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The Furnace Creek 508
The Furnace Creek 508


Course Records, Results, and History

Furnace Creek 508 is the world's premier ultramarathon bicycle race. "The
508" traces its roots back to 1983, the first year that a qualifier was offered for
the Race Across AMerica (RAAM). The first Race Across America, known as
the Great American Bike Race, had been held the previous summer and the time
had come to open the transcontinental race up to any and all capable would-be
ultra marathoners. It was decided that a qualifier was the only way to weed out
the wannabees from the wunderkinds, so the John Marino Open was staged in
May of 1983. The 762-mile course made seven laps and some change around
the 100-mile loop formerly used in the second half of the Hemet Double
Century in Southern California. The race was held again in May of 84 and May
of 85, then moved to Arizona so that the race could be run in a format with
support vehicles and time stations.

The event next became known as the John Marino Open West, since Lon and
Susan Haldeman were had begun staging a JMO Midwest out in Illinois. The
first Arizona race was 714 miles from Tucson to the Grand Canyon and back,
but subsequent races went "only" from Tucson to Flagstaff and back, a
distance of 542 miles. The race was run seven times in Arizona and changed its
name to RAAM Open West to foster a more evident affiliation between RAAM
and the other Qualifiers. In 87, RAAM Open East was added to the family,
further solidifying the West Coast race as The Original, regardless of its
location or name.

The race moved back to California with the April 89 version of the event
covering 508 miles from Valencia to Death Valley to Twenty Nine Palms, a
route suggested by the 1987 Race Across America winner, Casey Patterson.
Reasons for the relocation included the desire for a quieter, safer course and
increased accessibility to the race by riders, crew, and staff.

In the fall of 1990, Kostman Sport Group (now AdventureCORPS), under the
directorship of Chris Kostman, a finisher of the Hemet and Arizona JMO events
as well as a 1987 RAAM finisher, was contracted by John Marino, the founder
of Race Across America, the Ultra Marathon Cycling Association, and this race,
to promote and organize all future west coast RAAM qualifiers.

In 1991 we changed the name of the race to its current moniker to aid in
promoting the event worldwide and enhancing its distinct identity as something
much bigger than just a qualifier. Over the past twenty years, Furnace Creek
508 has become recognized as the premier ultramarathon bicycle race in the
world, "The Toughest 48 hours in Sport."






           The 508 profile 35,000 feet of climbing



2006 Results and Race Report