The following is the message of Chris Kostman, Race Director & Organizer of the Badwater 135-Mile Ultramarathon Race to the Participants of the 2020 Badwater 135-Mile Race to be held on July 6-8, 2020:
I have been transparent with you all along, so you are hearing these news first:
It is with the deepest regret that I must tell you that the 2020 Badwater 135 Ultramarathon - held annually since 1987 - will not take place this year as we had hoped, planned, and intended.
I am literally shocked and heartbroken to even make this announcement, especially just ten days before our race, but the events and trends of this week force this announcement. I apologize profusely from the bottom of my heart for the heartbreak and disappointment, as well as for the massive inconvenience this causes for so many.
It goes without saying that we are living in unprecedented times, with a global pandemic like nothing our planet has seen in a century. However I have believed all along that we could "thread the needle" with the timing - and location - of our event allowing us to pull it off, and until this week, all signs pointed to that dream becoming a reality.
This week several factors came about which forced the winds to blow in a different direction: As you know, it was just Tuesday evening when the National Park Service informed us that they expected to be able to issue a permit for the event. (Other permits had just been finalized in the days prior.)
Wednesday morning an earthquake rocked the Lone Pine area, causing a landslide which closed our finish line area at Whitney Portal and the road below it for several miles. Search & Rescue teams are looking for victims, while geologists will assess this weekend whether it is safe to re-open the road and area.
But then, as we remained hopeful that the road to our finish line would re-open for the race, we learned the troubling news that new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Inyo County, for the first time in many weeks with no new cases. Additionally, U.S. coronavirus cases set a new highest single-day tally on Wednesday, and then again yesterday, while case numbers spiked higher and higher in New York, Florida, Texas, Nevada, and elsewhere - and these are all places from which runners and crew members would be traveling for the race. And in California, hospitalizations have increased 32% over the past 14 days and ICU hospitalizations are up 19%. Inyo County is a rural area with only a few small hospitals and can’t handle any kind of surge.
With all of this in the news, today we had a difficult phone call with the National Park Service, after they had had one with Public Health officials, and it became apparent that they - both the NPS and Inyo County - are very concerned with the event bringing people to the region from all over the country. It also became clear that it was increasingly likely that we would have one or more of our event permits cancelled next week. Any assurances of the event being allowed to happen fell away during the call.
The only thing worse than announcing the event cancellation today would be to do so next week when some or all of the participants were in the area. (I know a few are already en route. I'm extra sorry for them.) I am still awaiting an official statement from DVNP about the cancellation, but I didn't want you all to wait any longer to know.
We love Inyo County, Death Valley National Park, the Inyo National Forest, and everyone who lives and works there. We never want to be anything but a positive addition to Inyo County and something fun and positive and life-affirming that takes place there annually. As such, in concert with the National Park Service, Inyo County, the Badwater Medical Director, and others, I must announce the cancellation of the 2020 Badwater 135.
All 103 2020 Badwater 135 entrants will be guaranteed entry next year and you will receive the 2020 Badwater 135 Official Finishers Buckle when you cross the line in 2021. The 2021 edition is scheduled for July 19-21, 2021. Pre-ordered Class 3 shirts and Biffy Bags will be held for next year.
I'll post a fuller statement more broadly on FB and on our website - and send it out via email - shortly. I apologize again for these horrible news.
Chris Kostman
Race Director & Race Organizer, Badwater 135-Mile Ultramarathon Race
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