Furnace Creek 508: Need to Know

Also, stay tuned to the News Page and the Email Newsletter!

Welcome to the 27th Anniversary AdventureCORPS Furnace Creek 508, the world's premier ultramarathon bicycle race. This 508-mile event with 35,000 feet of total elevation gain traverses Death Valley and is held every year in October, usually on the first or second weekend.

2010 Schedule of Events

For other important dates, be sure to review the AdventureCORPS Calendar at this link.

SUNRISE/SUNSET/TWILIGHT: Using Valencia as a reference on Oct 2, Civil Twilight begins at 6:29AM and Sunrise is at 6:54AM, while Sunset is at 6:28PM and Civil Twilight ends at 6:54PM.

OFFICIAL RACE TIME: Click here to set your watch to official race time.

APPLICATION FORM: Furnace Creek 508 is an invitational race. Applications to compete in the 2010 race will be made available for solo entrants for just two weeks in January and for solo and relay entrants throughout the month of May. For more info, visit our Calendar page. To apply to compete, click here.

RACE ACROSS AMERICA QUALIFIER: Furnace Creek 508 is an official qualifier for Race Across America. For all the details, visit the RAAM website.

RACE ROSTER: Click here for the 2010 roster.

508 GEAR: Click here to see the 2009 gear designs! (Stay tuned for 2010.)

WEBCAST: Will be hosted during the race (starting about noon on Friday, October 1 with a Live Webcam at Racer Check-In) for time splits, images, and more. Click here for the 2010 webcast.

RACE MAGAZINE: Click here to download the 48 page 2009 Furnace Creek 508 Race Magazine. It's a 3-meg Pdf file. (Stay tuned for the 2010 edition.)

RULES: Read them, learn them, live them: Click here. Stay tuned for revisions for 2010.

SPONSORS: Special thanks to Hammer Nutrition, Moeben, Bicycle John’s, Hilton Garden Inn of Santa Clarita, Furnace Creek Ranch, and the Best Western Gardens Inn of Twentynine Palms.

DISTANCE: 509.58 miles, unless rerouting is required due to road closures or other circumstances. (The route was 508.5 miles prior to 2007, when a new route around Mojave was forced upon us by road work.)

ROUTE: The Official Route for the Furnace Creek 508 is included in the Race Magazine and on this website. The 509.58 mile course covers 35,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain while passing through Santa Clarita, Mojave, Randsburg, Trona, Panamint Valley, Death Valley, Stove Pipe Wells, Furnace Creek, Badwater, Shoshone, Baker, Amboy, and Twenty Nine Palms.

DIVISIONS OFFERED. Click here for the info.

COURSE RECORDS: Visit the Results Page for all course records.

STARTING LOCATION: Hilton Garden Inn 27710 The Old Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91355, 661-254-8800. Driving instructions from the San Fernando Valley: Proceed north on Interstate 5 for about 20 miles, exit at Magic Mountain Parkway in the Valencia part of Santa Clarita, and the Inn is on the west side of the interstate, next door to Marie Callendars. The hotel has only 80 rooms available at a special 508 rate, so be sure to utilize the special code (revealed to confirmed entrants only) when you make your reservation through their website or when phoning. All entrants who plan on obtaining a room the night before the race are encouraged to stay at the Hilton Garden Inn. If they are sold out, consider the Holiday Inn Express Hotel, which is located just across the freeway from the Hilton: 661-284-2101.

BIKE SHOP SUPPORT AT THE START LINE AND BIKE SHIPPING: We are pleased to announce that Bicycle John’s of Burbank (with additional locations in Acton, Northridge, and Lancaster) will be on hand at the host hotel on Friday to assist with last minute (and basic) bicycle repairs, as well as last minute product needs and purchases. Also, they will have a neutral support van on the course on Saturday morning for the first 25 miles of the race (when your support teams are already up the road, waiting for you). If you want to pre-order anything special or extra for the race, or you need to ship a bike out in advance, then we recommend Bicycle John's for all your 508 needs! Info here.

