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Marathon Details - Death Valley Trail Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > CA > Death Valley > Death Valley Trail Marathon

Death Valley Trail Marathon

Enviro-Sports Death Valley Trail Marathon & Half Marathon

Death Valley, CA USA

December 7, 2024

http://www.envirosports.com/all-trail-runs

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Race Details

The fact that runners have been coming back for this event for over 30 years must mean something! This is a scenic wilderness trail run on a gravel jeep road from Beatty, NV, through the picturesque Titus Canyon, to the finish in Death Valley (entire run is in Death Valley National Park). The desert is beautiful this time of year with mild tempuratures; lows at night between 30 and 40 degrees and highs during the day from the low-60s to mid-70s. This is our most spectacular trail event of the year and well worth the weekend away. Truly, an experience you won't forget!

Contact Information

Name:	Enviro-Sports
Address:	Enviro-Sports P.O. Box 1040 Stinson Beach, CA 94970
Phone Number:	(415) 868-1829
Fax Number:	(415) 868-2611
Email:	Email the organizers

Race Organizer

EVENT DESCRIPTION (11/15/06)

Enviro-Sports

Trail running doesn't get any better than this wide, jeep road twisting through the towering red rocks of Death Valley's Titus Canyon.

The fact that runners have been coming back for this event for more than 15 years must mean something! This is a scenic wilderness trail run on a gravel jeep road from Beatty, NV, through the picturesque Titus Canyon, to the finish in Death Valley (entire run is in Death Valley National Park). The desert is beautiful this time of year with mild temperatures; lows at night between 30 and 40 degrees and highs during the day from the low-60s to mid-70s. This is our most spectacular trail event of the year and well worth the weekend away. Truly, an experience you won't forget!

Runner Reviews (49)

Course 4.4

Organization 3.8

Spectators 2.5

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Number of comments: 49 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 > ]

