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California > Death Valley Marathon, Half Marathon &
10K
Death Valley
National Park, CA
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Date
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Event
Details
Run entirely along a 6.55-mile stretch of Highway 190 through the flat,
desolate desert terrain of California's Death Valley National Park, the
Death Valley Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K offers one of the
country's most unique courses for running a road race of any kind.
Out-and-back and surrounded by the sandy hills and mountains for which
the park is known, the race is also relatively flat, featuring no more
than 500 feet of elevation change over the entire route.
From the starting line at the aptly named Furnace Creek Ranch on
Highway 190, the race follows a simple, out-and-back route northward
and southward along the road, and is run entirely on paved surfaces.
Famous for its elevation below sea level (and, at 282 feet below sea
level, as the lowest spot in the Western Hemisphere), the race features
views of nearby mountain ranges including the Cottonwoods, the Blacks,
the Grapevines and the Panamints.
Though the race is run (thankfully!) at a time of the year when Death
Valley experiences relatively cooler temperatures, runners are
encouraged to bring water with them along the course -- even though aid
stations will be provided -- to prevent dehydration from occurring.
Runners will start the race at about 8:00 AM, and should expect the
only real rolling hills of the race in the first three miles and last
three miles of the race, as the out-and-back course takes them along
the course they've just run back toward the finish at Furnace Creek.
The race is a smaller one by most running event standards, as just over
140 runners crossed the finish line in the half marathon in 2008 (out
of just over 300 runners overall in all three races). Also, runners
will need to keep a pace of at most 13:45 minutes per mile, as there is
a 6-hour time limit for all participants in the marathon, half marathon
and the 10K.
Race
Weather & Climate
Death Valley National Park is home to some of the hottest temperatures
on earth in the summer, when the mercury in the park's Badwater Basin
sometimes reaches over 130°F. On the day of the race in early
December, milder temperatures (thankfully) are common, and average
between 37°F and 65°F.
Fees
$55 if registered by October 29, 2009
Registration
To reserve your spot in the winter 2009 running of the Death Valley
Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K, register online at AthletesLounge.com.
Websites
www.envirosports.com
Death Valley National Park in National
Geographic Magazine
Course Map
Share
Your Race Story
Ever run in Death Valley's annual Marathon or Half Marathon?
Share
your impressions and read fellow runners' stories
and tips for the event.
Discuss it in the HalfMarathons.Net
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