Mesquite Canyon 2015 – Scorching Tough Year

Jamil CouryNews, Race Report

As a few of us sat around Friday night preceding the 6th annual Mesquite Canyon Trail Runs finalizing a few details for the race, drinking a couple of beers, we would usually be sitting around a campfire. With warm temperatures already greeting the Phoenix area in mid-March there was no need. We sat around in short sleeve shirts and took in the night. The race starts on the Eastern end of the White Tank Mountains, a range that marks the Western boundary of the metropolitan Phoenix area. Looking towards the peaks we could see hundreds if not thousands of stars, constellations and more. Gazing back towards Phoenix, the stars slowly give way to a soft …

Copper Basin 50K Returns! – April 11, 2015

Jamil CouryPress Release

After a 4 year hiatus (it went off to college), the Copper Basin 50K returns to Prescott, AZ on April 11, 2015. Keeping in tune with the past two editions in 2009 & 2010, Aravaipa Running will be hosting this as an unsanctioned “fun run” on a new section of the Prescott Circle Trail that we’ve yet to incorporate into the previous two editions. We created the Copper Basin 50K to introduce trail runners to the Prescott Circle Trail and to escape to the pines as the valley begins to heat up into mid-April. Now that the run has “grown up”, we’ll be starting and finishing downtown on Whiskey Row. A short mile or so through …

Insomniac Night Trail Run Series Announces Official Charity Partner – Team Red, White & Blue

Jamil CouryNews, Press Release

Team Red, White & Blue’s mission is to enrich the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity. Team RWB members from the Phoenix chapter have been running alongside Aravaipa Running for a couple of years now. Our organizations typically cross paths the first Wednesday of each month at our Aravaipa Group Trail Run whenever we host a location at Papago Park in Tempe. Team RWB is easy to spot with their bright “eagle” logo shirts and positive attitude. Team RWB had a large presence at last year’s night run series and it is only natural to increase our partnership with them in 2015.   Aravaipa Running is …

Mesquite Canyon Trail Runs – Origins and Thoughts

Jamil CouryRace Preview, Ultra Thoughts

The 6th annual Mesquite Canyon Trail Runs are upon us. I honestly don’t know where the time has gone. Not just the time this year, these first two months of 2015 but even the last 5 years! Just 5 years ago I was preparing to direct my first ever 50K that I created from scratch at a mountain park that I’ve been hiking, camping and mountain biking in since I was a kid. This would prove to be not just your ordinary 50K either. I was sending runners through two “hazardous” sections of trail, deemed the “most extreme” by the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation department. So much so that they highlight the Goat Camp …

Black Canyon 100K Race Report – Aravaipa Ambassador Jeremy Pager

Jamil CouryRace Report

Now that the dust has settled and I can move around without any fear of the tendons in my feet ripping apart, I think the time is right for a Black Canyon 100k race report. A little background: I am not an elite runner. I am a hobbyist who started running a little over two years ago, and entered the trail running and ultra scene a year ago. Black Canyon 100K would just be my second 100k race. I am what Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab For Cutie fame) jokingly referred to as an “elite mid-packer.” Also, I spent much of November and December with a nagging IT band issue, so my training was not …

Hayley Pollack Joins Aravaipa Running

Jamil CouryNews, Press Release

February 20, 2015 – Phoenix, AZ – Aravaipa Running is pleased to announce the hiring of Hayley Pollack as Director of Events & Operations. Hayley comes to Aravaipa with a background in retail management & operations at Best Buy for the past five and a half years. She brings an education in Strategic Leadership and experience in management to help lead and improve Aravaipa’s existing and future events. Hayley has been transitioning into this role for the past month, but will now be working full time along side Jamil & the rest of the Aravaipa Running team to continue to produce top notch events in Arizona and across the Southwest. Don’t be surprised to receive email correspondence …

Ultimate Direction Black Canyon Caption Contest

Jamil CouryNews

Thanks to our friends at Ultimate Direction, we have some hydration packs and bottles to give away to the winners of our Black Canyon photo caption contest. “How do you stay hydrated on the trail?” Use your creativity to tell us what these runner are saying as they are “running” at mile 39 of the Black Canyon 100K this last weekend. Best submissions will win! Create your own and post to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the hashtags #udhydrates & #bc100k to enter. Winners will be chosen based upon Aravaipa Running favorites and most likes or shares.

Black Canyon Ultras – Training Run #3 (Jan. 18)

Jamil CouryNews

This Sunday, January 18 will the the third and final preview run for the upcoming Black Canyon Trail 100K which will take place February 14. This section will resume from the Black Canyon City Trailhead and continue to head south towards New River & Phoenix. We’ll head back into the canyons and across several more creeks before the trail generally becomes flatter towards the finish at Emery Henderson Trailhead where the 100K, 50K & 18K all end. Date:  Sunday, January 18, 2014. Distance: Mile 0 – Black Canyon City TH (Start) Mile 13.3 – Table Mesa Road TH Mile 24.5 – Emery Henderson TH (Finish) Time: 7:00am Meet at Emery Henderson TH to carpool or …

This Week in Aravaipa Running – Dec. 29 to Jan. 4

Jamil CouryThis Week In Aravaipa Running

I’ve often dreamed of writing regularly but with so much “busyness” I never seem to make the time. I enjoy sharing bits and pieces of my racing and training, but it is challenging to keep momentum for writing with so much going on. I’d like to change that in 2015 and therefore will be publishing a weekly article right here on this blog about the happenings at Aravaipa Running.  This will not strictly be an article about what races are coming up or a race report from last weekend’s training runs, but instead a forum for me to share my thoughts about anything related to Aravaipa Running and even some bits and pieces of my personal life. After …

Black Canyon Ultras – Training Run #2 (Dec. 21)

Jamil CouryNews

  This upcoming Sunday, December 21 will be the second of three training runs in lead up to the February 14 Black Canyon Ultras. We will be breaking up the 100K course into three sections on November 23, December 21 and January 18. Each run will be minimally supported, minimally marked and point to point. We will have shorter options at each. Here is information for those of you wanting to join on this first training run: Date: Sunday, December 21, 2014. Distance: Mile 0 – Bumble Bee Mile 4.5 – Gloriana Mine TH (we may have water here) Mile 12.8 – Soap Creek (Aid) Mile 18.0 – Black Canyon City TH (Finish) Time: 7:00am Meet at Black Canyon City TH. or …