Ben Jones:
- Benyo and Crawford created the "July-August window" and the concept of the 6AM-start. Over the years the AM-start seemed to be interpreted as starting after 0001 and before 1159.
Bogie:
- My personal understanding is that the 6am-11am came from -A- the fact that Badwater 135 has set those times in the last many years, -B-that Marshall's Solo Self Contained article mentions those times as the default, and -C- many many people started between 6am-11am, so it is easy and fair to compare times, -D- because we want people to experience the heat of the day in death valley
- What if somebody starts at 7am, stopped at 9am at Furnace creek, relaxes during the heat of the day, then continues in the evening. Or if one would start at midnight, and they would run thru Death Valley when it is "cool" between 12am and 6am, and they would be at 3000 feet elevation by 8am?? To me personally that seems like a big advantage, Also people that push a baby jogger, if they start at midnight, they would avoid the heat AND avoid the evening and night winds from Panamit up Towne Pass.
Lisa:
I have been told in the past that as long as the run was completed in the months of July or Aug. That it was good. In 1995 the race, we started at 6 pm
Marshall:
6 am to 11:59 am is considered an am start which is what you should do even if you start and take time off the clock keeps running after 12 noon its a pm start
Bogie:
- The name "PM-start" is convoluted since it can mean 1130am, or 2am. A better name i could agree with is "avoided the hardest part, the daytime heat in Death Valley".
- For me personally , a true, classic Badwater 146 it is going thru the heat of the day in Death Valley, as a continuous crossing ( not in 20 mile segments over 2 months) and personal challenge ( based on one's capabilities, age, a.s.o.).
- I don't see how going thru Death Valley at 80-90F during the night and avoiding the winds up Towne pass is as hard as going thru the heat of the day at 120-130F.
- And at the end of the day it does not really matter to most people. It only matters to you, how you feel about.
Lisa:
- Starting at 6 pm was sure just as hard as starting at 6 am. In 1995 it was a 6 pm race start.
Terry Abrams:
- I am sure she would want to follow the same rules as the rest of us lowly solos.
Lisa Bliss:
- While there is no specific mention of whether someone who intends to attempt a double or quad crossing must start in the AM window, it is my understanding that that's when it should start if someone doesn't want the PM asterisk by their finish time. And please know that I think there is nothing at all wrong or wimpy about starting in the night! In fact, it presents additional challenges down the road. However, I think the AM rule helps to reduce some of the variability when comparing one crossing to another similar to the way the July-Aug window does.