What began as an informal full moon night training run for the Javelina Jundred, has evolved into an event all its own. I ran the Javelina Night Run back in 2005 when it was a completely self supported affair, loosely organized by Javelina Jundred founder and race director Geri Kilgariff. It was my first true night trail run and I remember the magic and adventure of running around the Pemberton Trail under the full moon with friends. Coyotes were howling, I could shut off my headlamp halfway through the run and there was even a night mountain bike ride going on in the opposite direction we were running. That was back before I ran my first ultra, …
The Moments I Live For Part II – Mogollon Monster 106
All we could do was laugh out loud as we trudged and waded our way through a chest high sea of grasses which had completely covered up what was left of the eroded, rocky and deteriorated Highline Trail. It was dark and eerie, with a full moon overhead and who knows what types of creatures rustling in the bushes all around us. Any attempt at running was futile as we would either roll an ankle on a hidden rock, slip on a large tuft of grass or step on one overhanging stalk of grass and stumble as the other leg tried to lift through the tangled mess of vegetation. We would always be scanning for …
Flagstaff 50 Endurance Runs
Running in Arizona isn’t limited to hot, desert trails winding around saguaro cactus and ocotillos. Although that is the typical scene around the Sonoran Desert surrounding Phoenix and Tucson, just a couple hours north brings higher altitude and the dense Ponderosa Pine forest surrounding Flagstaff. The town itself is at 6,910 feet and is situated at the base of Arizona’s highest mountain range – the San Francisco Peaks which rise up to 12,633 atop Humphreys Peak. Flagstaff is well known in the running community as a hotbed Olympic caliber athletes looking for high-altitude training. Flagstaff also offers one of the best mountain trail systems anywhere, with a local urban trail system, trails in the Mount …
Flagstaff Endurance Runs – Approved!
We have some very exciting new this week, as we just received approval for a 50 mile & 50 kilometer trail ultra in Flagstaff, Arizona. AlthoughFlagstaff is a mecca for some of the nation’s best runners, has a thriving running community including a growing number of ultra runners, and some of the most beautiful high altitude trails in the Southwest, there have been no ultra runs permitted in the area (the nearest being the Zane Grey Highline Trail 50 mile and new Mogollon Monster race near Pine/Payson about an hour and a half away). We’ve been working on obtaining permits for well over two years, confronting a myriad of issues that has likely prevented any sort of …
2011 McDowell Mountain Frenzy Report
The 3rd annual McDowell Mountain Frenzy trail runs again featured 50 kilometer, 25 kilometer, 10 mile and 5 kilometer courses primarily on the rolling and technical competitive mountain biking tracks. These courses feature tight banked turns, lots of rolling hills, desert wash crossings, and several “stunts” along the way to keep things interesting. In its second year, the Frenzy 50K leaves the competitive tracks and heads out towards the foothills of the McDowell Mountains, turning around at the Dixie Mine. Runners couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day, as the glow of dawn revealed a beautiful cloudless sky and cool temperatures. The 50 K runners gathered just before the 7am start as Nick gave …