The BADWATER® ultra running experience returns to Imperial and San Diego Counties when the tenth BADWATER SALTON SEA race takes place on April 29-30, 2023. The following release was provided by American Trail Running Association member AdventureCORPS®.
Borrego Springs, CA: AdventureCORPS®, Inc. – organizers of the world-famous Badwater® 135 Ultramarathon from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney in July – hosts the Badwater® Salton Sea 81-Mile Ultramarathon annually in late April. First held in 2013, this tenth edition will take place this weekend on Saturday-Sunday, April 29-30, 2023 on a course stretching across Imperial and San Diego Counties.
This remarkable event challenges teams of two or three ultrarunners – running together as duos or trios for the duration, NOT in a relay – to tackle an unimaginable traverse of Southern California deserts and mountains. The race begins at 630am Saturday on the shore of the Salton Sea and concludes up to 28 hours later high atop Palomar Mountain. Each team of runners is accompanied by a personal support team which tends to all their needs.
This year 76 runners – comprising 36 two- or three-person teams – will compete, representing seventeen US states and seven nationalities: Armenia, Canada, Kenya, Mongolia, Philippines, United Kingdom, and USA. There are 37 women and 39 men, 17 veterans and 59 rookies. The age range is from 18 (Kaylee Frederick of Johnstown, PA) to 70 (Peter Kline of Bellevue, WA.)
The 81-mile (130km) BADWATER Salton Sea route begins on the shores of the seemingly post-apocalyptic Salton Sea in Salton City, CA at an elevation of 234 feet below sea level and traverses the Anza-Borrego Desert and then two mountain ranges to its finish line atop Palomar Mountain, the almost tallest mountain in San Diego County. With the finish line at an elevation of 5500 feet, there is a total cumulative elevation gain of over 9000 feet along the route. Eight of the 81 race miles pass through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park on a single track trail from Borrego Springs to Ranchita, creating a race route which is a mix of road and trail.
The race is headquartered at the Borrego Springs Resort, and then Palomar Views Lodge.
All official finishers will receive the coveted Badwater Salton Sea belt buckle pictured below.
Follow the Race
2023 Webcast
2023 Splits and Results
2023 Roster
Race Staff Images
Official Hashtags: #BadwaterSaltonSea and #adventurecorps
Twitter: @Badwater
Instagram: @BadwaterHQ
Facebook: @Badwater135
Click here to view or download the 2023 issue of the Badwater Salton Sea Magazine in PDF format.
Charities and Local Partners
Now in its eleventh year producing Badwater Salton Sea – and twenty-fourth year producing Badwater® events – AdventureCORPS thanks the Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce, Montezuma Valley Market, and other generous companies, organizations, and individuals who partner with this event each year.
Official Charities of Badwater include the Challenged Athletes Foundation. As one of the very few charities that provides grants directly to athletes with a physical disability, the Challenged Athletes Foundation has raised over 159 million dollars and directly assisted more than 44,000 challenged athletes in 70 countries world-wide. Since 2002, AdventureCORPS has raised over $900,000 for Challenged Athletes Foundation.
Another AdventureCORPS Official Charity is the Bald Head Island Conservancy, a leader in barrier island conservation, preservation, and education. Since 2014, AdventureCORPS has made or facilitated more than $125,000 in donations to the Bald Head Island Conservancy.
AdventureCORPS also supports the Death Valley Natural History Association, Conservation Alliance, and One Percent For The Planet. One of the goals of the Badwater events is to raise funds and awareness for these organizations. Additionally, many of the race participants are competing on behalf of a charity of their choice.
BADWATER ULTRA CUP
Badwater Salton Sea is a member of the BADWATER® ULTRA CUP, a three-event series which also includes Badwater Cape Fear in North Carolina in March and the Badwater 135 from California’s Death Valley to Mt. Whitney in July. Those runners who complete all three events in the same calendar year are featured on the Badwater website and in BADWATER Magazine. This year, 15 runners are competing for the 2023 Badwater Ultra Cup.
ABOUT ADVENTURECORPS, INC.:
Oak Park, CA-based AdventureCORPS®, Inc. has made its name producing the world’s toughest endurance races in dramatic, remote locations that few people would ever visit, let alone run or bike across. Held under the Badwater® banner, these events have allowed runners and bicyclists to explore the Death Valley, Salton Sea, Cape Fear, Mojave Desert, and Nevada outback regions in the USA, as well as the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Mustang region of Nepal, Yunan Province of China, and the Republic of Artsakh.
AdventureCORPS®, Inc. owns and represents BADWATER®, “The World’s Toughest Brand, Gear, and Races.” As a brand, BADWATER represents digging deep and going farther; it is the lifestyle brand for all who push their limits while exploring the outer and inner universes.
Badwater® is a federally registered trademark owned by AdventureCORPS, Inc.
