RUNNING

AdventureCORPS announces Badwater Cape Fear on Bald Head Island, NC

By AdventureCORPS

The BADWATER® ultra running experience returns to the East Coast in one month when the third BADWATER CAPE FEAR race takes place on Bald Head Island, North Carolina on March 19, 2016.

With 50km and 51-mile race options, Badwater® Cape Fear features a twelve-mile warm-up on the car-free, one-lane-wide roads of Bald Head Island, followed by either 19 or 39 miles of running on the wild and secluded sandy beach between Cape Fear and Fort Fisher. The race is held along the Atlantic Seaboard with spectacular views of the Frying Pan Shoals to the east and wild and undeveloped marshlands to the west. Running this remote coast is a dramatic, invigorating, and inspiring manner in which to experience the Cape Fear region in all its grandeur!

This exquisite natural setting is the perfect antidote to the "real world" and a wonderful counterpart to the desert sands and mountains of Death Valley and Anza-Borrego Desert featured in the two West Coast BADWATER® races.

Bald Head Island and nearby Southport, NC (featured in the film "Safe Haven") are ideal vacation get-away spots for the entire family, located less than one hour from Wilmington, NC and its major airport with Delta and US Airways service. (Flying into Myrtle Beach, SC is another convenient option.) Due to the remarkable beauty and quaint southern charm of this area, as well as this impeccable, authentic BADWATER race experience, many Badwater Cape Fear participants are now making this race an annual pilgrimage!


Photo courtesy of AdventureCORPS

In 2014, eighty runners from 17 states plus Canada, ranging in age from 20 to 72, competed. See the entire 2014 webcast here: http://www.badwater.com/results-history/2014-badwater-cape-fear-webcast/
In 2015, 115 runners from 23 states plus Canada, Philippines, and Singapore, ranging in age from 20 to 69, competed. See the entire 2015 webcast here:http://www.badwater.com/blog/2015-badwater-cape-fear-webcast/

With registration closing in the next few weeks, the 2016 year the race will feature a field of approximately 150 runners. The 2016 field currently includes five Canadians plus runners from 25 American states, districts, and territories: Arizona (2), California (7), Colorado (2), Connecticut (1), District of Columbia (2), Florida (10), Georgia (5), Illinois (2), Massachusetts (3), Maryland (1), Michigan (1), Minnesota (2), Missouri (1), North Carolina (40), New Jersey (2), New York (8), Ohio (8), Pennsylvania (6), Puerto Rico (1), South Carolina (5), Tennessee (4), Texas (11), Virginia (8), Washington (1), and Wisconsin (1). Here is the current race roster: https://www.runreg.com/Confirmed/5627

The Official Charity of BADWATER CAPE FEAR is the Bald Head Island Conservancy, a leader in barrier island conservation, preservation, and education. Race participants and supporters appreciate that BHIC cares for this race route's pristine setting and its role as a sea turtle nesting site, and are encouraged to fundraise for BHIC and support its mission. Learn more at http://www.bhic.org

Local Sponsors include Coastal Urge, which will host a pre-race social mixer at their Bald Head Island location, and Big Spoon Roasters of Durham, NC. The finish line feast and the post-race breakfast will be catered by Maritime Market. Special home rental offers on Bald Head Island are available through  Bald Head Island Limited, Wendy Wilmot Properties, and Seabreeze Rentals, while the Hampton Inn in Southport has also extended a special rate. Marybeth and George Ray of Southport Paddle & Sail will also support the race with their time and talent. The event is being hosted under special permits from the Village of Bald Head Island and Fort Fisher State Recreation Area.


Photo courtesy of AdventureCORPS

Badwater Cape Fear is the first leg of the BADWATER® ULTRA CUP, which includes Badwater Cape Fear on March 19, the 81-mile Badwater Salton Sea in Borrego Springs, CA on May 1-2, and then the STYR Labs Badwater 135 from California's Death Valley to Mt. Whitney on July 18-20. Those runners who complete all three full-distance events in the same calendar year will be featured on the Badwater website and their virtues will be extolled throughout the Internet and in future editions of BADWATER Magazine.

AdventureCORPS®, Inc. is an athlete-run firm producing and promoting ultra-endurance sports events and BADWATER®, the world's toughest brand and the world's toughest races. Adventure is our way of life. AdventureCORPS' world-class events for athlete-adventurers include epic races such as the BADWATER® 135, BADWATER® SALTON SEA, BADWATER® CAPE FEAR, Silver State 508™, and other events. Our products include Badwater® Apparel, Badwater® Skin Care, Badwater® Gear, as well as other lifestyle items and services. Founded in 1984 by Chris Kostman, this group effort is dedicated to exploring the inner and outer universes, seeking adventure, energy, and insight both in daily life and "out there."

See an aerial video of the 2014 race: http://vimeo.com/95564034