Black Canyon Trail Training Run #1 (Nov 10)

Jamil CouryNews

This upcoming Sunday, November 10 will be the first of three training runs along the Black Canyon Trail. We will be breaking up the course for the inaugural BCT 100K race to be held February 15, 2014 into three sections on November 10, December 1 and January 19. Here is information for those of you wanting to join on this first training run: Date: Sunday, November 10, 2014. Time: 7:00am Meet at Bumble Bee or 7:30am Meet at Mayer High School. Directions to Bumble Bee (end of run, park here to carpool to run start): 1. Drive north from Phoenix on the I-17 Freeway 2. Take exit #248 towards Bumble Bee / Crown King 3. …

2013 Javelina Jundred Men’s Preview

Jamil CouryUncategorized

This year’s Javelina Jundred men’s field has shaped up in the past couple weeks to be quite impressive. We’ve got the Javelina men’s course record holder, the course record holder of The Grand Slam of Ultrarunning, and a past winner of the Badwater 135. Hal Koerner Set the course record on this course in 2011 at 13:47 and is a veteran 100 mile runner with numerous wins and records. He recently set the FKT on the John Muir Trail. Ian Sharman Smashed the course record for the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning this summer – finishing Western States, Vermont, Leadville and Wasatch 100 milers. He also won Leadville and has a 100 mile personal best of …

Silverton Alpine Marathon & 50K 2013

Jamil CouryRace Report

Heading over to Memorial Park on race morning of this year’s Silverton Alpine Marathon & 50K, I was hit with a few drops of rain. The skies were cloudy and dark in the pre-dawn hours leaving me wondering what the runners would be in for during the race. As darkness gave way to light as runners checked in and prepped for the day’s event, the skies looked ominous, but were holding out. Nineteen 50K runners took off at 7am for the short out and back on the last part of the course. The first runner, Dennis Pollow Jr. was back through the start/finish line in Memorial Park at 7:32 and was off to complete the …

White Tank Mountain Regional Park Master Plan

Jamil CouryCommunity

I was asked at the beginning of the year to be a part of the White Tank Mountain Regional Park Stakeholder Advisory Group. A group of 4 was selected and our task was to help represent avid park users to provide feedback to Maricopa County Parks and Recreation staff (specifically Leigh Johnson, park planner and Raymond Schell, park supervisor) about improvements to the park master plan. The current master plan for White Tank Mountain Regional Park was written back in the 1960’s and doesn’t currently reflect the values or realities of today’s park users. The park staff was interested in updating the plan to current needs and expectations from visitors, resource protection and to provide …

Tips for Night Trail Running

Jamil CouryRunning Tips

If you are running your first night trail run this summer as a part of the Insomniac Night Series, we have a few tips that should help make your experience fun and memorable. Running at night poses some unique challenges that you should prepare for.  Take note of these tips and you should be able to enjoy your experience out on the trails at night and successfully finish your run. Lighting The runs take place in the dark on naturally unlit desert trails. Be prepared with a quality headlamp or handheld flashlight to light your way (cell phone apps just won’t cut it!). A headlamp can be a good choice if you like to keep …

Perfect Day at 36th Annual Kendall Mountain Run

Jamil CouryRace Report

Over 150 runners lined up on Saturday for the 36th Annual Kendall Mountain Run and 4th Annual “K2” Double. Both races start at 12th Street and Greene and follow the Kendall  Mountain Road 6 miles up to within 250 vertical feet of the 13,066 foot summit of Kendall. Runners then scramble up a steep trail to tag the summit marker before flying back down to town the way they came up. K2 Doublers make the ascent to the top twice for a little more than 24 miles. The race was first held in 1978, started by running enthusiast Bill Corwin who modeled the race after a famous bar bet made back in 1908 which sent …

My Nutrition Failure and Epic Resurrection at the 2013 Hardrock 100

Jamil CouryRace Report, Ultra Thoughts

Moving step by step along a dusty road winding several hundred feet above a roaring river over 10,000 feet above sea level, I was struggling to keep my pace at a something resembling “running”. I was still hiking strong on the ups, but when the road flattened, it took every ounce of my will to shuffle my feet into a run. I was queasy and not eating. Even water tasted bland and un-refreshing, not a good sign just 30 miles in to the 2013 Hardrock 100 Mile Endurance Run. Three weeks prior I had bounded up this road fresh and fit on a 56 mile dress rehearsal training run. Soon the road gave way to …

2013 Silverton 6/12/24 Hour

Jamil CouryRace Report

A smoky morning greeted runners at this year’s 2nd Annual Silverton 6/12/24 Hour Mountain Runs held at the Kendall Mountain Recreation Area.  The run takes place on a 1 mile loop on the Kendall Trail which was hand built by Rodger Wrublik and Jamil Coury in 2010 specifically for the Silverton 1000 mile challenge. The loop is not easy enough being at 9318 feet above sea level, but also climbs 250 feet up to the top of the ski lift on single track trails and a small section of dirt road. This is no Across The Years! The loop was accurately measured with a Rolotape surveyor’s wheel to be exactly 1 mile and runners aim …

avalanche chute

Kendall Mountain Avalanche Chute

Jamil CouryUltra Thoughts

Wednesday morning I climbed to the summit of Kendall Mountain, a peak that rises to 13,066 feet, towering directly over the small mountain town of Silverton, Colorado. When sitting in most homes and shops in town, this mountain fills most of the entire view looking out the window. When looking at Kendall you can’t help but notice the unique “Y” shaped avalanche chute on the face of the mountain facing town. Being a runner and someone who enjoys climbing mountains, when looking at Kendall, I can’t help but wonder how fast I can get up to the top and furthermore how fast someone has EVER gotten to the top. I’m not the only one to …

First Weekend in Silverton

Jamil CouryUltra Thoughts

My first weekend training in Silverton is now complete and I’ve got a full growler of beer from Avalanche Brewing ready to drink tonight to celebrate a solid 7 hours of running on the Hardrock course. I am constantly blown away by the beauty and ‘epic’ness of the San Juan Mountains. The vast mountains and valley’s make me feel quite insignificant in the larger sense. A lightning strike off in the distance while running along a ridge at 12,600 feet on my first training day sent a shot of adrenaline through my body. Running along a thin strip of “quarter” track trail above 11,000 feet on the Kamm Traverse with a ridiculous drop off to …