Runners start the annual Death Valley Ultramarathon, considered the toughest race in the world

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — During a rainstorm that partially obscured the light of a nearly full moon, 97 runners started in desolate Death Valley with the introduction of an annual 48-hour ultramarathon, considered the toughest race in the world – the Badwater 135.

After starting late Monday evening, the men and women aged 19 to 69 from 21 countries and 26 US states will run despite an extreme heat warning. Temperatures up to 120 degrees With temperatures reaching 48.8 degrees Celsius (Fahrenheit) and nighttime heat exceeding 37.7 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit), they travel along open roads and pass places with names like Furnace Creek, Devil’s Golf Course and Devil’s Cornfield.

“For me, it’s about seeing what I can do, you know, testing my own limits and seeing how well I can do these extreme things,” said runner Jessica Jones, 46, of Dauphin Island, Alabama, who is taking part in her second time in the Badwater 135, which starts in the valley’s Badwater Basin.

Luke Thomas, 44, of San Diego, ran his fourth 135-mile (217-kilometer) ultramarathon this calendar year.

Thomas didn’t know if humidity from Monday’s late storm would make the first part of the race harder or easier. At an ultramarathon in Brazil in January, “the humidity almost killed me,” he said.

The race, which was founded in 1987, is always held in mid-July, when temperatures peak in Death Valley National Park. The park has experienced record-breaking temperatures this month, including nine consecutive days with temperatures of 120°F (51.6°C) or higher.

It is so dangerous that A motorcyclist riding in the park died of heat-related illness on July 6, and several others in his group became ill. A woman with heat illness was rescued in the park on Thursday after she and a man became lost while hiking in an area called the Badlands Loop when temperatures dropped to about 110°F (43.3°C) at 9:30 a.m.

No runners died during the race, but several ended up in the hospital, said race director Chris Kostman of AdventureCORPS, which organizes the race. The course was actually run a decade ago, when it was successfully completed by a solo runner, he said.

The participants start at the lowest point in North America, 86 meters below sea level. The finish line is 2,530 meters high at the Whitney Portal, the starting point for Mount Whitney in California, the highest point in the USA.

Unlike more traditional marathons, where runners are packed together, Badwater 135 participants are spread out along the course. The race is invitation-only and limited to 100 runners who have run ultramarathons of 100 miles (160 kilometers) or longer within three years. To give others a chance, only a third of runners are allowed to participate again each year.

When this year’s runners set out late Monday, temperatures were around 42.2°C, and their northward journey was lit by headlamps and the slightly dim moonlight.

Organizers do not offer support along the course, meaning each runner must bring a personal support team, usually three to four people in a minivan. There are no medical stations along the course, but Kostman said there is a small medical team patrolling the roadway.

The race will take place Monday evening through Wednesday to avoid weekend visitors to the national park and increased traffic from people driving through the area from Las Vegas. Organizers are coordinating with various federal, state and local agencies, some of which require approvals to be obtained along the entire route.

The current record for the race was set by 31-year-old Yoshihiko Ishikawa in 2019 with a men’s time of 21 hours, 33 minutes and 1 second, and 41-year-old Ashley Paulson set the women’s record in 2023 with a women’s time of 21 hours, 44 minutes and 35 seconds.

Kostman said the runners, support team members and race staff all consider themselves part of a family and often return to the park for family vacations.

“It’s a very collegial atmosphere,” he said. “Everyone wants the other runners to do their best.”

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Snowfall reported in Phoenix.