The Badwater Ultramarathon is a 135-mile course that starts 282 feet below sea level in Death Valley, CA and ends at an elevation of 8,360 feet on Mount Whitney. The race takes place in July when temperatures are often over 120F in the shade. Due to mountain ranges on the course, the cumulative elevation gain exceeds 13,000 feet. The first person to complete the Badwater course was Al Arnold in 1977 with a time of 80:00. In 1987, Badwater became an official organized footrace. Runners who complete the Badwater course in 60:00 receive a commemorative medal and runners who complete the course in 48:00 receive a belt buckle. No prize monies are awarded for this competition. The current course records are 22:51:29 for men set by Valmir Nunes, and 27:56:27 for women set by Pam Reed. ().