C. C. from Reno, Nevada (12/6/2021) "Spectacular beauty, not well organized" (about: 2021) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Death Valley Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Very gravelly road, but Titus Canyon is really a beautiful place for a run. Because of the rocky surface, it's hard to look up to enjoy the scenery, so you need to stop to enjoy it. And I did many times! The first couple aid stations were pretty lame, water only. There was no gatorade or fruit at any aid stations at all. The last three aid stations had peanut butter filled pretzels, cheez its, and some sort of trail mix, all from CostCo. I have no idea what the organizers did with all the all the registration money. Snacks and drinks at the end of the race were similarly disappointing. But, they had good bus transportation and porta potties at the beginning and end of the race. This was my first marathon, so maybe my expectations were unrealistic, but how hard is it to include a little fresh fruit?
W. W. from Los Angeles (12/5/2016) "A Beautiful Scenary and Very Challenge Course" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Death Valley Trail Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 If you'd like to challenge yourself, run this event. About the Course I have run a few trail marathons. This race is the most challenge one. The course starts from east end of Titus Canyon road to the west end of Titus Canyon road. Amazingly, the length of the road is specifically designed for running marathon. The road is labeled as jeep road. Only powerful high raised all wheel drive jeeps or SUV can go through the route. The road surfaces vary along the way. You may encounter rock, sand, and dirt. There is no smooth surface section. You always have to choose the landing spot each step of the way to avoid twist your ankle. To avoid injury, I ran much slower than I usually do. I did not get injury, but I got sour ankles and knees. Although there are some significant down hills, the first half is mainly up hills. The second half is all downhill. The elevation starts at 3460ft. It ascending to 4900ft. Then, it has a significant descending before ascending to the peak at 5250ft at the halfway. The finish line has an elevation of 200 ft. The scenery is stunning along the way. This is really awarding. About the Weather When we gather together at Furnace Creek, we felt that we are lucky to have a calm and cool morning. However, after we were shuttled to the start point, everyone has to bundle up. It was cold and windy. Almost everyone returned to the bus as a shelter to keep warm. The windy and cold condition kept to the same to the first 1/3 of the course. After getting to the mountain, the wind was blocked by the hills. Almost everyone wear long sleeves. Some experienced runners use buff to shade the mouth. I did not have one. However, this is highly recommended as it may help you to easy the dry, cold windy weather. It also helps to block the dust whenever a jeep passes by. About the Organizer This is a well organized event. All were smooth. For Marathon course, there is a aid station at mile 5, 10, 15, 20, 23 and at the finish line. The stations were stocked with Gatorade, water, banana, trail mixes, and some other goodies. The volunteers were cheerful and helpful. Potties at the start and finish line. The event is small. You can easily find your own pace to run starting from the beginning.
B. K. from Ontario, Canada (12/28/2012) "Great race in the beautiful Death (Life!) Valley" (about: 2012) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 Death Valley Trail Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 After one re-routing due to heavy rain, one cancellation due to cold and strong wind I finally made it this year and I am happy. The course was tough: initial long and steady ascend followed a steep down and even steeper up-hill run to the half-way point with all the way down later on. The scenery was out of this world, especially in the second half of the race. There were no spectators except for young and friendly water station crews and friends and families at the finish line. In summary: a very tough, beautiful, and unforgettable event. Thanks G.O.D. (Good Old Dave).
Guy Brouillette from Montreal, Quebec, Canada (12/7/2012) "awesome race, when it is actually held" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Death Valley Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Ran this race in 2012, was there for the cancellation in 2011. All positive from where I stand. It's a trail run (gravel road, 2nd half in Titus canyon), so no spectators (and that's fine), adequate aid stations, fantastic scenery, good organisation.Will return. Go for it. Sure, it may be cancelled or re-routed. If it is, do something else on your own.
D. S. from Anaheim, CA (12/5/2012) "Beautiful course, glad to get it on second try" (about: 2012) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Death Valley Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Titus Canyon is beautiful, I took almost 100 pictures along the way. The course was a little long (GPS estimates ranged from 26.5-27 miles), but nothing significant. The first 6 miles and last 2.5 were across the featureless nothing of the desert, but the Canyon definitely made up for it. No spectators at all, not out in the middle of the desert, but you don't run this course to be cheered on by spectators. So, the 1 star there is simply a reflection of reality, not a criticism. Good points on organization... porta-potties at the start line, finish line, and several points in between... no small feat given the course. Aid stations had water, usually gatorade, occassional fruit, and a couple of smiling volunteers. Nothing like Pikes or Leadville, but adequate. And an especially