DEATH VALLEY TRAIL MARATHON & HALF MARATHON™
December 1, 2012

Dear DEATH VALLEY TRAIL runner,

Congratulations on your entry in the 24th annual DEATH VALLEY TRAIL MARATHON & HALF MARATHON™, scheduled for Saturday, December 1, 2012. We hope your training is going well and that you're getting excited about experiencing the extraordinary beauty of Death Valley!

This is the OFFICIAL ENTRANT NEWSLETTER, containing all of the details you'll need to plan your race weekend. Please read this information carefully, so you'll be well-prepared for race day. Nothing will be mailed to you prior to the event. All participants will pick up bib numbers during MANDATORY RACE DAY CHECK-IN (details below). The National Park Service has asked that we pass along their Principles for participation. Please review them online here.

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT!
The dramatic beauty and enticing challenge of the Titus Canyon have once again made for a sold-out event. Due to strict limitations by the National Park Service, we will not be able to accept additional entries on race day. Only registered runners may start the run and receive aid during the run. If we are in violation of our permit, we jeopardize our good relationship with the National Park Service and the future of this event. Thank you for helping to enforce this.

Titus Canyon

MAKE YOUR HOTEL RESERVATIONS NOW!
Hotel rooms are limited in Death Valley. The group rate discount at our headquarters hotel - The Furnace Creek Ranch & Inn - is no longer available. There are still a few rooms available at each location for Friday and Saturday nights. Please make your reservations immediately to avoid adding stress to your trip planning! See the Travel and Accommodations section of this email for more details.

MANDATORY RACE DAY CHECK-IN
Runner Check-In & Bib Number Pick-Up will be held from 6:15-7:00am at the CORKSCREW SALOON at Furnace Creek Ranch. To receive your bib number and participate in this event YOU MUST BRING $10 National Park admission fee or have proof of payment (i.e. a receipt from the Visitor's Center or a National Parks Annual Pass). Every runner MUST attend this Check-In (even if you have family/friends driving you to the race start).

BUS TRANSPORT
Our chartered buses will depart Furnace Creek Ranch bound for Titus Canyon at 7:15am. There will be buses designated for MARATHONERS ONLY which will be heading to the east end of Titus Canyon and buses designated for HALF MARATHONERS ONLY which will be heading to the west end of Titus Canyon. Please make sure you get on the correct bus! Return buses will transport finishers from the west end of Titus Canyon Rd. back to Furnace Creek Ranch at demand-based intervals.

RACE START
Anticipated start times are 8:15-8:30am for the Marathon and 8:15-8:30am for the Half Marathon.

GEAR TRANSPORT
Please try to limit the items you bring with you on the bus to the race start. At most, keep it to a small backpack. You may leave your unneeded gear on the bus and it will be transported to the race finish for you. Take extra care to ensure your bag is well marked with your name and a phone number. We will have luggage tags available for this purpose, but when it's done ahead of time, you'll have one less detail to sweat before your race.

AWARDS CEREMONY
An informal ceremony to announce overall and age-group winners will be held at 5pm at the CORKSCREW SALOON. In the interim, you can swim in the mineral-fed pool, take a nap or go sight-seeing. Attendance is not mandatory as personalized awards will be mailed to the top-three finishers of each age group a few weeks after the event, but it is a great gathering to share your various adventure stories with your fellow athletes.

BENEFICIARY
Proceeds from this race benefit the STUDENTS OF BEATTY HIGH SCHOOL. The young volunteers and accompanying parents along the course are among the beneficiaries. Be sure to thank them for their participation!

NO HEADPHONES
Runners wearing headphones will be disqualified, it is a safety issue and a rule of the National Park.

AID STATIONS
Aid stations will be located at approximately miles 5, 10, 15, 20 & 23 along the Marathon and at miles 3, 6.5 and 10 along the Half Marathon. Aid stations will be stocked with water, Gatorade, sports bars, bananas and a variety of sweet and salty snacks. We highly recommend that you carry water and any of your preferred nutritional aids with you.

Our aid stations will NOT have energy gels (i.e. Gu, ClifShot, etc.). If you will be using energy gels, we ask that you respect the park and dispose of the wrappers at one of the aid stations along the course. You may NOT accept aid or support from friends biking or driving through the canyon. No private cars may escort any runner along the course. No private support allowed.

PORT-A-POTTIES
Facilities will be located at the start of the Marathon and at the start/finish of the Half Marathon.

