Lisa Smith-Batchen

About

Lisa Smith-Batchen-Batchen is a Victor, Idaho-based ultrarunner and coach who became the first American woman to win the Marathon des Sables, the roughly 150-mile stage race across the Sahara. She won the Badwater 135 outright among women in both 1997 (37:01, then a women's course record) and 1998 (37:33), and went on to finish the race nine times between 1995 and 2017. In 2014, at age 54, she became the first woman to complete the "Badwater Quad" — four consecutive crossings of the 135-mile course, roughly 584 miles, in 15 days. She was inducted into the Badwater Hall of Fame in July 2012 for seventeen years as competitor, champion, and coach at the race. Beyond racing, she has coached elite ultrarunners including Marshall Ulrich and Ray Zahab, and co-founded Dreamchasers Outdoor Adventure Events with her husband Jay Batchen.

Notable Wins

• — Badwater 135 1997 1st woman (37:01)
• — Badwater 135 1998 1st woman (37:33)
• — Marathon des Sables (first American woman to win)
• — Badwater Quad 2014 (first woman to complete)

Race History