs, 1,970 ft
- Mile 80.75, Father Crowley Point, 4,000 ft
- Mile 90.7, Darwin Turn-Off, 5,050 ft
- Mile 108.1, Keeler, 3,645 ft
- Mile 122.8, Lone Pine, 3,610 ft
- Mile 135, Whitney Portal, 8,360 ft
| Climb | Miles | Gain | Avg grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Towne Pass | 42.2 to 58.9 | 4,956 ft | 5.6% |
| Father Crowley to Darwin | 72.8 to 90.7 | 3,080 ft | 3.3% |
| Whitney Portal Road | 122.8 to 135 | 4,750 ft | 7.4% |
What's On Course
There are no official aid stations. Each runner brings their own crew, one support vehicle and two to four people, who supply all water, ice, food and electrolytes; stores at Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells and Panamint Springs sell water, ice and food. Race staff run eight time checkpoints, and every runner must check in at each one.
| Mile | Station | Cutoff |
|---|---|---|
| 17.7 | Furnace Creek | |
| 42.2 | Stovepipe Wells | |
| 50.8 | 2,000 ft elevation sign | Pass by 10:00 AM Tuesday |
| 58.9 | Towne Pass | |
| 72.8 | Panamint Springs Resort | Pass by 7:00 PM Tuesday |
| 90.7 | Darwin Turn-Off | Pass by 3:30 AM Wednesday |
| 108.4 | Keeler | |
| 122.8 | Lone Pine | Within 40 hr of your wave start |
| 131.2 | Portal Road | |
| 135 | Whitney Portal finish | 45 hr after your wave start |
85-120°F · low humidity
Climate
hot
Humidity
low
Cutoff
45 hours
10-yr avg high
112°F
10-yr avg low
94°F
Record high / low
119° / 86°F
Years with rain
0%
The Cumulative Deficit Window
Badwater is the hottest race on this list by a wide margin. Death Valley in July routinely runs well above 110F in the afternoon and stays near 90F overnight, which is why the race starts in the evening. There are no official aid stations: every runner travels with their own crew and vehicle, so every milligram of sodium and every liter of fluid is something the crew planned and carried. Sweat rates in that heat can reach 1.5 liters per hour or more, which makes dehydration the obvious risk, but a crew pushing fluid without matching sodium can tip a runner into low blood sodium instead. The climbs over Towne Pass and up to Father Crowley come with heat already accumulated, and the final climb to Whitney Portal comes after a day or more on the road.
Key Considerations
- Your crew is your aid station. Write the sodium and fluid plan down by the hour so the crew can dose it at every stop, and carry more sodium than the plan calls for.
- Raise sodium with fluid. Plain water in this heat is how a dehydration race turns into a low blood sodium race. Aim for 800 to 1200 mg sodium per hour across the valley floors, more for salty sweaters.
- Cool the skin as well as the core. Ice in a bandana and hat and frequent spraying lower thermal strain, which keeps the sweat rate, and the replacement job, manageable.
- Cramping and nausea on the climbs to Towne Pass and Father Crowley usually trace back to sodium missed earlier on the Death Valley floor. Stay ahead from the first hour.
Who Finishes, And How Fast
Badwater 135 2026 results
Men winner · 2026
Max Jolliffe
20:53:41USA, course record
Women winner · 2026
Carmen Maria Perez
21:05:32ESP, course record
Free Tools, Pre-Filled For Badwater
Tap any tool. We pre-load your event, climate, and sweat profile. Adjust your weight and finish target and the plan generates instantly.
Sodium plan
Per-hour sodium and fluid targets for Badwater conditions.
Carb fueling
Hourly carb targets and a fuel menu calibrated to your weight and the Badwater duration.
Heat protocol
10-14 day adaptation plan if you're racing into heat.
Hydration audit
Weigh-in test that converts a 60-minute training session into a measured sweat rate.
Caffeine timing
Pre-race dose, mid-race top-ups, and race-week taper protocol for Badwater timing.
Dig Into The Science
Sodium Calculator for Endurance Athletes (Free Tool)
Sweat sodium varies 3 to 4x across athletes. A free sodium calculator that sets an hourly target from your body, sweat history, and race-day climate.
How to Build the Perfect Sports Drink Powder for Races
Make your own endurance sports drink: carb ratios, sodium targets, osmolarity, and why I add Beetroot Pro to every bottle. Saves $1,800 a year vs Maurten.
Potassium for Endurance Athletes: Cramps and Targets
Potassium drives muscle contraction, fluid balance, and nerve signaling. Endurance athletes lose 100 to 300 mg per hour in sweat.
Your Badwater Plan,
Built From Real Data.
Pro unlocks a crew-ready sodium, fluid, and carb schedule keyed to the actual course: Badwater Basin to Stovepipe Wells, Stovepipe Wells over Towne Pass to Panamint Springs, and Panamint Springs to Whitney Portal.
- Your sweat rate, from a weigh-in test or your best estimate
- Per-leg sodium, fluid, and carb schedule keyed to the course profile
- Branded, printable PDF
- Post-race feedback capture so the next plan is sharper
Per race
Every race
Unlimited race plans today. Strava connection and the multi-event calendar are still in development.
Free tools stay free, always
About Badwater
How much sodium should I take per hour at Badwater 135?
Most runners need 800 to 1200 mg per hour through the heat of Death Valley and Panamint Valley, and salty sweaters often need more. Fluid needs are high too, so the two have to rise together. Use the calculator with a sweat rate measured in heat training, and give your crew the plan in writing.
Are there aid stations at Badwater 135?
No official ones. Each runner must bring a support crew of two to four people with one vehicle, and the crew supplies all food, fluid, ice and sodium. A few businesses along the route, such as Panamint Springs, sell supplies, but the plan should never depend on them.
What is the time limit at Badwater 135?
Runners have 45 hours from their own wave start to reach Whitney Portal. The race runs from Badwater Basin, 280 feet below sea level, over about 14,600 feet of cumulative climbing, and the field is limited to about 100 invited runners.
How fast do runners finish Badwater 135?
The 2026 race produced course records for both men and women: Max Jolliffe won in 20:53:41, the first finish under 21 hours, and Carmen Maria Perez was second overall in 21:05:32. Most finishers take well over a day, which means at least one full afternoon of Death Valley heat.