American Shaun Burke was the clear-cut overall winner of the notorious Badwater 135 Ultramarathon and he was followed home by Norwegian Line Caliskaner who took the women’s title.
The 135-mile (217km) race takes place in California’s Death Valley in searing temperatures every July and is billed as the “world’s toughest foot race”.
It starts at the Badwater Basin – which at 85m is the lowest elevation point in North America – and this year before it got under way on Monday the thermometer was showing 51 degrees Celsius / 124 Fahrenheit.
To illustrate the test involved, more people have summitted Mt Everest than finished Badwater.
American ultrarunner and former US Navy SEAL David Goggins has completed the race on three occasions, finishing third in 2007.
Men’s race – Burke reels in Holvik
This year 100 athletes (67 men, 33 women) again lined up, with plenty of previous winners involved. And it was last year’s men’s champion Simen Holvik of Norway who set the pace for much of the race.
He had opened up an advantage of nearly an hour between himself and the rest, led by Burke, by the halfway point.
But Burke, a late invite to the event at the start of June, had cut that to just over half an hour at 90 miles and then overtook and pulled clear before the 108 mile timing point.
He wasn’t threatened thereafter, with Hovlik later a DNF, as he battled not only the heat but windy conditions and even a freak – but arguably welcome – rainstorm.
Burke, a 37-year-old from Colorado, crossed the line at Whitney Portal with a time of 23 hours and 29 minutes with his support crew, which included his wife and brother.
Interviewed shortly afterwards by the race organisers and dubbed a “mystery man” as he’s not on social media, Burke said: “My support crew was absolutely phenomenal. This is for all the underdogs out there.”
Last year he’d finished the race for the first time in sixth overall / fourth male in 27:32.
Women’s race – Wire-to-wire for Caliskaner
And it was Caliskaner, the first Norwegian woman to complete the event, who ended up being Burke’s closest rival as she took second overall.
She’d opened up an early lead in the women’s race, but a marginal one, over Micah Morgan (USA).
But as the race wore on that grew and grew, meaning it was over two hours by the 108-mile point.
She crossed the line in 27:36:27, just over half an hour in front of third overall Iván Penalba Lopez (ESP).
Michael Ohler of Germany was third man and fourth overall in 28:24:25, with Morgan fifth overall and second female in 29:11:28. Josephine Weeden (USA) rounded out the women’s podium in 33:26:37.
Caliskaner was following in the footsteps of Ashley Paulson who had won the women’s race for the last two years and also took the overall title last year.
Those who finish in less than 48 hours are rewarded with the coveted Badwater 135 belt buckle – there is no prize money.
2024 Badwater 135 results
Monday July 22-Tuesday July 23, 135 miles
MEN
- Shaun Burke (USA) – 23:29:00
- Iván Penalba Lopez of Alfafar (ESP) – 28:06:34
- Michael Ohler (GER) – 28:24:25
WOMEN
- Line Caliskaner (NOR) – 27:36:27
- Micah Morgan (USA) – 29:11:28
- Josephine Weeden (USA) – 33:26:37