Birmingham Woman Finishes 'World's Toughest Race'

BIRMINGHAM, AL - There are thousands of avid runners in the Birmingham area, but not many can say they completed the toughest foot race in the world. However, Birmingham resident Micah Morgan can make that claim after finishing the Badwater Ultramarathon on Wednesday morning in California.

A report by WBRC said Morgan ran the 135 miles through Death Valley in 30 hours and nine minutes to land her on the national podium finishing third in the female division and ninth overall.

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Covering 135 miles (217km) non-stop from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, CA, the Badwater 135 is widely considered the most demanding and extreme running race offered anywhere in the world. The start line is at Badwater Basin, Death Valley, which marks the lowest elevation in North America at 280 feet below sea level. The race finishes at Whitney Portal at 8,300 feet, which is the trailhead to the Mt. Whitney summit, the highest point in the contiguous United States.

The Badwater 135 course covers three mountain ranges for a total of 14,600 feet of cumulative vertical ascent and 6,100 feet of cumulative descent. Competitors travel through places or landmarks with names like Mushroom Rock, Furnace Creek, Salt Creek, Devil’s Cornfield, Devil’s Golf Course, Stovepipe Wells, Panamint Springs, Keeler, Alabama Hills, and Lone Pine.

Photo via Badwater Ultramarathon

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