Jim Kern's Desert Races in Honor of David Bradley

David Bradley was a wonderful friend who finished his racing career last September, thirteen years after being diagnosed with liposarcoma, a very rare cancer.

David majored in geology, and the desert held a special place in his heart. He also loved bike racing, and desert bike events were all the more special to him. David loved to be in the high desert of eastern Oregon, where he helped design and support the 520 mile Race Across Oregon, and down in the deserts of the Southwest for the Furnace Creek 508, an ultra cycling classic. He did many of these races together with his friend Jim Kern - as racers, support crew, and as race officials. David will be out there in spirit this year.

Among the many passions David had was the desire to help his friends in any way that he could. If a friend needed help recovering from a crashed computer, learning how to barbeque a great Tri-tip, or lining up a support team for an upcoming race, David was there. His kindness even extended beyond his large circle of friends to anyone who asked for help.

The Events

The Badwater Ultramarathon is a 135 mile run that starts in the heart of Death Valley and ends at Mount Whitney Portal at 8,500 feet in altitude. Extremes of distance and desert heat makes this a most challenging run. It starts on July 15, 2013.

The Furnace Creek 508 is a cycling event that covers 509 miles of desert, including Death Valley, and summits 10 major climbs totaling 35,000 feet. Raced in team or solo format, this race starts on October 5, 2013.

Together, these two desert races form the Death Valley Cup, a challenge that Jim will undertake in honor of David, his great presence in the racing community, and his courageous battle with liposarcoma.

About the Initiative

Established in 2003, the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative is a respected charity that awards sarcoma research grants to expert investigators around the world. The Initiative maintains an extremely low overhead of 2-3% per year. Thus, 97-98% of the funds received by the Initiative go directly to support sarcoma research.