AdventureCORPS®, Inc. hosts the Badwater® Salton Sea 81-Mile Ultramarathon annually in late April. The tenth edition took place Saturday-Sunday, April 29-30, 2023 on a course stretching across Imperial and San Diego Counties in southern California.
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 began at 630am, Saturday morning on the shore of the Salton Sea and concluded up to 28 hours later high atop Palomar Mountain. Each team of runners is accompanied by a personal support team which tended to all their needs.
This year 76 runners – comprising 34 two- or three-person teams – competed, representing seventeen US states and eight nationalities: Armenia, Canada, Kenya, Lithuania, 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 two mountain ranges to its finish line atop Palomar Mountain, the almost tallest mountain in San Diego County at an elevation of 5500 feet. There is a total 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.
Badwater Sponsors and Partners include Joe Nimble Footwear, Montezuma Valley Market, and Badwater Beverages.
Race Roster | Race Results | Race Magazine | Race Home | Race Staff Images
Image Galleries on Flickr
CLICK: Image and video gallery of the pre-race social run through some of the amazing sculptures in Borrego Springs’ Galleta Meadows; Racer Mugshots; Runners posing with their Support Crews; and the Pre-Race Meeting by Chris Kostman, April 28, 2023. (Click here for Racer Mugshots, Runners with Crews, and the Pre-Race Meeting images on FB.)
CLICK: Image gallery from the Salton Sea start line to Borrego Springs (mile 30) by Ian Parker, April 29, 2023.
CLICK: Image gallery from the Salton Sea start line to Borrego Springs Resort (mile 35) to Hellhole Canyon (mile 40) to Ranchita (mile 50) by Chris Kostman, April 29, 2023.
CLICK: Image gallery from the Salton Sea start line across the Anza-Borrego Desert to CP4 on the trail at Pena Spring Trailhead in Culp Valley (mile 45) by Paul Joubran, April 29, 2023. (Click here for this same gallery on FB.)
CLICK: Image gallery from Hellhole Canyon trailhead (mile 40) near Borrego Springs to the finish line atop Palomar Mountain (mile 81) by Ian Parker, April 29, 2023.
CLICK: Image gallery from the Palomar Mountain finish line (mile 81; ALL finishers!) by Chris Kostman and Pamela Hogue, April 29-30, 2023. (Click here for this same gallery on FB.)
Facebook Live & IG Videos
CLICK: Two short videos and multiple pix on IG from Borrego Springs Resort, seeing the entire race field at the conclusion of the pre-race meeting. April 29, 2023.
CLICK: FB Live 16-minute video from the Salton Sea Start Line and the first 1.2 miles of the race, April 29, 2023.
CLICK: FB Live 26-minute video from the mile 1.2 to mile 5.5 of the race, April 29, 2023.
CLICK: Two short videos and multiple pix on IG of the first two teams at the finish line atop Palomar Mountain, April 29, 2023.
Special thanks to the Race Volunteers!
Mark & Carie Olson: Checkpoint 1 (Mile 14.4, Microwave Tower)
Dave and Margaret Nelson: Checkpoint 2 (Mile 35.2, Borrego Springs Resort)
Regina Peters: Trail Marking, Checkpoint 3 (Mile 40.5 Lower Trailhead), and Trail Sweep
Jeff Bell: Checkpoint 1 and Checkpoint 3
Randy Stephenson: Checkpoint 4 (Mile 45.5 Culp Valley / Pena Spring Trailhead)
Paul Tourkin: Checkpoint 5 (Mile 50.3, Ranchita)
Dr. Kent Wang: Medical Support
Dr. Pamela Starnes: Medical Support
Paul Joubran: Medical Support
Ian Parker: Photography
Finish Line: Chris Kostman, Pamela Hogue, Mark Olson, Carie Olson
Chris Kostman: Race Director, Roving Official, Photography, Webcast, and Finish Line
Thank You!
This event is held under permits from Imperial County, San Diego County, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and the California Department of Transportation. We thank all our permitting agencies and local area friends for their support!
