The race has started!
The race has now officially started! Charlie left the start line in good spirits and should be riding strong. We are at the end of San Francisquito canyon waiting for the racers to show. All the preparations this morning went swimmingly and things are looking up. The crew is all anxious and excited. The general feeling here is everyone is happy and glad to finally get the 2009 Furnace Creek 508 underway. From where we are standing we can see all the riders approaching. Will post a photo soon.
On October 3rd, 2009 Charlie “Water Dragon” Engle will be attempting a record breaking bicycle ride of 508 miles through the desert country of California, including the infamous Death Valley. On July 14th, 2009, Charlie completed the Badwater Ultramarathon in a personal best time of 25:45:11, coming in 4th overall. His performance at Badwater set him up for a run at the Death Valley Cup record; a contest of the best cummulative time between Badwater Ultramarathon and the Furnace Creek 508. The current record is set at 60:24:10, which would require Charlie to complete the Furnace Creek 508 in 34:39:59 or better.
Early in the morning of October 3rd, Charlie will embrace the challenge and embark on a potentially historic crossing of the desert country of California.