good point for them - their willingness to defer your race entry to a future year for medical reasons is exemplary, and I wish other races would follow suit. If it's more than a month out, they don't even ask for a reason. They really deserve praise for this progressive policy. The bad... they are total wimps about the weather. Last year was 50 and breezy, and it was cancelled. A couple years before that, they re-routed to a numbing course on the desert floor because of flurries. If you sign up, you have about a 1-in-3 chance that you WON'T run Titus Canyon. We loved camping in Death Valley... the Furnace Creek Campground is great. And much cheaper than the very pricy 5-star hotel. Both years we were there, it was mostly empty. So if you are willing to roll the dice on the route - and you are rolling the dice - then this is a great marathon and a truly unique experience.
D. S. from Canada (4/10/2012) "Still annoyed" (about: 2011) 1 previous marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 After four months - still annoyed at EnviroSports and the terrible job they did on this event. No communication until last minute, tried to use 'safety' as an excuse but then told everyone they could run it on their own unsupported (as if that is so much safer) and finally didn't even give a refund but gave a sob story about their expenses being fixed. Sorry - still ticked about this event. Beautiful course but awful organization.
M. B. from USA (12/15/2011) "Did it on my own. Beautiful. Nothing extreme." (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Death Valley Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 We traveled across continent. No regrets. Desert is amazing, Dante's view out of this world. The morning of the race was confusing: bright sunny, somewhat windy and chilly but organizers decided to cancel race. Shirts were of very cheap fabric, no date. Just by chance while asking for directions I found out that organizer Dave (God? Common... Overstated. A gregarious fellow. More of a local Falstaff!) had medals in a cardboard box laying in the dirt, next to him sipping a latte. Medals were not dated (like shirts). You don't get 'brand' you get generic. Sad. Why would you not spend a buck or two to engrave the date? Plus, leaving them in the dirt... My run was nice. Strong winds for first 10-12 miles but nothing that an average person cannot handle. I did it by myself: all 26+ miles. Few runners on the first half. Some coming up from the finish line. No water. Organizers should have placed some water on the course. Guess very afraid of liability. People asking each other for some. I had camelbak. Don't bother with mercurial god-like figures and pay them money for nothing. Get some friends and do it by yourself. It is a spectacular course! Shame on organizers for not even reimbursing (real $ not fees for other 'godly' races) participants. Let the dust settle. Adversity multiply charm. *** P.S. On preview of this comment, I noticed that my review adds to 2.5 stars. Not quite. Details: course is 5 stars but organizers and spectators are no star. Like minus 5 stars.
B. K. from Ontario, Canada (12/11/2011) "The marathon which was not" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Death Valley Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 This year (2011) was my second attempt to run Titus Canyon and the second failure. I still hope to do this run in the future. The night before the race I witnessed very cold and strong wind in Beatty, NV, where I stayed in a hotel. In the early morning of the race day I drove my car from Beatty to Furnace Creek. The wind was so strong that I was afraid my car would become an IFO (Identified Flying Object) and I would be 'gone with the wind'. I was not surprised with the decision of Good Old Dave (GOD) to cancel the race. He had to consider all aspects of the run, including the opinion of volunteers and other support staff. However, the race could be re-routed to the lower portion of Titus Cayon or delayed until the afternoon. This is what a group of dedicated runners did: they decided to run from the bottom of the canyon uphill and back.
M. N. from San Diego (12/5/2011) "disaster" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Death Valley Trail Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 It is absolutely appalling how they cancelled the race the day of the race and just told people in line for picking bibs, as if it was a bad joke. I simply don't believe this was due to bad wind. I think they simply had trouble getting buses due to Vegas marathon being the next day. I spent 4 months training and over $500 on hotel, drive, etc and now have nothing. Race organizers are a bunch of cowboys. They did very little about the communication on the cancellation. Stay away. See death valley on your own.
A. M. from Colorado (12/5/2011) "Canceled. Lost $1,000 investment" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 Absolutely unacceptable regarding they way they dealt with cancelling the 2011 Death Valley Trail Run. Understandable that the winds were a safety issue. However, within 3 hours, the winds died down and 1/3 of the marathoners did their own run of the canyon. There was no delay or postponement of the race. Simply canceled. Furthermore, there was a complete lack of communication since the cancellation. Two days have passed without informing the racers of ANY reimbursement plan, or any additional reasons for canceling the event. I invested nearly 1,000$ for this weekend to include airfare, lodging, food, and the race itself. I have raced over 50 triathlons and 10 marathons and ultra-marathons. NONE have been canceled for wind, rain or snow. If I wanted to gamble, I would have stayed in Vegas.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 > ]



