Death Valley Trail Marathon - Race Reviews

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).

Ran this race in 2012, was there for the cancellation in 2011. All positive from where I stand. It's a trail run (gravel road, 2nd half in Titus canyon), so no spectators (and that's fine), adequate aid stations, fantastic scenery, good organisation.Will return. Go for it. Sure, it may be cancelled or re-routed. If it is, do something else on your own.

Titus Canyon is beautiful, I took almost 100 pictures along the way. The course was a little long (GPS estimates ranged from 26.5-27 miles), but nothing significant. The first 6 miles and last 2.5 were across the featureless nothing of the desert, but the Canyon definitely made up for it. No spectators at all, not out in the middle of the desert, but you don't run this course to be cheered on by spectators. So, the 1 star there is simply a reflection of reality, not a criticism. Good points on organization... porta-potties at the start line, finish line, and several points in between... no small feat given the course. Aid stations had water, usually gatorade, occassional fruit, and a couple of smiling volunteers. Nothing like Pikes or Leadville, but adequate. And an especially good point for them - their willingness to defer your race entry to a future year for medical reasons is exemplary, and I wish other races would follow suit. If it's more than a month out, they don't even ask for a reason. They really deserve praise for this progressive policy. The bad... they are total wimps about the weather. Last year was 50 and breezy, and it was cancelled. A couple years before that, they re-routed to a numbing course on the desert floor because of flurries. If you sign up, you have about a 1-in-3 chance that you WON'T run Titus Canyon. We loved camping in Death Valley... the Furnace Creek Campground is great. And much cheaper than the very pricy 5-star hotel. Both years we were there, it was mostly empty. So if you are willing to roll the dice on the route - and you are rolling the dice - then this is a great marathon and a truly unique experience.

After four months - still annoyed at EnviroSports and the terrible job they did on this event. No communication until last minute, tried to use 'safety' as an excuse but then told everyone they could run it on their own unsupported (as if that is so much safer) and finally didn't even give a refund but gave a sob story about their expenses being fixed. Sorry - still ticked about this event. Beautiful course but awful organization.

We traveled across continent. No regrets. Desert is amazing, Dante's view out of this world. The morning of the race was confusing: bright sunny, somewhat windy and chilly but organizers decided to cancel race. Shirts were of very cheap fabric, no date. Just by chance while asking for directions I found out that organizer Dave (God? Common... Overstated. A gregarious fellow. More of a local Falstaff!) had medals in a cardboard box laying in the dirt, next to him sipping a latte. Medals were not dated (like shirts). You don't get 'brand' you get generic. Sad. Why would you not spend a buck or two to engrave the date? Plus, leaving them in the dirt... My run was nice. Strong winds for first 10-12 miles but nothing that an average person cannot handle. I did it by myself: all 26+ miles. Few runners on the first half. Some coming up from the finish line. No water. Organizers should have placed some water on the course. Guess very afraid of liability. People asking each other for some. I had camelbak. Don't bother with mercurial god-like figures and pay them money for nothing. Get some friends and do it by yourself. It is a spectacular course! Shame on organizers for not even reimbursing (real $ not fees for other 'godly' races) participants. Let the dust settle. Adversity multiply charm. *** P.S. On preview of this comment, I noticed that my review adds to 2.5 stars. Not quite. Details: course is 5 stars but organizers and spectators are no star. Like minus 5 stars.

This year (2011) was my second attempt to run Titus Canyon and the second failure. I still hope to do this run in the future. The night before the race I witnessed very cold and strong wind in Beatty, NV, where I stayed in a hotel. In the early morning of the race day I drove my car from Beatty to Furnace Creek. The wind was so strong that I was afraid my car would become an IFO (Identified Flying Object) and I would be 'gone with the wind'. I was not surprised with the decision of Good Old Dave (GOD) to cancel the race. He had to consider all aspects of the run, including the opinion of volunteers and other support staff. However, the race could be re-routed to the lower portion of Titus Cayon or delayed until the afternoon. This is what a group of dedicated runners did: they decided to run from the bottom of the canyon uphill and back.

It is absolutely appalling how they cancelled the race the day of the race and just told people in line for picking bibs, as if it was a bad joke. I simply don't believe this was due to bad wind. I think they simply had trouble getting buses due to Vegas marathon being the next day. I spent 4 months training and over $500 on hotel, drive, etc and now have nothing. Race organizers are a bunch of cowboys. They did very little about the communication on the cancellation. Stay away. See death valley on your own.