COURSE CUTOFFS
6-Hour MARATHON cutoff. This reflects a minimum pace of 13:45-per-mile.
6-Hour HALF MARATHON cutoff. This reflects a minimum pace of 27:30-per-mile.
If you are falling too far off the pace, you may be required to accept a ride in a support vehicle. This vehicle might move you ahead to a more favorable location to allow you to complete the event. Failure to accept this ride or any disrespect of race staff will result in an automatic race disqualification.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

• Both courses go through Titus Canyon in Death Valley National Park. Click here for course map.
• The Marathon is a point-to-point course that begins on Titus Canyon Rd. at Hwy. 374 at 3,400 feet and climbs its way to Red Pass at mile 12 (5,200 feet), before descending 5,000 feet over the final 14 miles to the finish (200 feet) at Scotty's Castle Rd.
• The Half Marathon course is the final 6.5 miles of the Marathon. This run starts at the west end of Titus Canyon Road at Scotty's Castle Rd, goes up the canyon to the 6.5 mile turnaround and then comes back down to the finish at Scotty's Castle Rd.
• If your family or friends plan on biking or driving the route, they MUST head out and stay AHEAD of the runners. This rule is enforced for the safety and enjoyment of all runners. Anyone planning to drive through the canyon should check with the Visitor's Center for current road conditions. These vehicles MAY NOT stop at any point along the route.
• If you have friends who plan to mountain bike through the canyon, we ask that they be courteous to your fellow runners; no one wants to be eating dust at Mile 20. Once again, you may NOT accept aid from anyone biking the route. Private support is NOT allowed!

CLIMATE
Winter temperatures are typically moderate (between 40 and 70 degrees), but the desert can be unpredictable, so come prepared for rainy, windy or colder conditions. Click here for the weather.

WEARING LAYERS
Desert conditions may warrant starting out with more clothing (long sleeves, etc.) than you'll need by, say, Mile 20. You may abandon unneeded clothing at any aid station and it will be transported back to the finish after the aid stations close down. If your items don't make it to the finish line before you head back to the Ranch, we will bring all unclaimed gear to the Awards Ceremony (5pm at the Corkscrew Saloon). If you plan to abandon clothing at an aid station, take the extra precaution of writing your name on an inside tag to ensure it is returned.

HYDRATION
No matter what the temperature, one thing remains constant: Death Valley is dry! Take care to stay hydrated before, during and after your race. We strongly recommend you carry at least 1 water bottle for hydration between aid stations.

SIGHTSEEING
Death Valley is one of our national treasures; it takes at least two days to truly begin to explore its splendors, so plan to come early and/or stay after your race! Visit the Death Valley National Park website to start planning your trip.

AIRPORT INFO
If you are flying in for this event, the closest airport is Las Vegas (LAS), which is about a 2.5-hour drive from Death Valley. We HIGHLY recommend that you stay in Death Valley and NOT in Las Vegas on Friday night.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS
Driving Directions are posted on the event website. Note! DO NOT rely on MapQuest, Yahoo! Maps or similar online map providers. Death Valley is remote and many times these programs will send you on unnecessarily circuitous routes to get there. Also note that many Sierra mountain passes (i.e. Tioga Pass) are closed for the winter.

FURNACE CREEK RANCH
Furnace Creek Ranch is our Headquarters Hotel. It is the location of MANDATORY Athlete Check-In (race day morning) and the Pick-Up/Drop Off point for the provided bus transportation to the start and from the finish. The Group Rate discount is no longer available, but you can still make reservations by calling 760-786-2345. There are only a few rooms left!

FURNACE CREEK INN
Four-star accommodations are available at the Furnace Creek Inn (about 1 mile up the road from Furnace Creek Ranch). The Group Rate discount is no longer available, but you can still make reservations by calling 760-786-2345. There are only a few rooms left!

CAMPING/RV
For information regarding campsites call 760-786-2331.

STOVEPIPE WELLS
These accommodations are located about 25 miles from Furnace Creek race Start/Finish. Call 760-786-2387 for reservations. There are no dining facilities at this location, but they do still have availability.

BEATTY HOTELS
Beatty is located about 40 miles from Furnace Creek race Start/Finish. Beatty Chamber of Commerce 775-553-2424.

LONGSTREET INN
These accommodations are located about 40 miles from Furnace Creek race Start/Finish. Longstreet Inn & Casino Call 775-372-1777 for reservations.

PLANNING YOUR RACE DAY NUTRITIONAL NEEDS
IMPORTANT! If you are arriving late Friday night, please note that the restaurants stop serving and the General Store closes at 9:00pm. The store does not open before our buses depart for Titus Canyon (Wrangler Buffet opens at 6:00am, Forty-Niner Cafe opens at 7:00am). Be sure to bring the appropriate food and drinks for your pre-race needs and plan accordingly.

FURNACE CREEK INN has a fine-dining restaurant that is open to the public. Advance reservations are recommended (760-786-2331) and appropriate dressy/casual clothing (no sweats or running outfits) is required.

FURNACE CREEK RANCH offers more informal dining at its two restaurants: The WRANGLER STEAKHOUSE and the FORTY-NINER CAFE. The Ranch also has a GENERAL STORE with a limited variety of food and drinks.

In closing, we'd like to share a recent newspaper article describing Death Valley:
". . . the most deadly and dangerous spot in the United States.  It is a pit of horrors--the haunt of all that is grim and ghoulish.  Such animal and revile life as infests this pest-hole is of ghastly shape, rancorous nature and diabolically ugly.  It breeds only noxious and venomous things.  Its dead do not decompose, but are baked, blistered and embalmed by the scorching heat through countless ages.  It is surely the nearest to a little hell upon earth that the whole wicked world can produce." (1894)

We look forward to seeing you in Death Valley!

Sincerely,
Dave & Wendy Horning,
Michelle Ruettinger and the entire ENVIRO-SPORTS TEAM