On July
23rd, Lisa Smith-Batchen will
begin the Badwater Ultramarathon, which
starts at Badwater, California, elevation
282 feet below sea level, and continues
for 90 miles across Death, Panamint,
and Owens Valleys, over Townes Pass and
Father Crowley’s. At 124 miles,
just above Lone Pine, California, the
course climbs up to the Mount Whitney
Portals in the Sierras, where the organized
race ends at 135 miles. To make a complete
146-mile crossing, Lisa will continue
to the top of Mount Whitney, 14,494 feet
above sea level. The total elevation
gain for a one-way trip is about 19,000
feet. Lisa will then reverse the course,
making it an out-and-back or double crossing,
adding another 5,000 feet of elevation
gain (over Father Crowley’s and
Townes pass in the reverse direction)
bringing the total elevation gain to
almost 24,000 feet! Her journey
will cover nearly 300 miles.
Lisa is not a
stranger to the sleep deprivation and
course temperatures can range from
120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit (49-55C).
She has already competed in the Badwater
Ultramarathon seven times, winning
the women's division twice. She has
completed more than 30 ultramarathons,
90 marathons, and 7 Ironman triathlons.
She has also completed the Marathon
Des Sables race through the Sahara
Desert twice, and is the only American
women ever to win the women's division
of that race.
Lisa
is making this epic journey to raise
money for the MPD
Foundation, working to find
a cure for MPD (Myeloproliferative Disorders) Click
here to learn more.
Make
a contribution now!
The
Official Badwater Race Site
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