Competitors appear run on the 145 degree F pavement in the 2008 Badwater Ultramarathon in Death Valley, California on July 14, 2008. With air temperatures reaching as high as 130F (55C), the 135 miles (217 km) course crosses desert as low as 280 feet (85 m) below sea level on the way to the Mt. Witney Portal at 8,360 feet (2533m).