Badwater 135; Discussion Thread

Can someone advise on the temperature this year, was it cooler than "usual" at Badwater?

I mean on the face of it, you've got someone with 2 confirmed instances of cheating (doping & course cutting), additional grey clouds hanging over them of course cutting, AND last years race where a key question was "how on earth did you run the final stages of the race that fast?" (and the crew member wearing the same outfit if i recall rightly?) - and they've gone and obliterated the eyebrow raising time en route to the win.

I dont think its just haters and trolls out questioning this. It's raised serious eyebrows and people are going to ask questions. Ashley's past actions have bought that upon herself and she has to accept that.

I don't know if the temperature was hotter or cooler than usual, but the records really should just be compared to the PM start times, which started a few years ago. I think people would generally agree that the race is easier than all the years when it was an AM start.

People are certainly entitled to question whatever they want, but a lot of the questions seemed to come up because a rookie woman shocked people. So, yes, they said things like, "You can't run that fast from that checkpoint to the next one!" Well, she just ran those same sections much faster than last year, while being observed every step of the way as the leader.

Was it a mistake to have a crew member dress like her and dye her hair the same? Yeah, that was probably a bad idea and I'm glad they didn't do that again. But people, and perhaps women in particular, do those kinds of "team" things. The performance this year affirms that she doesn't need to relay a watch or anything like that.

While eyebrows were raised last year*, at this point people probably should just admit that she is an incredible endurance athlete.

(*Look at my screen name, which I have used for years. I'm not soft on cheating and I am happy to look at evidence and to come to a reasonable conclusion.)

Look at where and how she trains. Her job is working for iFit and as a personal trainer so she trains as her day to day job, then personal training on top of that. She lives in Utah where temps can be extreme and she trains on incline in that area. When heat and incline is a norm for you, it makes sense she could run race that well in that situation.

If she can run 135 miles at Badwayer in sub 22 hours, how come she's never tried (that I know of) to make the US 24 hour world championships team?

Or Western States?

Or a 100k championship team?

Or basically a high profile race where they would drug test the top finishers?

Seems a bit sketchy, especially since she has a proven doping record.

She ran, and won Zion 100 this year (women's division).

She has only recently started to do some ultras. She is very open that her goal is to qualify for another Olympic Trials in the marathon. She came close to the time in several races this year. Doing what you suggest might not fit her agenda. Perhaps after this Olympic cycle she will run more big-name ultras.

She did plenty of races this year that have drug testing, in both marathons and triathlons. It wouldn't be her job to select herself for testing. She did well enough at most of them that she could have been tested (although the USADA website does not show that she was).

There's literally nothing sketchy about her choice of races. Her races fit her agenda.

As for "proven doping record," I guess I would just ask, have you ever bought a product from GNC or had a protein shake from a place like Jamba Juice? Because if you have, there is a real risk that you, too, could become a "proven doper" in the same circumstances that she was.

She has trained for the Olympic qualifiers in the marathon instead. She also does Iron Mans. Just a personal preference of which you prefer more over the others.

Im laughing my ass off at Ashley winning again. Not giving an opinion on cheating or not but this is just top tier drama. Predicting a 20 page thread

Who's the fastest marathoner to ever attempt Badwater? Maybe Wardian in his prime?

What about from the female side? Surely Paulson has to be one of the fastest women ever, right?

The Japanese guy in third has run 2:25

Wow, she looked really good over the final segments and at the finish line.

flickr.com

2023 Badwater 135: Ashley Paulson Finish AB16

AdventureCORPS® Badwater®

Badwater® Photos by Arnold Begay and ©AdventureCORPS® on July 5, 2023. This gallery depicts winner Ashley Paulson's last few miles and finish. On July 4-6, 2023, AdventureCORPS presents its legendary BADWATER® 135 Ultramarath...

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Badwater Instagram has a video of her running that area.

This is because she was convicted of doping and has admitted she has cheated by cutting courses in the past.

FYI According to twitter, there were road closures and athletes had to take car rides during certain parts, so this was NOT a record breaking day for Ashley.

I can't imagine why any runner doing this race would want to have to get into a previously air conditioned vehicle for 20 minutes and then get back out and try to keep running that far into the race. It could throw them off their pace, have a hard time readjusting to the heat and sun, and just mess with them psychologically in general. Not to mention, Ashley had 2 minutes less to do the shuttle time than everyone else as they determined after her that 21 minutes was cutting it too close so she was in a rush to get immediately back out and on to running. Others had a couple of minutes to adjust.

this is a weird response.

and course cutter

so many "one in a million" instances where she "cheats"

hmmm, if it walks like a duck, pardon me for calling her Daffy Duck

by our logic, the olympics would be made up of IFit and Peloton coaches?

See how that doesn't quite make sense?

Of course! Tainted !

Looking forward the the Olympics when team iFit wins all the medals///

BADWATER: The saga continues!!!!