ENDING LOCATION: At the finish line host hotel, as detailed below. Chris Kostman can be reached there after the lead rider arrives - (760) 367-9141. Plan on hanging out at the finish line to greet other finishing riders, which will help everyone get to know one another better and make the weekend more fun.

FINISH LINE HOTEL: Best Western Gardens Motel, 71487 Twenty Nine Palms Highway, Twenty Nine Palms, CA 92277, 760-367-9141. A very nice hotel located literally at the finish line of the race on the main drag (Hwy 62). AAA and AARP discounts are available. Make your reservations ASAP. Identify yourself with the 508. (If this hotel is full, there is also a nearby Marriott and Motel 6.)

POST RACE BREAKFAST: As in 2008 and 2009, we will enjoy a special pancakes and more breakfast on Monday morning at Palms Baptist Church 5285 Adobe Rd., Twentynine Palms, CA 92277 from 7am to 9am on Monday, October 6.

We (AdventureCORPS) are paying for all the costs of breakfast, however a suggested donation of $5 per person is encouraged at the door, all of which will go to support Palms Baptist's good work in the community. Palms Baptist also has a Community Clothes Closet which provides nice clothing (and child/baby-related supplies) to those in need in the community - so perhaps you can also bring along any used but nice clothing for men, women, or children to donate.

Racers, crew, and staff, please plan on staying to enjoy the breakfast before you hit the road on Monday morning. Let's start a neat new tradition to close out this memorable experience, while supporting the finish line host community in the process. See you there!

RACE HEADQUARTERS: Race Headquarters is located during the race at the finish line hotel. If a rider drops out of competition, call Race Headquarters AT ONCE! State why and where you or your rider dropped out. For emergencies, call 911.

TOTEMS, NOT RACE NUMBERS: As always, we will continue with animal totems rather than numbers. Each racer may request, or will receive, an animal name that must be posted on all four sides of each vehicle. Animals are the theme—antelope, bear, cheetah, duck, etc. Be sure to memorize your totem; this is how you and your crew will identify yourselves to time stations and race officials. 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.

OFFICIAL FINISHER'S DISTINCTION: To finish the Furnace Creek 508 is a noted accomplishment in the world of ultra endurance sports. The time limit is 48 hours for solo entrants and 46 hours for teams.

AWARDS: All solo and team OFFICIAL FINISHERS will receive a finisher’s medal at the finish line. They will also receive an OFFICIAL FINISHER'S jersey, produced by Hincapie Sports, at the finish line. To see the 508 T-shirt designs from 1990 through 2000, plus RAAM T-shirts from 1982 through 1998, click here. Click here to see the 2009 gear designs!

NANCY DANKENBRING AWARD: This Award is intended to encourage and increase the participation of female athletes in Ultra Cycling race events in general and the Furnace Creek 508 in specific. In particular, this Award is to encourage increased participation of female athletes who have never previously competed in any ultra race events.

Therefore, the Nancy Dankenbring Award is to be presented in recognition of the best female rookie solo rider entered, regardless of age, who enters and successfully finishes the Furnace Creek 508 in the lowest official time recorded.

The Nancy Dankenbring Award is a perpetual award intended expressly to be concurrent with the Furnace Creek 508 for as long as this race event is properly and officially sanctioned, organized and run.

The physical award itself may be monetary, services, merchandise or product; complementary/free entry in the next year's Furnace Creek 508 and/or other UMCA event(s); trophy, plaque or other device; or any combination or proportion as determined by event officials. For more information, click here.

OFFICIAL CHARITIES: The official charities of Furnace Creek 508 are the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), Major Taylor Association, and Death Valley Natural History Association. Additionally, AdventureCORPS is a member of 1% For The Planet and the Conservation Alliance. One of the goals of the race is to raise funds for, and awareness of, these organizations.

The Challenged Athletes Foundation was created on the belief that people of all abilities should have the opportunity to pursue a life full of physical activity and of sports. Be they recreational or in pursuit of a gold medal at the Paralympic Games, people with a physical disability are limited only by their access to funding. Since 1994, CAF has raised more than $24 million—allowing the Foundation to satisfy thousands of funding requests from challenged athletes in all 50 states and across the globe.