Absolutely unacceptable regarding they way they dealt with cancelling the 2011 Death Valley Trail Run. Understandable that the winds were a safety issue. However, within 3 hours, the winds died down and 1/3 of the marathoners did their own run of the canyon. There was no delay or postponement of the race. Simply canceled. Furthermore, there was a complete lack of communication since the cancellation. Two days have passed without informing the racers of ANY reimbursement plan, or any additional reasons for canceling the event. I invested nearly 1,000$ for this weekend to include airfare, lodging, food, and the race itself. I have raced over 50 triathlons and 10 marathons and ultra-marathons. NONE have been canceled for wind, rain or snow. If I wanted to gamble, I would have stayed in Vegas.

There was some wind yesterday in Death Valley. It happens. We had sustained winds in the 20s, gusts around 50. Not ideal, but no big deal. Temps were cool, but not bad. It was sunny. A blustery but beautiful day. Yet the organizers CANCELLED THE RACE. Sometimes the weather isn't perfect. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it snows, sometimes it is windy, sometimes it is hot, sometimes it is cold. You train no matter what, because there is no guarantee of perfect weather on race day. I've run in sub-freezing temps with sustained winds much stronger than what we saw. I've run in snow. I've had friends run in freezing rain. You don't cancel a race because the weather isn't perfect. Almost everyone there had trained in far worse, and most of us had run in far worse. I have friends in Colorado yesterday running a half-marathon with temps in the single digits to low teens, winds just as strong as Death Valley, and light to moderate snow throughout. They ran anyway. Envirosports is a laughingstock. They re-routed a couple of years ago because of an inch of snow on a portion of the trail. Now they cancel due to breezy winds. Why spend your money traveling to a race that only has a 50/50 chance of occurring? I understand that the race organizers are from California, and they were bundled in their parkas against the 50-degree weather. But a lot of people spent a lot of money getting here. Being a wimp is one thing, but this is taking it to a new level. This was ridiculous. Very very very frustrated.

If you need cheerleaders, bands, cups, medals with dates and fancy finish shirts, this is definitely not the place for you. But if you want GREAT people, laid-back and helpful organizers who don't blow a fuse every five minutes, natural beauty that you can't ignore, no crowds and no asphalt then come on down! I didn't come close to a PR but really wasn't expecting that. The mileage is hard-earned but the visuals are awesome. Definitely worth it and I will be there again in February.

The race in itself was fantastic. The aid station at 20 miles was disastrous - manned by three giggling girls who couldn't care less about the runners. Also, it was VERY disappointing that the medals and t-shirt had no date/year on them.

Did the 2010 race through Titus Canyon. Breathtaking scenery and very well organized event. About 3,000 feet of elevation gain during the first half of the race, and then a 5,000-foot descent for the last 13 miles. The facilities at the Furnace Creek Ranch are great as well. Highly recommended, and I plan to return again.

I lucked out and got to run Titus Canyon. It was at the last minute that they opened the canyon and it was worth it! The last 10 or so miles are great! Nice downhill and running in the canyon is incredible.

Of course all of us were dissapointed about not getting to run Titus Canyon, yet I heard no negative comments about it among the runners. I think that once everyone knew the canyon was closed, we all just sucked it up, didn't dwell on it and had a great time anyhow. The two Death Valley Marathons (Trail and Borax) are both extremely well organized. as well as low-key and fun. No one takes anything too seriously, yet we are well taken care of and well supported. Safely is always taken seriously at Dave's races. The alternate course was long and flat, yet beautiful in its own right; it's Death Valley, one of the most beautiful places in the US. Course support was wonderful and the volunteers very friendly and helpful. We also got an ok medal and nice shirts. I was a bit disappointed to get a generic medal and shirt that didn't say anything about a "trail" marathon (just "Death Valley Marathon"). Oh well, small price to pay for a great race. Like many others, I will definitely be back, and one of these times Mother Nature will cooperate and we WILL get to run through beautiful Titus Canyon. If you have never done a small, laid back race, this one is for you... but if you NEED your headsets, forget it. ALL Death Valley races are "NO HEADSET" races. I thought this would bother me at first, as I always run with music; but honestly, once you get into the race and the beauty of the desert, your discomfort is quickly forgotten. I will definitely be back next time.

