Badwater 135 begins Tuesday evening

After a rerouting of the Badwater 135 ultramarathon away from its namesake in 2014, the race is back to it’s original route and set to begin Tuesday evening.

The 135-mile (217 km) race from Death Valley Nevada’s Badwater Basin to Whitney Portal has in the past begun during the day on weekends, though changes to park rules in Death Valley have forced race organizers to move the time and dates a bit. Due to worries over dangers posed by mid-day temperatures which can reach above 50C during the day in the park, event organizers are now required to make sure athletes are at least 2,000 feet (609 metres) above sea level between 10 a.m. and sunset, hence the race’s time change.

Though the time change led to another problem: runners are required to run while lit by nearly-full moons to ensure visibility during night races. Tuesday coincides with a nearly-full moon. This means runners will be required to cover the first 80 km of the race before 10 a.m. Wednesday.

The race is known as one of the most gruelling in the world because of its distance and extreme heat. It’s restricted to 100 runners each year. In 2014, the course was forced to be rerouted from the usual course because park officials were evaluating the safety of endurance events in the park.

Races will begin in staggers at 8 p.m., 9:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. Tuesday night.