Course Records, Results, and History

Furnace Creek 508 was founded in 1983 by the godfather of ultracycling, John Marino, who also created the Great American Bicycle Race and the Race Across America. It was originally known as the John Marino Open.

Originally created primarily as the qualifier for the Race Across America, the John Marino Open was first 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 winner of the inaugural race was Michael Secrest. The race was held again in May of 1984 and May of 1985, then it was moved to Arizona so that the race could be run in a format with support vehicles and time stations, like RAAM.

The event next became known as the John Marino Open West, as Lon and Susan Haldeman had begun staging a JMO Midwest in Illinois. The first Arizona race was 714 miles from Tucson to the Grand Canyon and back, where its first champion was Scott Fortner. Subsequent editions of the AZ races went 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 all its Qualifiers. In 1987, 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 1989 version of the event covering 508 miles from Valencia to Death Valley to Twentynine 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. The first champion on what we know as the 508 course was John Hughes, who also won it again in 1993.

In the fall of 1990, John Marino granted the rights to the event to Chris Kostman, then operating as Kostman Sport Group (now AdventureCORPS). Chris was a finisher of the Hemet and Arizona John Marino Open proto-508 races as well as the 1987 Race Across AMerica, and had worked on the JMO staff in 1984 through 1989 and the Race Across America staff in 1985, 1986, and 1989. (See more about that history here.)

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 RAAM qualifier. The totem system was begun in 1993, giving a new outlet for racers to identify themselves both during the 508 as well as in other races and in "real life." Over the past twenty-plus years, Furnace Creek 508 has become recognized as the premier ultracycling race in the world and "The Toughest 48 hours in Sport."

This 508-mile bicycle race is revered the world over for its epic mountain climbs, stark desert scenery, desolate roads, and its reputation as one of the toughest but most gratifying endurance challenges available, bar none. The course has a total elevation gain of over 35,000', crosses ten mountain passes, and stretches from Santa Clarita (just north of Los Angeles), across the Mojave Desert, through Death Valley, to Twentynine Palms.

Below are the race reports, results, and course records from throughout the history of the event. If you'd like to write history instead of read it, apply to compete in the next edition!

For all the historical data, results, totems, and much more about Furnace Creek 508 from 1989 to the present, visit the Results Database.

Solo Course Records

Fixed Relay Team Course Records, 2004 Onwards

This new stage race fixed relay format began in 2004.
There are still some categories in which the record has not yet been set

Open Relay Team Course Records, 1993-2003

Note: These are "set in stone" as this relay format is no longer used; teams were added to The 508 in 1993 and this team format was last used in 2003.

Nationalities Represented since 1989, by # of entrants

Race Statistics, Results, and Webcast Links

For far more statistics and data, visit our online database here.

Click	Race Date	Total Entrants	Solo Finishing Rate	Team Finishing Rate
	October 6-8, 2012	234	56 of 70 = 80%	158 of 164 = 96.34%
	October 8-10, 2011	217	49 of 67 = 73.1%	146 of 150 = 93.33%
	October 2-4, 2010	202	57 of 82 = 69.5%	110 of 120 = 91.67%
	October 3-5, 2009	179	29 of 59 = 49.1%	98 of 120 = 81.67%
	October 4-6, 2008	211	67 of 81 = 82.7%	128 of 130 = 98.5%
	October 6-8, 2007	192	44 of 78 = 56.4%	114 of 114 = 100%
	October 7-9, 2006	179	50 of 75 = 66.67%	100 of 104 = 96.15%
	October 8-10, 2005	148	59 of 78 = 75.64%	66 of 70 = 94.29%
	October 16-18, 2004	117	31 of 59 = 52.5%	56 of 58 = 96.5%
	October 11-13 2003	106	37 of 60 = 61.66%	40 of 46 = 87%
	October 12-14, 2002	112	35 of 58 = 60.3%	48 of 54 = 88.9%
	October 13-15, 2001	94	32 of 48 = 66.6%	46 of 46 = 100%
	October 14-16, 2000	80	28 of 49 = 57.14%	28 of 32 = 80%
	October 9-11, 1999	88	22 of 48 = 45.83%	40 of 40 = 100%
	October 10-12, 1998	68	26 of 44 = 59.1%	24 of 24 = 100%
	October 4-6, 1997	67	20 of 39 = 51.3%	24 of 28 = 85.7%
	October 19-21, 1996	72	24 of 40 = 60%	32 of 32 = 100%
	October 21-23, 1995	75	26 of 39 = 66.7&	32 of 36 = 88.9%
	October 22-24, 1994	59	22 of 39 = 56.4	20 of 20 = 100%
	October 2-4, 1993	45	14 of 33 = 42.4%	12 of 12 = 100%
	October 17-19, 1992	28	9 of 28 = 32.1%	NA
	October 26-28, 1991	32	18 of 32 = 56.25%	NA
	April 13-15, 1991	6?	6 of 6 = 100?	NA
	October 27-29, 1990	25	10 of 25 = 40%	NA
	April 7-9, 1990	12	7 of 12 = 58.33%	NA
	October 21-23, 1989	27	11 of 27 = 40.7%	NA
	June 3-5, 1989	6	2 of 6 = 33.3%	NA
	April 15-17, 1989	25	9 of 25 = 36%	NA
TOTALS and STATS
	27 Total Races	2706	800 of 1307 = 61.2%	1322 of 1400 = 94.4%
	Males, Solo and Team 2242 (82.85%)	Females, Solo and Team: 465 (17.15%)	Finishers, Solo and Team: 2122 (78.4%)	DNFs/DQs, Solo and Team: 585 (21.6%)

For all the historical data, results, totems, and much more about Furnace Creek 508 from 1989 to the present, as well as the 508's predecessor races - 1983-1985 John Marino Open and 1986-1988 RAAM Open West - visit the Results Database.