Death Valley Trail Marathon Death Valley, CA Saturday, February 6, 2010 8:00 AM The following was stated on the marathon's website: By signing up for this event, participants acknowledge the possibility of a last-minute course change and agree to run the alternate course or, if not, agree to abide by the rules set forth by the Death Valley National Park Service. And for the 7th time since the marathon's inception, Titus Canyon was closed, this time due to snow and ice. Bummer! The alternate route was a dirt/gravel road. The out-and-back course was below sea level. The first mile was a gradual downhill, which meant that the last mile would be a steady uphill. The rest was flat. The race day temperature was in the 50s and 60s, cloudy, rain-free, and a bit breezy. In short, we enjoyed a good running weather. The packet pick-up was at Furnace Creek Ranch from 6:15 to 7:00 AM. After an introduction by the race director, good ol' Dave, which made us laugh several times, the buses transported the runners to the start line. There were aid stations (water, sports drink, and snack items) at approximately every three miles. Mile markers and crowd support were not applicable and I doubt if anyone expected them. Each finisher received a short-sleeved cotton T-shirt and a medallion. There were adequate recovery food items and drinks at the finish. The buses transported the runners back to Furnace Creek Ranch. There were 167 finishers (124 males and 43 females, and an average finish time of 4:26:00. The winning times were 3:01:03 (male) and 3:17:53 (female). Frankly, it was a boring run. Although we were mindful of the fact that the closure of Titus Canyon was not race organizers' fault, no one could hide the disappointment of traveling all the way to run on a monotonous course. Nevertheless, it was an interesting experience. I flew into Las Vegas on Friday morning. There was a 115-mile drive from the airport's rental car terminal to Furnace Creek Ranch, where I stayed. It is a nice oasis at the middle of the dessert. If and when you are in Death Valley for the marathon and do not have plenty of time for sightseeing, do what I did. On the way to or from Furnace Creek Ranch, visit Amargosa Opera House and Zabriskie Point. Drive on Badwater Road to Badwater Basin (the lowest elevation in the U.S. at 282 feet below sea level) and go for a walk. On the way back, take the Artist's Drive, which is a one-way road, and you will find the drive quite entertaining!

My first really small marathon (167 finishers) and I'm a convert. No hype, no bands, no headphones. Just pure running with some great people. No headphones meant we actually got to know each other. Lots of small words of encouragement. This is the first marathon where I've made friends on the course. The awards ceremony back at the Corkscrew Saloon was the best I've ever seen because, like the race, it was personal and real. Special thanks to the woman who was diagnosed with cancer after signing up and still ran this (her first) marathon. There were a bunch of us who got misty eyed at that. Thank you; you put it all in perspective for us. You are in our prayers. I gave this 4 stars for spectators, not because there were a lot (there weren't), but because each of us who were running acted in that role. I have never had so much encouragement from fellow runners. In spite of my own injuries (I walked the last 5 miles), I will be back. This marathon is unlike any other I've run.

Though thoroughly unavoidable, the course change was a big disappointment. I had trained for a hilly, up-and-down type of event and got possibly one of the flattest courses imaginable. One of the reasons I dislike road running is its boring monotonous nature, which this course had in spades (except the last two miles). Added to all of that is the fact that this was my first-ever marathon. The overall organization was great, and Dave was an enthusiastic leader, but after the race, a bunch of us waited nearly 30 minutes in the cold and rain (while we were all soaking wet) for the bus back to Furnace Creek. The parents and student manning the aid stations were outstanding... big-time troopers! I'll do this next year and, God willing, we will run through Titus Canyon.

This race was a great time even, though it was the backup course. Good ol' Dave did a great job of keeping it interesting, considering the weather and course conditions. I doubt in the years this race has been held that over an inch of rain provided for such a difficult event to put on. Since I planned on really kicking butt on the mountain course and could not, I was happy to just run through a desert course. The problem was that the desert wasn't dry! Oh well, I am planning to do the Titus Run either next year or later. I really enjoyed meeting some of the other runners and hearing stories of other events. I'm glad to hear the Brits on the Harley got back to Vegas alright! Beatles Cirque was great!

Wild, wet and windy, but flat until the 24-mile mark. I was slightly disappointed to have to run Westfield Road instead of Titus Canyon, but a great experience all the same. Medal was cheap and the extra I paid for a techie t-shirt, didn't really give me a techie t-shirt. Aid stations were manned enthusiastically; a big "thank you" to them, as they had to endure the weather for a lot longer than I did. Good to see a fellow Brit win the women's race. I came in third in my category, so I was happy. Then it was a drive back to Vegas through continuous rain and a snowstorm to relax.

