Badwater 135 takes place on Mon, Jul 19, 2027 in Lone Pine, United States. The main route is 217 km.
- Date
- Mon, Jul 19, 2027
- Start
- Lone Pine 🇺🇸
- Distance
- 217 km
- Climbing
- 4,450 m
- Level
- Open to all
Widely recognized as the world's toughest foot race, the Badwater 135 covers a grueling 135-mile non-stop highway stretch from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, California.
Official event pageWhat this race demands
The Badwater 135 demands sustained physical output and thermal regulation across a continuous 217 km distance under extreme mid-summer desert conditions.
Ultra-distance pacing
Covering 217 km requires strict pacing discipline to manage muscular fatigue and systemic stress over a multi-day effort.
Thermal resilience
A July race date in Death Valley and Lone Pine demands robust heat acclimatization and aggressive hydration management to mitigate extreme ambient temperatures.
Climbing endurance
Accumulating 4450 m of elevation gain across the highway stretch requires consistent lower-body strength and sustained climbing efficiency.
Target 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour to sustain energy output across an event duration lasting well beyond twenty-four hours.
Estimated finish times
Estimates by level, not promises. Your own number depends on your fitness on the day.
Your road to race day
Race day at Badwater 135 is 48 weeks away. This is how a coach divides that time. The first phase starts now.
01Base36 weeks · Aug 18, 2026 – Apr 26, 2027
Aerobic foundation: mostly steady endurance work that grows the aerobic engine and the durability the later phases stand on.
02Build6 weeks · Apr 27, 2027 – Jun 7, 2027
Progressive overload: training load climbs in waves, with harder weeks stacked on the base and planned recovery weeks that let the gains land.
03Peak3 weeks · Jun 8, 2027 – Jun 28, 2027
The hardest weeks of the plan: race-specific intensity at nearly full training load, sharpening exactly what this race asks for.
04Taper2 weeks · Jun 29, 2027 – Jul 12, 2027
Volume drops while intensity stays: short, sharp efforts keep the legs awake as fatigue drains away.
05Race week1 week · Jul 13, 2027 – Jul 19, 2027
Openers, rest and logistics. The work is done; the job now is arriving fresh.
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