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C. C. from Reno, Nevada (12/6/2021) "Spectacular beauty, not well organized" (about: 2021) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Death Valley Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Very gravelly road, but Titus Canyon is really a beautiful place for a run. Because of the rocky surface, it's hard to look up to enjoy the scenery, so you need to stop to enjoy it. And I did many times! The first couple aid stations were pretty lame, water only. There was no gatorade or fruit at any aid stations at all. The last three aid stations had peanut butter filled pretzels, cheez its, and some sort of trail mix, all from CostCo. I have no idea what the organizers did with all the all the registration money. Snacks and drinks at the end of the race were similarly disappointing. But, they had good bus transportation and porta potties at the beginning and end of the race. This was my first marathon, so maybe my expectations were unrealistic, but how hard is it to include a little fresh fruit?
W. W. from Los Angeles (12/5/2016) "A Beautiful Scenary and Very Challenge Course" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Death Valley Trail Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 If you'd like to challenge yourself, run this event. About the Course I have run a few trail marathons. This race is the most challenge one. The course starts from east end of Titus Canyon road to the west end of Titus Canyon road. Amazingly, the length of the road is specifically designed for running marathon. The road is labeled as jeep road. Only powerful high raised all wheel drive jeeps or SUV can go through the route. The road surfaces vary along the way. You may encounter rock, sand, and dirt. There is no smooth surface section. You always have to choose the landing spot each step of the way to avoid twist your ankle. To avoid injury, I ran much slower than I usually do. I did not get injury, but I got sour ankles and knees. Although there are some significant down hills, the first half is mainly up hills. The second half is all downhill. The elevation starts at 3460ft. It ascending to 4900ft. Then, it has a significant descending before ascending to the peak at 5250ft at the halfway. The finish line has an elevation of 200 ft. The scenery is stunning along the way. This is really awarding. About the Weather When we gather together at Furnace Creek, we felt that we are lucky to have a calm and cool morning. However, after we were shuttled to the start point, everyone has to bundle up. It was cold and windy. Almost everyone returned to the bus as a shelter to keep warm. The windy and cold condition kept to the same to the first 1/3 of the course. After getting to the mountain, the wind was blocked by the hills. Almost everyone wear long sleeves. Some experienced runners use buff to shade the mouth. I did not have one. However, this is highly recommended as it may help you to easy the dry, cold windy weather. It also helps to block the dust whenever a jeep passes by. About the Organizer This is a well organized event. All were smooth. For Marathon course, there is a aid station at mile 5, 10, 15, 20, 23 and at the finish line. The stations were stocked with Gatorade, water, banana, trail mixes, and some other goodies. The volunteers were cheerful and helpful. Potties at the start and finish line. The event is small. You can easily find your own pace to run starting from the beginning.
B. K. from Ontario, Canada (12/28/2012) "Great race in the beautiful Death (Life!) Valley" (about: 2012) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 Death Valley Trail Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 After one re-routing due to heavy rain, one cancellation due to cold and strong wind I finally made it this year and I am happy. The course was tough: initial long and steady ascend followed a steep down and even steeper up-hill run to the half-way point with all the way down later on. The scenery was out of this world, especially in the second half of the race. There were no spectators except for young and friendly water station crews and friends and families at the finish line. In summary: a very tough, beautiful, and unforgettable event. Thanks G.O.D. (Good Old Dave).
Guy Brouillette from Montreal, Quebec, Canada (12/7/2012) "awesome race, when it is actually held" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Death Valley Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Ran this race in 2012, was there for the cancellation in 2011. All positive from where I stand. It's a trail run (gravel road, 2nd half in Titus canyon), so no spectators (and that's fine), adequate aid stations, fantastic scenery, good organisation.Will return. Go for it. Sure, it may be cancelled or re-routed. If it is, do something else on your own.
D. S. from Anaheim, CA (12/5/2012) "Beautiful course, glad to get it on second try" (about: 2012) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Death Valley Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Titus Canyon is beautiful, I took almost 100 pictures along the way. The course was a little long (GPS estimates ranged from 26.5-27 miles), but nothing significant. The first 6 miles and last 2.5 were across the featureless nothing of the desert, but the Canyon definitely made up for it. No spectators at all, not out in the middle of the desert, but you don't run this course to be cheered on by spectators. So, the 1 star there is simply a reflection of reality, not a criticism. Good points on organization... porta-potties at the start line, finish line, and several points in between... no small feat given the course. Aid stations had water, usually gatorade, occassional fruit, and a couple of smiling volunteers. Nothing like Pikes or Leadville, but adequate. And an