Letters: Let the Death Valley athletes race

Participants in the Badwater Ultramarathon are seen running through Death Valley in the 2007 race. Death Valley National Park is putting the brakes on ultramarathons and other extreme sports events that involve running and cycling until rangers can determine how safe it is to hold those competitions in a place that records the hottest temperatures on Earth.

Feb. 4, 2014 12 AM PT

Re “Athletes run out of Death Valley,” Feb. 2

I read with great sadness that the athletes are being run out of Death Valley at the same time the region is being filled with more and more tourists in motorized vehicles.

How ironic that on the day millions of Americans overindulged while sitting in front of their TV screens watching the Super Bowl, the runners and cyclists out there training were told by The Times that they will not have access to one of the premier natural venues for outdoor athletic competition.

How about giving Kathy Billings, Death Valley National Park’s new superintendent, a year’s leave of absence so the runners can keep running and the cyclists can keep cycling and she can gather the results of her “safety review” before putting organized races on hold. Why doesn’t she spend a year studying the comparative safety and health records of running and cycling versus smoking cigarettes in SUVs in our national parks?

Raymond L. Williams

Riverside

The writer has participated in several Death Valley cycling events, including the Furnace Creek 508.

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