Furnace Creek 508 '93

The 18th Running of America's Original RAAM Qualifier

By Chris Kostman

"The depth and beauty of all that life offers is profound - a humble gratitude is just the start of accepting this wonderful truth. Events like the Furnace Creek 508 definitely make our little individual lives not so little anymore, but grand!" That sentiment expressed in a letter from Frank Goulard pretty much sums up the event and our sport. Frank is an event promoter and Ironman triathlete from Portland who puts on eight duathlons and triathlons a year and placed fifth as a rookie in last year's 508. He will return this October.

The 508 traces its roots back to 1983, the first year that a qualifier was offered for the Race Across AMerica. 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 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 RAAM format with support vehicles and time stations.

The event next became known as the John Marino Open West, for the Haldemans were now 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 Qualifiers. I personally never agreed with this theory. More mainstream people asked "What's a RAAM?" than "Who's John Marino?" when they heard of the race. 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. Reasons for the relocation included the desire for a quieter, safer course and increased accessibility to the race by riders, crew, and staff. The race has been staged seven times now on this course in California. In October of 90 I was contracted to organize and promote this and all future RAAM Qualifiers west of the Rocky Mountains, and so the RAAM Open West became a Kostman Sport Group production. My previous experience included staff work on the road with the RAAM in 85, 86, 89, and 90, with the JMO/ROW West from 84 through 90, and I twice raced and finished the race itself (12th in May of 85 and 7th in September of 86, qualifying both times), plus I'd raced the RAAM itself in 87 and 88, finishing 9th on my rookie attempt.

In October of 91 we changed the name of the race to Furnace Creek 508 as a means of building the event's name recognition and appeal outside of the shadow of RAAM. (This names honors Furnace Creek, the small hamlet in Death Valley that is the halfway point of the race, and the 508 mile distance of the course. The name is also a takeoff of "Badwater 146," a 146 mile running race from Badwater, which is just down the road from Furnace Creek, to Mt. Whitney.) In order to build the sport and the race itself, it's important that prospective riders realize that the 508 is an event in and of itself and that RAAM qualification is secondary to all but the front runners in any staging of the event. (That has always been the case in all RAAM Qualifiers.) Important details that make the event stand out include: an interesting and fact-filled 80 page race magazine; super detailed route book by RAAM Route Director Roger D'Errico; fantastic staff of RAAM veterans and hard core UMCA fans; highly sought out and cherished PACE Sportswear t-shirts and Finishers' jerseys; product support from UNIPRO Performance Nutrition; plush accommodations literally at the start and finish line (The Ranch House Inn in Valencia and the Best Western Gardens Motel in 29 Palms); photo opportunities by RAAM Photographer David Nelson; and of course, the best course ever used in the history of RAAM Qualifiers.

We've also put a lot of effort into promoting this event and bringing in media coverage of the event and its participants. The race has been featured in California Bicyclist, Velo News, Oregon Cycling, the Swiss magazine Velo, The Orange County Register, and many other fine publications.

Finally, participating in the Furnace Creek 508 puts one directly in touch with the history and lore of the sport of ultra marathon cycling. Remember, it was at the West Coast RAAM Qualifier that such luminaries as Michael Secrest, Pete and Jim Penseyres, Rob Templin, Rob Kish, Bob Fourney, and Paul Solon first qualified for RAAM. (In fact, after eleven RAAMs, it's no minor footnote that seven men's winners were West Coast Qualified and the other four winners didn't have to qualify! So if winning RAAM is your goal, Furnace Creek 508 is the race for you...)

The 93 version of the race will be held October 2-4. Solo, tandem, HPV, and four rider non-drafting relay team divisions will be offered. (Note that no tandem or team course records yet exist.) Entry fees are $145 for solo and HPV, $195 for tandem, and $275 for teams. UMCA membership required. $40 surcharge after September 1st. If you can't race, but want a copy of our 508 Magazine, send $10 for a copy. (Available July 1st.) It's a keeper! To enter, send the appropriate fee, along with your name, sex, age(s) on October 2, 1993, UMCA number (four different numbers for team entries), address, and phone/FAX numbers to Kostman Sport Group at P.O. Box 40251 Berkeley, CA 94704-4251 USA. Questions? Call or FAX us at (510) 839-4508.