especially good point for them - their willingness to defer your race entry to a future year for medical reasons is exemplary, and I wish other races would follow suit. If it's more than a month out, they don't even ask for a reason. They really deserve praise for this progressive policy. The bad... they are total wimps about the weather. Last year was 50 and breezy, and it was cancelled. A couple years before that, they re-routed to a numbing course on the desert floor because of flurries. If you sign up, you have about a 1-in-3 chance that you WON'T run Titus Canyon. We loved camping in Death Valley... the Furnace Creek Campground is great. And much cheaper than the very pricy 5-star hotel. Both years we were there, it was mostly empty. So if you are willing to roll the dice on the route - and you are rolling the dice - then this is a great marathon and a truly unique experience.
D. S. from Canada (4/10/2012) "Still annoyed" (about: 2011) 1 previous marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 After four months - still annoyed at EnviroSports and the terrible job they did on this event. No communication until last minute, tried to use 'safety' as an excuse but then told everyone they could run it on their own unsupported (as if that is so much safer) and finally didn't even give a refund but gave a sob story about their expenses being fixed. Sorry - still ticked about this event. Beautiful course but awful organization.
M. B. from USA (12/15/2011) "Did it on my own. Beautiful. Nothing extreme." (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Death Valley Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 We traveled across continent. No regrets. Desert is amazing, Dante's view out of this world. The morning of the race was confusing: bright sunny, somewhat windy and chilly but organizers decided to cancel race. Shirts were of very cheap fabric, no date. Just by chance while asking for directions I found out that organizer Dave (God? Common... Overstated. A gregarious fellow. More of a local Falstaff!) had medals in a cardboard box laying in the dirt, next to him sipping a latte. Medals were not dated (like shirts). You don't get 'brand' you get generic. Sad. Why would you not spend a buck or two to engrave the date? Plus, leaving them in the dirt... My run was nice. Strong winds for first 10-12 miles but nothing that an average person cannot handle. I did it by myself: all 26+ miles. Few runners on the first half. Some coming up from the finish line. No water. Organizers should have placed some water on the course. Guess very afraid of liability. People asking each other for some. I had camelbak. Don't bother with mercurial god-like figures and pay them money for nothing. Get some friends and do it by yourself. It is a spectacular course! Shame on organizers for not even reimbursing (real $ not fees for other 'godly' races) participants. Let the dust settle. Adversity multiply charm. *** P.S. On preview of this comment, I noticed that my review adds to 2.5 stars. Not quite. Details: course is 5 stars but organizers and spectators are no star. Like minus 5 stars.
B. K. from Ontario, Canada (12/11/2011) "The marathon which was not" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Death Valley Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 This year (2011) was my second attempt to run Titus Canyon and the second failure. I still hope to do this run in the future. The night before the race I witnessed very cold and strong wind in Beatty, NV, where I stayed in a hotel. In the early morning of the race day I drove my car from Beatty to Furnace Creek. The wind was so strong that I was afraid my car would become an IFO (Identified Flying Object) and I would be 'gone with the wind'. I was not surprised with the decision of Good Old Dave (GOD) to cancel the race. He had to consider all aspects of the run, including the opinion of volunteers and other support staff. However, the race could be re-routed to the lower portion of Titus Cayon or delayed until the afternoon. This is what a group of dedicated runners did: they decided to run from the bottom of the canyon uphill and back.
M. N. from San Diego (12/5/2011) "disaster" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Death Valley Trail Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 It is absolutely appalling how they cancelled the race the day of the race and just told people in line for picking bibs, as if it was a bad joke. I simply don't believe this was due to bad wind. I think they simply had trouble getting buses due to Vegas marathon being the next day. I spent 4 months training and over $500 on hotel, drive, etc and now have nothing. Race organizers are a bunch of cowboys. They did very little about the communication on the cancellation. Stay away. See death valley on your own.
A. M. from Colorado (12/5/2011) "Canceled. Lost $1,000 investment" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 Absolutely unacceptable regarding they way they dealt with cancelling the 2011 Death Valley Trail Run. Understandable that the winds were a safety issue. However, within 3 hours, the winds died down and 1/3 of the marathoners did their own run of the canyon. There was no delay or postponement of the race. Simply canceled. Furthermore, there was a complete lack of communication since the cancellation. Two days have passed without informing the racers of ANY reimbursement plan, or any additional reasons for canceling the event. I invested nearly 1,000$ for this weekend to include airfare, lodging, food, and the race itself. I have raced over 50 triathlons and 10 marathons and ultra-marathons. NONE have been canceled for wind, rain or snow. If I wanted to gamble, I would have stayed in Vegas.

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Marathon Details - Death Valley Trail Marathon