Death Valley Trail Marathon

Very gravelly road, but Titus Canyon is really a beautiful place for a run. Because of the rocky surface, it's hard to look up to enjoy the scenery, so you need to stop to enjoy it. And I did many times! The first couple aid stations were pretty lame, water only. There was no gatorade or fruit at any aid stations at all. The last three aid stations had peanut butter filled pretzels, cheez its, and some sort of trail mix, all from CostCo. I have no idea what the organizers did with all the all the registration money. Snacks and drinks at the end of the race were similarly disappointing. But, they had good bus transportation and porta potties at the beginning and end of the race. This was my first marathon, so maybe my expectations were unrealistic, but how hard is it to include a little fresh fruit?

If you'd like to challenge yourself, run this event. About the Course I have run a few trail marathons. This race is the most challenge one. The course starts from east end of Titus Canyon road to the west end of Titus Canyon road. Amazingly, the length of the road is specifically designed for running marathon. The road is labeled as jeep road. Only powerful high raised all wheel drive jeeps or SUV can go through the route. The road surfaces vary along the way. You may encounter rock, sand, and dirt. There is no smooth surface section. You always have to choose the landing spot each step of the way to avoid twist your ankle. To avoid injury, I ran much slower than I usually do. I did not get injury, but I got sour ankles and knees. Although there are some significant down hills, the first half is mainly up hills. The second half is all downhill. The elevation starts at 3460ft. It ascending to 4900ft. Then, it has a significant descending before ascending to the peak at 5250ft at the halfway. The finish line has an elevation of 200 ft. The scenery is stunning along the way. This is really awarding. About the Weather When we gather together at Furnace Creek, we felt that we are lucky to have a calm and cool morning. However, after we were shuttled to the start point, everyone has to bundle up. It was cold and windy. Almost everyone returned to the bus as a shelter to keep warm. The windy and cold condition kept to the same to the first 1/3 of the course. After getting to the mountain, the wind was blocked by the hills. Almost everyone wear long sleeves. Some experienced runners use buff to shade the mouth. I did not have one. However, this is highly recommended as it may help you to easy the dry, cold windy weather. It also helps to block the dust whenever a jeep passes by. About the Organizer This is a well organized event. All were smooth. For Marathon course, there is a aid station at mile 5, 10, 15, 20, 23 and at the finish line. The stations were stocked with Gatorade, water, banana, trail mixes, and some other goodies. The volunteers were cheerful and helpful. Potties at the start and finish line. The event is small. You can easily find your own pace to run starting from the beginning.

After one re-routing due to heavy rain, one cancellation due to cold and strong wind I finally made it this year and I am happy. The course was tough: initial long and steady ascend followed a steep down and even steeper up-hill run to the half-way point with all the way down later on. The scenery was out of this world, especially in the second half of the race. There were no spectators except for young and friendly water station crews and friends and families at the finish line. In summary: a very tough, beautiful, and unforgettable event. Thanks G.O.D. (Good Old Dave).