Ultrarunner Breaks Records Running 292 Miles in Death Valley
Posted Wednesday, 23 July, 2008
Furnace Creek, Calif. Four and a half hours after running a well-paced 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon from the lowest point in the western hemisphere to the finish line at the Portals of Mt Whitney, Anita Fromm began her climb in the predawn darkness to the summit of the highest point in the continental United States. Despite the pressure of the cloudy skies on July 16, 2008 and weather the prior two days that had produced torrential rain and hail and a frightening reminder of the storm that had forced her to turn back from her attempt to break the 17-year old Death Valley double crossing record in 2007, Fromm covered the 11 miles and 6,135 feet to the Mt Whitney summit that stands at 14,497 feet. Summiting 52 hours and 17 minutes after starting the Badwater Ultramarathon over 14,779 feet below her, Fromm broke the 52:45 record set by Eleanor Adams Robinson in 1987. “I wanted the women’s Badwater to Mt. Whitney Summit world record to belong to a United States runner,” she said at the summit.
Returning to Badwater
Achieving the record breaking summit time, Fromm was positioned to complete her goal of the women’s record for a double crossing of Death Valley. Affected by the fatigue and effort of her 40:36 finish of the Badwater Ultramarathon race through Death Valley, a personal record by 2 hours and 17 minutes, and the 7 hours and 17 minutes fast summit, Fromm descended the same route in 9 hours and 30 minutes. She recovered to run the 135 mile return to Badwater in a cumulative 129 hours, 44 minutes, and 5 seconds from the start of the Badwater Ultramarathon on July 14that 8:00 am. Fromm’s record Death Valley double crossing run shaved 14 hours and 1 minute off the 143 hour and 45 minute record set by Rhonda Provost of California in 1995.
About the Badwater to Mt Whitney Summit Record
Robinson was the most dominant woman ultrarunner in the world at the time she set the Badwater to Mount Whitney Summit record. Twice Robinson won the World 100km (62 miles) Championship at Duluth, Minnesota and Faenza, Italy in 1989 and 1990, as well as taking the World 24 title. In her record running career, Robinson of the United Kingdom had run a world-class track 100 miles in 14:44:25+ in 1989 in Melbourne, Australia. Judy Overholtzer held the American Badwater to Mt Whitney summit record running 55:30 in 1996.
Fromm’s Running Career
Anita Marie Fromm (37) began her ultrarunning career in 2000 bypassing shorter distances. She specializes in trail racing often winning or placing in the over 80 ultramarathons that she has raced. The 2008 Badwater Ultramarathon was the fourth time Fromm competed in this race. A former Colorado resident who routinely trained on Pikes Peak, Fromm resides in Albuquerque with husband, Lieutenant Colonel Tim Fromm who crewed and paced her on Mt Whitney and on the return leg of her record setting Death Valley double crossing. She coaches runners and developed an ultradistance race in Utah and is developing new ultramarathons.
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