Official Race Sponsors
AdventureCORPS®, Inc. hosts the Badwater® Salton Sea 81-Mile Ultramarathon annually in late April. The tenth edition took place Saturday-Sunday, April 29-30, 2023 on a course stretching across Imperial and San Diego Counties in southern California.
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 began at 630am, Saturday morning on the shore of the Salton Sea and concluded up to 28 hours later high atop Palomar Mountain. Each team of runners is accompanied by a personal support team which tended to all their needs.
This year 76 runners – comprising 34 two- or three-person teams – competed, representing seventeen US states and eight nationalities: Armenia, Canada, Kenya, Lithuania, 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 two mountain ranges to its finish line atop Palomar Mountain, the almost tallest mountain in San Diego County at an elevation of 5500 feet. There is a total 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.
Badwater Sponsors and Partners include Joe Nimble Footwear, Montezuma Valley Market, and Badwater Beverages.
Race Roster | Race Results | Race Magazine | Race Home | Race Staff Images
Image Galleries on Flickr
CLICK: Image and video gallery of the pre-race social run through some of the amazing sculptures in Borrego Springs’ Galleta Meadows; Racer Mugshots; Runners posing with their Support Crews; and the Pre-Race Meeting by Chris Kostman, April 28, 2023. (Click here for Racer Mugshots, Runners with Crews, and the Pre-Race Meeting images on FB.)
CLICK: Image gallery from the Salton Sea start line to Borrego Springs (mile 30) by Ian Parker, April 29, 2023.
CLICK: Image gallery from the Salton Sea start line to Borrego Springs Resort (mile 35) to Hellhole Canyon (mile 40) to Ranchita (mile 50) by Chris Kostman, April 29, 2023.
CLICK: Image gallery from the Salton Sea start line across the Anza-Borrego Desert to CP4 on the trail at Pena Spring Trailhead in Culp Valley (mile 45) by Paul Joubran, April 29, 2023. (Click here for this same gallery on FB.)
CLICK: Image gallery from Hellhole Canyon trailhead (mile 40) near Borrego Springs to the finish line atop Palomar Mountain (mile 81) by Ian Parker, April 29, 2023.
CLICK: Image gallery from the Palomar Mountain finish line (mile 81; ALL finishers!) by Chris Kostman and Pamela Hogue, April 29-30, 2023. (Click here for this same gallery on FB.)
Facebook Live & IG Videos
CLICK: Two short videos and multiple pix on IG from Borrego Springs Resort, seeing the entire race field at the conclusion of the pre-race meeting. April 29, 2023.
CLICK: FB Live 16-minute video from the Salton Sea Start Line and the first 1.2 miles of the race, April 29, 2023.
CLICK: FB Live 26-minute video from the mile 1.2 to mile 5.5 of the race, April 29, 2023.
CLICK: Two short videos and multiple pix on IG of the first two teams at the finish line atop Palomar Mountain, April 29, 2023.
Special thanks to the Race Volunteers!
Mark & Carie Olson: Checkpoint 1 (Mile 14.4, Microwave Tower)
Dave and Margaret Nelson: Checkpoint 2 (Mile 35.2, Borrego Springs Resort)
Regina Peters: Trail Marking, Checkpoint 3 (Mile 40.5 Lower Trailhead), and Trail Sweep
Jeff Bell: Checkpoint 1 and Checkpoint 3
Randy Stephenson: Checkpoint 4 (Mile 45.5 Culp Valley / Pena Spring Trailhead)
Paul Tourkin: Checkpoint 5 (Mile 50.3, Ranchita)
Dr. Kent Wang: Medical Support
Dr. Pamela Starnes: Medical Support
Paul Joubran: Medical Support
Ian Parker: Photography
Finish Line: Chris Kostman, Pamela Hogue, Mark Olson, Carie Olson
Chris Kostman: Race Director, Roving Official, Photography, Webcast, and Finish Line
Thank You!
This event is held under permits from Imperial County, San Diego County, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and the California Department of Transportation. We thank all our permitting agencies and local area friends for their support!
Official Race Sponsors
