Death Valley, US · July 2026
Badwater 135
Badwater 135 pacing strategy with effort-based splits, nutrition timing, and course-specific risk notes for the 217 km ultra.
- Distance
- 217.00 km
- Elevation gain
- 4450 m
- Typical temp
- 30–49 °C
- Cutoff
- 45:00:00
The short version
A brutal course
- ▸Big climbing day — 4450 m up. Pace the ascents on effort, not the clock.
- ▸Heat is the hidden tax (~15% slower than cool-day pace) — bank nothing early.
Next edition
6 July 2026
Typical race-day conditions
30–49 °C
Heat adds ~15% — your plan paces this in.
Course difficulty
BrutalDriven by 4450 m of climbing, altitude up to 2530 m, typical race-day heat (~40 °C). Harder than Big Sur International Marathon (9.7), easier than Black Canyon Ultras 100K (10.0) — tougher than 73% of the races we cover.
Race data quality
Low confidence
Last verified: 24/05/2026
Low paid confidence until the engine has explicit extreme-heat and crew-logistics support. Current data should be treated as discovery and broad effort modeling only.
Elevation profile
Approximate course model
Paid strategy guardrail
Official race packet remains source of truth
Step 1 · Free preview
See the course-adjusted plan first
Enter one recent result. The preview returns course cost, first splits, and fuel target from the deterministic engine and the current course data model.
VDOT
49.1
Estimate
19:33:23
Course cost
+161:09
Fuel target
90 g/h
First 5 km preview
full race locked
- km 15:40
- km 25:21
- km 35:19
- km 46:01
- km 56:02
First race free · then €7 Race Pass · no monthly subscription
Uses an approximate course model; verify final logistics against the official race packet.
Step 2 · Your full Badwater 135 plan
The preview shows the shape. The plan races it for you.
Course preview
Free
what you see now
- ✓Difficulty score & course data
- ✓Course-cost & toughest km
- ✓Your first full plan free, ever
Race Pass
€7
one-time, this race
- ✓Every km split, weather-adjusted
- ✓Nutrition & fluid timeline
- ✓Heat, wind & sun race tactics
- ✓Danger zones + watch file (GPX)
- ✓Race-week forecast & reminders
Annual
€19
per year, every race
- ✓Everything in Race Pass
- ✓Unlimited races, all year
- ✓Re-plan as your fitness changes
No subscription required — one race is a one-off €7. Cancel anytime on Annual.
Continue with approximate course data →Course elevation
4450 m total gain · 1400 m loss · max 2530 m, min -86 m.
Aid stations
10 stations on course — plan your fueling around them.
Race overview
Badwater 135 is an extreme desert road ultra from Death Valley to Mount Whitney. It belongs in discovery because it is iconic, but the current engine must treat it cautiously because crew logistics and extreme heat dominate normal pacing math.
How hard is this course?
Reference table — how the Badwater 135 compares to a flat sea-level course for four typical fitness levels. Computed from the route profile, mean course altitude, and typical race-week climate (40 °C / 15 % humidity). Your personal strategy uses your VDOT, per-km splits, nutrition timing, and the typical climate baseline for this static sample; paid strategies use Open-Meteo when a verified race date is inside the forecast window.
| Runner | Flat-course finish | Badwater 135 finish | Course cost | Adjusted pace |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner (VDOT 35) | 22:06:27 | 25:37:37 | +15.9% | 6:56/km |
| Intermediate (VDOT 45) | 18:05:17 | 20:58:04 | +15.9% | 5:40/km |
| Trained (VDOT 50) | 16:36:55 | 19:15:38 | +15.9% | 5:13/km |
| Competitive (VDOT 60) | 14:20:08 | 16:37:05 | +15.9% | 4:30/km |
Reference nutrition
For a 70 kg runner finishing in 19:15:38 at 40 °C. Adjust to your weight and tolerance — these are ISSN-window targets, not prescriptions.
- Carbs / hour
- 90 g
- Total carbs
- 1733 g
- Fluid / hour
- 900 ml
- Sodium / hour
- 1100 mg
FAQ
How should I pace Badwater 135?
Treat the preview as an effort plan, not a fixed road-marathon pace table. The course model includes 4450 m of climbing, so climbs, descents, heat, and aid-station timing matter more than average pace.
How reliable is the current course data?
Low paid confidence until the engine has explicit extreme-heat and crew-logistics support. Current data should be treated as discovery and broad effort modeling only.
Get your personalized strategy
The numbers above are samples. Sign up free and get the full Badwater 135 strategy from your VDOT, the current course model, Open-Meteo race-week forecast when available, and your nutrition preferences.
First race free · €7 per additional race · €19/yr for unlimited
Get my Badwater 135 strategyRelated races
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New to trail and ultra pacing? Start with our trail and ultra pacing guide or run the VDOT calculator.