Fueling through Death Valley

ONE PINE, Calif. — It's hard to find your sense of humor when you're running an ultramarathon through Death Valley in July, when the air constantly feels like an oven or hair dryer blowing on you and the pavement is hot enough to melt the bottoms of your shoes.

Lorie Hutchison smiled and laughed often during her first stab at the Badwater Ultramarathon, just a little 135-mile "fun run" through the desert July 14-16.

Hutchison shocked herself, her crew and even race director Chris Kostman by finishing her first Badwater in just over 31 hours, 17 minutes.

The first time someone ran the Badwater course was 31 years ago, when Al Hartman did it with a crew, just to see if he could do it. Over the years the race has grown, with 80 at the start Monday.

The race begins at Death Valley's Badwater Junction, elevation 282 feet below sea level, the lowest spot in North America.

An international group of elite athletes, who need an invitation to compete and a $500 entry fee, then have 60 hours within which to officially finish the race. It ends 135 miles later at the trailhead to Mount Whitney, which some runners actually climb after the race — Utahn Jim Nelson did it in 2004.

Their stories are varied, amazing and inspiring. A few have finished Badwater more than 10 times and even do it by themselves, no crew. Many raise money for charity in the name of Badwater. Arizona's Lisa Smith-Batchen had a nun on her crew, starting in Las Vegas, running/walking to Badwater, then to the Whitney summit and beyond, all in the name of raising money to help others.

This year's winner, Jorge Pacheco, of Los Angeles, clinched it in 23:20. Jamie Donaldson, of Colorado, beat all female runners with a blistering 26:51 finish.

Utahn Jarom Thurston, of Payson, found the shady trailhead in a little over 47 hours — everyone who finishes in under 48 hours gets a medal around their neck and a shiny gold belt buckle, a strange but welcome reward for being relatively fast.

Hutchison crossed the finish line after a punishing steep climb out of Lone Pine in eighth place overall.

"That was a very sweet moment," said Hutchison, who has finished multiple 100-mile ultramarathons. "I think the harder it hurts and the longer it takes, the sweeter the finish. And it was fantastic to have my whole crew cross that line with me."

But fun?

Hutchison wanted it that way, if only for her crew. It's her nature not to impose on anyone, let alone drag them through the hot desert for longer than necessary. It may have been why she ran so fast.

"She wanted us to have fun," crew leader and partner Margaret Rose said. "She didn't want to put anybody out — she was worried about us."