Ninety-seven runners have pushed off in desolate Death Valley for an annual ultramarathon billed as the world’s toughest foot race. The men and women ranging in age from 19 to 69 and hailing from 21 countries and 26 U.S. states started the Badwater 135 on Monday amid an excessive heat warning. Over 48 hours, the participants will run amid daytime temperatures reaching over 120 degrees Fahrenheit and night heat above 100 F. They will travel over roadways open to traffic and pass through places with names like Furnace Creek and Devil’s Golf Course. The race started in 1987 and is always run when temperatures peak in mid-July.
