Thank you for your interest in competing in "The Toughest 48 Hours in Sport!"

Applications will be accepted April 8-22, 2008 ONLY. (Now closed.)

2008 508 Applications: Please study this entire page carefully.

• Entry fees are 50% refundable until August 1, 2008 upon written request.
• Team and/or Tandem Entries: Please note that we need complete application information for every rider, so be prepared to submit a complete application for each rider simultaneously. Click here to preview the application, so that the person who will complete it will know which info they will need for all riders.
• Totems: We use animal totems rather than numbers to identify racers in the Furnace Creek 508. Each racer may request, or will receive, an animal totem as part of the application process. Returning racers will have the same totems as before. New riders may request a specific animal totem when they submit their entry form, however only Chris Kostman can officially assign animal totems, following a special ritual ablution and spiritual practice. Totems, whether nickname, mascot, alter ego, second identity, or spirit guide, are permanent and non-transferable. For more info on totems and which totems are already taken, click here.
• If you're looking for support crew members, or for additional racers to join your relay team, please take advantage of the AdventureCORPS Blog.
• Click here to see the 25th Anniversary 2008 Furnace Creek 508 jersey and vest, plus our new "DEATH VALLEY" and "ROUGH RIDERS" jerseys.

Step One: Complete the online application between April 8 and April 22, 2008. You will want to tell us about the following:

• Your ultracycling, and ultrasports, experience.
• Your specific experience with Furnace Creek 508 in the past (if any). If you are applying as a relay team, having at least one 508 veteran on your team is encouraged, but not required. To celebrate our 25th Anniversary, past solo male and female champions from 1983 through 2007 will be given special consideration.
• Any charitable efforts you intend to implement if you are invited to compete in the 2008 Furnace Creek 508. This may be on behalf of any of the Official Charities of AdventureCORPS, or any other charity you wish to support.
• Any media coverage you expect to receive if you are invited to compete in the 2008 Furnace Creek 508.
• Any "Green Team" effort you intend to implement if you are invited to compete in the 2008 Furnace Creek 508.
• Your contributions to the sport of ultracycling: event organizer, support crew experience, journalist, sponsor, and the like, if any.

Step Two: After you complete the online biographical application for you or you and your teammates, your application will be immediately under review. Therefore, do not click "Submit" until you are sure it is ready for review.

Step Three: Click here to sign up for our email newsletter. (Your crew members and sponsors should sign up, too, if you are accepted to race.)

Step Four (not mandatory): We encourage, but do not require, you to click here to submit an online donation to Challenged Athletes Foundation, the Official Charity of AdventureCORPS and this event in particular. It will go a long way for a good cause and will mean a lot to me personally. Also, you may choose to become a fund-raiser for CAF and dedicate your participation in Furnace Creek event to CAF. It's a great cause and fun to do! For more info on why you should support CAF or how you can race on behalf of CAF, click here.

Step Five (not mandatory): The Major Taylor Association is also a beneficiary of Furnace Creek 508 and AdventureCORPS. The MTA was formed by residents of Worcester, Mass., who became intrigued with the story of the 1899 world champion bicycle racer from Worcester who overcame racial prejudice to become the first internationally acclaimed African-American sports star. The organization's mission is to memorialize Major Taylor with a statue on public land in Worcester, in recognition of his athletic achievements and strength of character -- his sportsmanship, concern for those less fortunate, devotion to God, and personal struggle for equality. We are proud to support the Major Taylor Association and we encourage you to click here and do the same!

Step Six - Wait: on or about Friday May 2, we will notify you or you and your teammates via email whether you are, or are not, confirmed to compete in the 2008 Furnace Creek 508. If you, or your team, is accepted to compete, you will be emailed download the three-page Personal Waiver, Entry Fee Payment Form, and Gear Order Form. (Like all Pdf forms, this requires Adobe Acrobat or similar to read and utilize.) Please TYPE all information on the pages while it is open in your computer, then sign it before mailing it to the race office with the relevant fee. Fees may be paid by check or money order only, payable to AdventureCORPS; sorry, no credit cards. You will have just ten days to submit the paperwork to AdventureCORPS in order to secure your spot on the race roster.

NOTE: We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone. Additionally, due to permit, safety, and operational restrictions that limit the field to approximately 200 entrants, we apologize now that some qualified applicants will not be accepted. We appreciate your understanding if you are not invited this year. If that’s the case, we encourage you to support another racer in the event as this race could not go on without dedicated and competent support crews.

Step Seven: If you are accepted to compete, you will also be sent the Crew Member Waiver. Each of your crew members must sign this form prior to the race, so print one for each of your crew members. Please bring them as one set of waivers when you attend Racer Check-In. (Do not mail them to us in advance.)

Application Notes:

• There are no "Qualification Requirements" to apply. Anyone may apply who has a sincere interest in competing.
• No applicant is guaranteed entry, including race veterans.
• Some special consideration is given to applicants who are veteran Furnace Creek 508 crew members or race officials.
• You must have relevant, applicable race results from 2006 and/or 2007.
• All relevant race results must be attained prior to submitting the application to compete in the upcoming Furnace Creek 508.

• All Applicants are encouraged to take the application process seriously and compose an extensive, detailed, and accurate application. Simply put, the applicants with the best applications (in terms of their athletic background, demonstrable commitment to sportsmanship, and in terms of their answers to questions posed on the application) will have the greatest chance of being selected to enter the race. Applications should be written as if the reader has never heard of the applicant and has no prior knowledge of the entrant or any of the events in which he/she has participated, including The 508. Acronyms and initials should not be used when listing events and such; please type out the full name of any event, person, or place mentioned in the application.
• In preparing your application, keep in mind the standard reasons that generally will lead to some applicants not being invited:
  • The applicant has limited athletic background, which is particulary important for solo applicants.
  • The applicant’s credentials are only recent, i.e., not a seasoned ultra endurance athlete with a breadth of experience.
  • The applicant’s credentials are only old, i.e. all or most of the credentials are old and may not reflect current ability.
  • The applicant has no experience in extreme conditions or specifically on the 508 race course as a competitor, crew member, or official.
  • The applicant didn't "prove" his or her claims. (Please include a weblink to the relevant results wepage for any major event mentioned in your application, so what we may verify your results).
  • The applicant submitted a “thin” application - not only few qualifications were listed, but not much time was put into the preparation of the application itself. (Applicants shoud not assume "we've already heard of him/her" and therefore not provide the necessary details.)
  • There are always A LOT of "qualified" applicants, and thus some applicants must inevitably be turned away.