The History Surrounding Picketpost Mountain and the Copper Corridor Trail Runs There are a few races on the Aravaipa Running race calendar that come to mind when thinking about courses that run through areas containing a lot of interesting history. Copper Corridor is certainly one of those races. Copper Corridor starts and finishes in the Town of Superior, AZ, which is a quiet town about an hour drive from Phoenix. While a one hour drive doesn’t seem like much, there is a stark contrast between the Phoenix Valley and the Town of Superior. Driving into Superior from Phoenix takes you directly east as you skirt just south of the towering Superstition Ridgeline along Highway 60 …
Tucson Marathon’s Most Accomplished Athlete: Bassirima Soro
I first learned of Bassirima Soro while searching through some of the history of the Tucson Marathon. Soro’s name came up frequently regarding his 6 wins from 1999 to 2004. I figured Soro was an elite runner, but what I would come to realize is that he is a man of many talents. Bassirima Soro is also a Licensed Practical Nurse and Afro-Pop/Reggae vocalist and song writer under the stage name K-Bass residing in Tucson, Arizona. Soro was brought up by a loving but poverty-stricken family of musicians on the Ivory Coast of West Africa. In a “true example of the strength of the human spirit, [Soro] overcame severe economic hardships, obtained a hard won …
Desert Solstice 2020 – The Race in the Desert
Live Webcast | Live Results Phoenix, AZ – The Desert Solstice 24 hour is set to be most competitive 24 hour run in the world in 2020, bringing together some of the most talented ultrarunners in the country. Leading the men’s field, Zach Bitter is the current 100 mile world record holder in 11:19:13, but has never made it to the end of a 24 hour race. Will this be his year? Next, we have the top three members of the USA 24 Hour Team, who won the Gold Medal in the IAU World 24 Hour Championships in Albi, France. Oliver Leblond (171.17 Miles), Jake Jackson (165.06 Miles), and Harvey Lewis (160.69 Miles) will all …
Rumble Reminiscence
By Jen Laughlin | January 13, 2020 If you know me, you know that Coldwater Rumble is an extremely sentimental race. It was my first trail race, my first 50 mile, my twin sister’s first ultra, and my daughter’s first running race of any kind. But more than anything, it was the race that introduced me to the unique and incomparable trail running community, consequentially changing my running life in the best possible ways. Back in 2014 while approaching the milestone age of 40, I decided I wanted to do something “big”: I wanted to be an “endurance runner”. Yep, I laughed when I said it out loud too, but after a lifetime of playing …
Adventure Weekend in the San Juans
Painting a Picture The tents have been broken down, put away, and made the journey back to Phoenix in our box truck. The last of the course marking ribbons, signs and pin flags have all been collected. Sitting on the second floor balcony of the Coffee Bear, above where we had our packet pick-up two days in a row, I find myself searching for the right words to encapsulate this past weekend. How do you paint the picture of all the highs and lows? The sun, the snow, the rain, the triumphs and the days that didn’t quite play out as planned… for those of you who participated, I hope my memory of the weekend …
Glass Half Full
FROM THE DESK OF YOUR LOCAL TREE-HUGGING, CONSERVATION-LOVING, IMPACT-REDUCTION-ADVOCATE, & RACE DIRECTOR -scout I know, I get it, it can often feel like the marketing teams behind some of your favorite events are just working overtime to get you suckered into making another superfluous purchase to fill their pockets. For just $5 extra you can run in honor of your imaginary friend and we’ll write their name in the sky with invisible ink!! What a deal! It can be frustrating at times to feel like you’re being asked to pay more only to get less in return. So, what’s the deal with “Going Cupless?” Isn’t it just another money making gimmick? The fact of the …
#WhoWeAre – Aravaipa Group Trail Run
Community. That’s the one word that comes above all others when I think about the Aravaipa Group Trail Run and what it means to me. Building a community around the trail running scene is what we set out to do when we formed the weekly one hour trail run in 2011. Back then, the group met up each week in Tempe at Papago Park and a handful of us went for a run followed by a couple of beers at Papago Brewery. It was small, close-knit and a fun way to catch up with our friends each week outside of races and long runs. Aravaipa Group Trail Run has grown over the years and changed …
A Ramble
“So how does a 50K work?” I was asked this question the other day and it completely confused me; I didn’t understand what was being asked. “Well, I mean, you don’t run it all at once right?” Oooohhhhh. Me: “Well, yes. You do.” I think there was confusion on their face. It’s mind-boggling to me that there are people who haven’t heard of ultra-marathons; it is what I breathe. All I seem to be able to talk about is either geeky immunology or microbiology (or some other “ology” entirely), or running ultras and the best trails. Everybody I know is the same… well, at least regarding the latter part. I’m always wanting to hit that …
Nick Coury Steps Down as Co-Race Director
From Nick Coury, co-race director at Aravaipa Running: Today I announce that I am stepping down as co-race director and CTO of Aravaipa Running. The last five years have been incredibly rewarding for me, watching the small trail running community in Phoenix explode into one of the largest and most vibrant in the country. I have nothing but gratitude for all the people I have met, experiences I have shared, and lives I have been a part of. I am excited to move in a new direction with my own career, and look forward to watching the continued success of Aravaipa. With my brother Jamil in charge, I have no doubt he will continue to …
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