Death Valley is the hottest and driest place in North America. Just like many other runners, I arrived to Death Valley from very far away to run a marathon in the beautiful Titus Canyon under sunny sky. Instead I ran a muddy West Side Road against cold rain and wind with close to zero visibility. Only the few moments in the bus to and from the start/finish line offered some comfort. Good Old Dave's (GOD's) unlimited energy, enthusiasm and sense of humour saved this event from a disaster. After the marathon run, all trails and roads in the DV National Park were closed due to snow and flash flooding. My big thanks to the volunteers who manned aid stations in these miserable conditions. At each stop I hoped for a cup of hot tea or coffee. Not this time. Now I have a good reason to register for Titus Canyon 2010 and count for a better weather.

Rainy and cold. The rerouted course on Westside Road was pretty monotonous. The rain added an interesting element, since many patches of the road ended up being flooded and muddy. The race itself started about 30 minutes late. The t-shirt and medal are pretty low-quality when compared to marathons at the same cost. Running through Death Valley will always be an amazing experience, but my expectations weren't quite met during this race. The aid stations were great and stayed open until every runner passed by - the high school kids manning the stations were real troopers!

While we didn't get to run through Titus Canyon, it was a memorable experience, running entirely below sea level while Death Valley was beginning to flood. The day of the marathon saw 50-degree weather with wind, rain, and mud. It was both miserable and amazing at the same time. While there were very few spectators (10-20?), they were amazing.

It is difficult to imagine a more peaceful, scenic run. In reading the previous reviews, I got a few chuckles out of some of the negative comments about this race. IT IS IN DEATH VALLEY!! In other words, if you are looking for a hotel at the start/finish, aid stations every 2 miles stocked like a Vegas buffet, bands, spectators, cheer squads, etc., then you need to run the Rock and Roll with 30,000 other people. Death Valley is for the pure joy of running in a secluded, hauntingly beautiful place.

Yes, this is a great TRAIL marathon.... Watch your footing because you'll be running on loose rocks and watching the ground the whole way!!

As the day for this race drew near, Titus Canyon Road was closed. I was resigned to having to run the flat out-and-back course (the alternative route which I believe is on the West Side Road next to the Devil's Golf Course), but Titus Canyon Road opened on the day of the marathon. I was thrilled! The volunteers were helpful and Dave Horning from Envirosports was entertaining. One holdup in the morning was the disproportionate lines to pick up race numbers. The lines were divided by the letter of the last name, and some lines had 40 people while others were empty. A bus broke down on the morning of the race, but everyone found their way to the start of the race with only a short delay in the start time. The race begins with the flashing of Dave's taillights as he heads off to start the 30K group about 8 miles ahead. The route ascends steadily for the first five miles, then really picks up grade until mile 9. Then there is a mile-long descent followed by a 1.5-mile, 1000-foot climb up to Red Pass. After Red Pass the trail descends without ever climbing for the last 14 miles. One of the runners I hooked up with said he had never run so fast during the last miles of a race. The aid stations are not really at the mile markers listed, but are within a mile or two of the distances stated. So don't depend on them for timing your drinks or food stops. The post-race wrap-up at the Saloon that night was long. Dave listed off each age group and the top three finishers together with their time. I finally left after 45 minutes of standing around without hearing the results from my race. They must have been listing results for over an hour that way. On my way out I found the results were posted outside after the meeting started, so I found my time and placing there. I loved Death Valley and the adventure of this race.

This was a great marathon. I loved it. As stated in previous posts, it has spectacular scenery. Death Valley is a very cool National Park. It was like visiting another planet. Weather was perfect for a marathon. I took it easy going up, up, up. I let it rip going down, down, down, down. It's harder going uphill than going downhill, but going downhill is harder on your body. Two days later I could barely walk. It starts in NV and finishes in CA, which is also cool. This was my 19th marathon and my most memorable. If you love a destination marathon, put it on your list!

Great run in a beautiful place. Very hard, but I really like hard runs!!!

