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2016 Black Canyon Ultras Preview

Jamil CouryRace Preview

The 3rd annual Black Canyon 100K will take place this Saturday, February 13th north of Phoenix, Arizona on a point to point course along the Black Canyon National Recreation Trail. Over 260 runners from across the country will take to the 62 mile course under record temperatures forecast in the mid to upper 80’s in the afternoon. This 2017 Western States qualifier (for those finishers under 17 hours) is also a “Golden Ticket race. that will send the top 2 male and female finishers to the big dance in Squaw Valley, California in June. New to the Black Canyon Ultras this year is a short course 60K which will travel from Mayer High School to Black Canyon City. …

2015 Desert Solstice Preview

Jamil CouryRace Preview

Central High School’s track in Phoenix, Arizona will again make history on Saturday, December 19th.  Aravaipa Running is presenting the 5th edition of the Desert Solstice Track Invitational.  This year’s event features 21 of the best endurance athletes in the world chasing numerous national and world records at distances ranging from 20 kilometers to 24 hours.  Previous editions of this event have seen 26 national and 6 world records on this fast red 400 meter oval.  The weather forecast looks ideal for runners with mostly sunny skies with a high of 67 degrees and low of 40. Katalin Nagy, a 36 year old Hungarian turned Floridian, is the reigning 24 Hour World Champion and current …

Kendall Mountain Preview

Hayley PollackCommunity, News, Press Release, Race Preview, Ultra Thoughts

If you can believe the write-up about Kendall Mountain on summitpost.org then you “[shouldn’t] feel too proud when you reach the summit of this one.” However, we disagree. The basis for their argument is this race, Kendall Mountain Run: because runners run up Kendall Mountain it is brushed aside. Standing in Silverton, looking up at Kendall as it towers over Greene Street you get your first sense of the injustice done in that one sentence. It is not hard to image how that 1908 bet started… seeing Kendall looming over their town the locals were sure that no one could possibly reach the summit and return within 1.5 hours and the bet was made. Although …

2015 Insomniac Night Trail Run Series

Hayley PollackCommunity, News, Race Preview, Ultra Thoughts

What happens when you are forced to ignore heat training advice? You know, the articles where they give varying degrees of heat and what you are supposed to do in each scenario. Invariably there is a section that tells you to cut back once it gets too hot or stick to running indoors for faster recovery. There was a Runner’s World article I read not too long ago that described racing in 80° as “gruesome conditions.” However, as many of us know, living in the desert, trying to train for a fall race, and being morally opposed to spending hours on a treadmill leaves you with little choice about braving the heat. I could listen to the …

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 …

Aravaipa Running Announces Big Pine & Blackout Night Runs

Hayley PollackNews, Press Release, Race Preview

Aravaipa Running is incredibly excited to announce the 1st annual Big Pine 108K to be held June 13-14 in Flagstaff, AZ! We will also be offering a 13K, 27K and 54K that morning and hosting the Blackout Night Runs as a new addition to the Insomniac Series that evening! In scouting race courses we are always on the lookout for something new and exciting and a location that allows us to make the race a community affair. We have found just that with Big Pine and its location at Fort Tuthill County Park. All runners will get to experience the Soldiers Trail and Highlands Trail Loop. The course is mostly graded wide forest paths within …

Crown King Scramble: Course Preview and Updated Course Record Information!

Hayley PollackNews, Race Preview

I’ll start this post by being honest.  There was pretty much nothing about Crown King Scramble that ever interested me. I had no desire to run uphill on jeep road for 31 miles. That was until today. I’m not sure my preconceived notions about a race course have ever been so wrong. Jamil and I spent the day driving the Crown King Scramble course so I could learn the layout and we could post signs reminding users of Aravaipa’s race on March 28th. My contribution to the outing was to exclaim “Unbelievable!” or “Stop! I need another picture!” at almost every turn. It was love at first sight. The race begins at Lake Pleasant and winds …

Crown King Scramble Contenders

Jamil CouryNews, Race Preview

Once Arizona’s most competitive ultra, the Crown King Scramble is making a big splash in its first year back with a stacked field of runners on both the men’s and women’s side. Here we take a few minutes to highlight some of the amazing athletes that will be toeing the line this weekend. These athletes will be competing not only for the win at one of Arizona’s most historic ultras, but $250 in prize money going to the top man and woman to reach the finish in Crown King. In addition to the $250 to the winner, runners are eligible for a $500 course record bonus. Men will need to break Dermot McGonigle’s 1996 record …

2011 McDowell Mountain Frenzy Preview

Jamil CouryRace Preview

The 3rd edition of the McDowell Mountain Frenzy comes to McDowell Mountain Regional Park this weekend, taking place mainly on the “competitive track” mountain bike courses first built in 1998.  The competitive tracks feature rolling hills, narrow single track, banked turns, and several named “features” including “T-Bone Ridge” (the final climb in the 25 Km & 50 Km courses), “The Chunnel” (a horse tunnel/bridge featured in all races), “Double Dip” (two steep descents at the start of the race), and “Cactus Corner” (aid station on the far southwest corner of the 10 mile course). The 5 Km race is the shortest in the DRT series and follows the Sport Loop, featuring a single loop around …