Eighty-nine cents of every dollar raised by CAF provides funding and programs that get challenged athletes into the game. Whether it’s a $2,000 handcycle, helping underwrite a $15,000 running prosthetic or arranging enthusiastic encouragement from a mentor who has triumphed over a similar injury, CAF’s mission is clear: give those with the desire to live active, competitive lifestyles every opportunity to compete in the sports they love.

Athletes, crew, fans, and friends of AdventureCORPS are encouraged to support Challenged Athletes Foundation. Additionally, all entrants in Furnace Creek 508 (as well as all other AdventureCORPS events) may become fund-raisers on behalf of CAF and thus dedicate their athletic efforts towards this wonderful cause. Fund-raising with this "Race For a Reason" program is made simple with a fully automated and personalized webpage where your friends, family, and co-workers may log onto your website and donate to your efforts in a totally safe and easy manner.

Click here to visit the CAF website. | Click here to donate to CAF. |

Click here for the "Race For a Reason" program—You can personally participate in our events on behalf of CAF - and even earn cool incentive prizes in recognition of your efforts!

Click here to read about the events that AdventureCORPS' Chris Kostman has competed in on behalf of CAF.

Furnace Creek 508 and AdventureCORPS are also proud to support the Major Taylor Association. 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. Further, MTA aims to create a living memorial to Taylor by conducting good works in his name and educating people about his life and legacy. We are proud to support the Major Taylor Association and we encourage you to do the same. For more info about our charitable work with the MTA, click here.

Click here to visit the MTA website. | Click here to donate to MTA.

Furnace Creek 508 and AdventureCORPS are also proud to support the Death Valley Natural History Association. In association with our membership in 1% For The Planet, we are very pleased to announce that we joined the Death Valley Natural History Association as Life Members and are recognizing DVNHA as an Official Charity of AdventureCORPS as of January 23, 2009. DVNHA is a non-profit organization supporting education, research, and preservation in Death Valley National Park and Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. Some of their efforts include DeathValley R.O.C.K.S. (bringing inner city kids to experience one of the largest outdoor classrooms in the world), Devil's Hole Pupfish Recovery, Death Valley All Taxa Biological Inventory, plus they run the wonderful gift shops at the Furnace Creek Visitor's Center, Scotty's Castle Museum, Stovepipe Wells Ranger Station, and at the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge Office.

Click here to visit the DVNHA website. | Click here to donate to DVNHA.

DEATH VALLEY CUP: The Death Valley Cup is awarded to the fastest male and female athletes to complete both the Badwater Ultramarathon 135 Mile Running Race and the Furnace Creek 508 Mile Bicycle Race in the same calendar year. This is a form of recognition for those athletes who complete both races in the same year, and also an actual plaque that is awarded each time an athlete breaks the current overall record for either the men's or women's divisions. Thus, there are, at any given moment, two Death Valley Cup Record Holders, as well as an ongoing, slowly increasing list of Death Valley Cup Finishers. To earn this recognition is a very significant achievement in endurance sports and especially for those athletes who have come to know and love Death Valley and its environs. More info.

AdventureCORPS Presents Death Valley Century and Double Century: Come Ride Death Valley by Moonlight: Join us in February and October every year for incredible, one-of-a-kind 100 mile and 200 mile cycling events in Mother Nature's greatest sports arena, Death Valley! The field limit is 300 riders total and it always sells out within days. The Spring and Fall editions feature greatly varying routes, giving the adventurous cyclist two awesome opportunities to explore and enjoy one of American's greatest National Parks. With full rider support, roving SAG vehicles, stylish cycling jerseys, and impossible-to-get-lost routes with very little traffic, there's no better place to ride a century or double century cycling event! There's also no better way to get a preview of the middle section of the 508 route! More info.

	For the 2010 Pre-Race Press RElease
	For lots of links about Death Valley
	For the phases of the moon and to find out what the moon will be doing during the race
	For the time of moon or sun rise, anywhere, any day, courtesy of the US Naval Observatory