Badwater, what can I say. I don’t think I would have shown up at this race if it hadn’t been for Dixie Madsen asking me if I would pace and crew for her. I thought, this is the only way I’m going to see for myself what Badwater is all about. I got to admit that I’ve always thought that going 135 miles is something I might try, but not 135 in the middle of July or August in 125 plus degree heat. Well, I told Dixie I would be glad to be a part of her attempt at completing Badwater. Badwater starts at the lowest point in the US (-282ft) and ends at the base of Mt. Whitney, at Whitney Portals (8360’). The course goes over three climbs: Stove Pipe Wells to Towne’s Pass, 18 miles, 5000’ gain; Panamint grade, 15 miles, 3,400’ gain; and Lone Pine to Whitney Portals, 13 miles, 4,600’ gain.

I’ll tell you folks, I was very surprised that I didn’t feel that bad in the hottest time of the day. It got to 120 something the first day out. You sure could feel the heat but it didn’t seem to affect any one of us. We just tooled along, pacing and crewing. Dixie planned her race very well. She had two cars. One SUV and one Van. She had six of us to help her get to the finish. We paced and crewed through two nights, with little sleep. Just a wink now and again. We made it (the crew) up to Whitney Portals ahead of Dixie, she with one pacer. The rest of us ran down about a mile from the finish and all finished the race with her. It was very emotional for us but we were very happy to see her finish. She completed the race in 47:04 for 5^th Woman and 24^th overall. By the way Dixie is 63. She’s a veteran Ultra runner and holds many records for a females in the 50/60 age group. I keep telling myself that I shouldn’t have said yes to helping Dixie. Now that I have been there, I think it’s something that I might try. Maybe in the year 2001.

This is just a small account of Badwater, for those of you who might contemplate entering Badwater in the future. Oh, one last thing. Some of the finishers, after a rest continued up Mt. Whitney for a lowest point to the highest point in the US run. Below some words from our friend and Club member, Gill Cornell who set a course record for Badwater in 1987.

Gill Cornell adds:

It's interesting that they do not have my 'record' in '87 in their 'records'. They only, for the most part compile the commercial hi-tech shoe 'races' (not Max Telfords record before me etc.). The USA versus UK race from '87 they do have what was reported in the hardcover book, "the Death Valley 300" which had pictures of me there as well. I still have the 1988 People Magazine that has the First Hi-Tech Badwater run in it, where they 'quoted' me a couple of times, even stating that "Gill Cornell refused to defend his record in '88". No one had ever contacted me on the '88 race before it occurred. I only found out about the results from a couple of local runners. I actually contacted the People Magazine article writer, as she told me she 'only quoted' what Hi-Tech told her.

Hi-Tech paid Tom Possart $1500 for breaking 'Gill Cornell's record'..but, for those who remember, or who have read "Death Valley 300" most ultrarunners, including the editor of 'Ultrarunner Magazine" discredited Possarts record as he was 'pulled up the Mt.' during the heavy downpour toward the last few hours of his endeavor. (Pictured in a magazine). That was also the year a number of folks received $500+ fines from the Forest Service for going up Whitney, etc. without a permit..thereby the last 11 miles of the DV to Whitney was never the same (it only go to the Portals not the top).

The following year, 1989, Hi-Tech contacted me, sent me hiking shoes, running shoes, tee-shirts etc. I did not run, as Dorie was 6 months pregnant with Thea!! Max Telford's (New Zealand) record was something like 56 hrs, and my record was 45:15.27. Tom Possart did his in '88 in 45:05.

One thing I really enjoyed, when I ran the Ultras, was the purity of the sport..Freedom, and the clarity of becoming integrated into the run itself, without any external pressures ($$, publicity, etc.). It was so different from the sports I had done at younger age: i.e. baseball, football etc....