SPARTATHLON is delighted to welcome Chris Kostman, President and Chief Adventure Officer of AdventureCORPS and Race Director of the legendary BADWATER 135, who will attend SPARTATHLON 2026 as an official guest of the race organisation.
His visit brings together two iconic events of the international ultrarunning world, each with its own unique history and identity, yet both deeply connected by endurance, perseverance and the pursuit of human limits.
Chris Kostman will join us during race week, attend SPARTATHLON events and activities, and follow the race along its historic route from Athens to Sparta, experiencing first-hand the athletes’ journey all the way to the finish at the statue of King Leonidas.
His presence is particularly significant this year, as 24 BADWATER 135 veterans will be among the athletes taking part in SPARTATHLON 2026, creating a remarkable connection between two of the world’s most recognised and demanding ultradistance races.
The BADWATER 135 veterans participating in this year’s SPARTATHLON are:
Andrew Readinger (USA), Chris Rice (USA), Sergey Ionov (United Kingdom), Norio Hayashibe (Japan), Laércio Melo Martins (Brazil), Ian Thomas (United Kingdom), Carlos Henrique Gusmão (Brazil), Juan Jose Coassolo (Argentina), Christian Fatton (Switzerland), Kerri Kanuga (Cayman Islands), David Van den Bossche (Belgium), Mihaela Ivanova Englaro (Bulgaria), Tamás Bódis (Hungary), Andy Day (United Kingdom), Claus Rasmussen (Denmark), Steve Gordon (United Kingdom), Iván Penalba López (Spain), Nancy Levene (USA), Attila Bíró (Slovakia), Georgia Jo Manta (Greece), Luka Videtic (Slovenia), Martin Briner (Switzerland), Ram Ratan Jat (India) and Andrew Mckillop (United Kingdom).
BADWATER 135 is one of the most renowned ultradistance races in the world. Held in California, its demanding 135-mile course runs from Death Valley toward Mount Whitney and has become one of the most iconic challenges in international ultrarunning.
From the extreme heat of Death Valley to the historic footsteps of Pheidippides from Athens to Sparta, BADWATER 135 and SPARTATHLON represent two very different expressions of the same spirit: endurance, determination and the willingness to explore the limits of human performance.
Chris, welcome to Greece. Welcome to SPARTATHLON.
We are delighted to have you with us.