Let me start with a word of advice for future Enviro-Sport runners: When the race director says, "No headphones," he means NO HEADPHONES! We saw a lot of runners running with headphones despite his instructions to the contrary, and they all got a nasty surprise at the awards ceremony when they all found out they'd been disqualified! The course is psychologically daunting. About the first ten miles are on crushed gravel to the top of what they call "White Pass." When you get to the top of the pass, you see a deep valley in front of you, and on the other side of the valley, you see what they call "Red Pass," but what I call "Donkey Kong Hill" because the trail zig-zagging up the side of the mountain kind of reminds me of the video game Donkey Kong. Once you get to the top of Donkey Kong Hill at about mile 14, it's literally all downhill. I did not experience any of the exhaustion at around mile 22 like I have on other marathons; you pay your dues upfront on this one. This was a great race and I'll be the first to sign up for next year's run!

Desolate vistas, and amazing canyon walls. It's a jeep trail: footing needs attention and it really is 2300' up for 13 miles, followed by 5000' down the final 13. No mile markers, which I loved; it's a run within nature's starkness. Organization could improve: we started a 1/2-hour late; were given 2 speeches when 1 typed info page would have been better; no map with elevation or stops indicated; no cups at the first (of 5 stops); no vaseline until third stop; they ran out of medals; and at the finish we waited in the full bus for 20 min., cramping up, before it was given the go-ahead to leave. Still, once the jarring stopped from all of that downhill running, it's a great memory.

This year, 2007, saw us running the original course through Titus Canyon. It was absolutely breathtaking. The run up was quite difficult, 12 miles, 10 gradual, then down, then 800 meters straight up! The 14 miles down were very hard on the quads - not as fast as one would think due to the wear and tear of the decline. The organization was friendly, but barely existent. No mile markers; guys with GPS said it was 27.4 miles long or longer. Overall, I would love to do it again and would recommend it.

The course is tough but doable (start = 3400'; mile 12 = 5100'; finish = 200'). Don't obsess about your mile splits or your finishing time and just enjoy this race. Titus Canyon is incredible to experience on foot. Running carefree through those narrow passages surrounded by cavernous walls of rock hundreds of feet high is awesome! Only the sound of your feet on the trail. No noise or distractions from traffic, crowds, or cities. If you like the great outdoors, this race is a must-do.

Titus Canyon is a great place for running a marathon, with fantastic views, organization and spectators. I will explain: the views before, in the canyon and of Death Valley at the end, must be seen to believe; organization low-key, fun and waits to make sure all runners a ready to start - in other words does not start on a specific time, and spectators are very few, but the ones that are there are the greatest (quality not quantity). Even if you sign up and they can't run Titus Canyon, the alternate route is the only marathon I know of that is 100% below sea level, which I also ran in 2006.

I ran the 30K and it was a great downhill race through a scenic canyon in Death Valley. Weather was perfect - probably in 50's and sunny, slight breeze. We dropped over 5,000 ft the last 14 miles. Dirt road was easily runnable and hardly any rough spots. I would highly recommend this race and hope to run it again next year.

Ran this race on 02.05.07, and wow, it was a blast! Was a little concerned that the previous reviews on this site were not 100% glowing, but my expectations were blown away. Now this is not a race where you are pampered incessantly; this is running at its truest. Luck held this year and we ran Titus Canyon, which was a heck of a course. I was initially slightly bummed by the race policy of no headphones, but found myself appreciating the sound of the runners on the trail - it was very different from listening to, say, the LA or NYC Marathon around you. The race itself: The very cool and wildly enthusiastic race director meets us down at the bottom of the valley and there is little fanfare; the most fanfare was recognizing some longtime return marathoners, some international runners, and the three birthdays that were present :) We joined in singing "America the Beautiful" and they hopped on busses for a ~30-minute ride to the top of Valley. On the packed dirt/gravel road we get out, a line is drawn in the dirt and off we go when the race director's car is far enough ahead (so as not to have to run through his dust). (Timers were worn, by the way - just a mass timer start). The course climbed rom 3400' to 5000', drops to 4600' then up to 5400' and then all the way to -100'. A truly beautiful course and the ~14.5 miles of continual declines was a trip. Throw in the beauty of Death Valley and the wild slot canyon towards the end and it made for a great race. Low-key, yet well prepared and hosted. I can't think of anything I would wish differently. (My Garmin did show 26.65, but signal was lost in part of the Canyon and as a previous reviewer said, so what! :)) All in all, I ended up with a PR to boot and would absolutely run this race again as the course is unique and so fun!

This turned out to be quite a run, although after a couple of hours, it was a little boring. But, it isn't too often one gets to run a marathon below sea level, even if the scenery never seems to change. Next time, it will have to be Titus Canyon or nothing. I had my GPS, just for fun, and the course was long... but so what? It was a great race.