Humbled by My First 50 Miler at Ram Party

Bryce BrooksUncategorized

Ram Party Trail Runs take place out of Colorado Springs, Colorado in May and includes distances from 5K to 50 Mile. The races are split between Saturday and Sunday with the 50 Mile starting from  Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort on Saturday. The “shorter distances” begin at Rainbow Gulch Trailhead and run around Rampart Reservoir before returning to the finish line, where the real RamPart[y] begins. Anyway, last year around April I was coming off a string of 50K races and was looking to jump up in distance so I decided to sign-up for the Inaugural Ram Party 54 Mile race. This was putting myself out of my comfort zone for a few reasons. 1) This was …

Legends of Superior

Bryce BrooksUncategorized

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’s Must-See Destinations

Bryce BrooksUncategorized

While the Tucson Marathon is certainly the main reason to travel to Tucson 😉, we highly recommend that you take some time, either before or after the race to enjoy some of the other attractions Tucson has to offer. With average temperatures between 67 and 37 degrees in Tucson in December, it’s a great opportunity to explore some of Tucson’s world class trails or check out one of many museums in the city. Here is our list of top 10 attractions to check out while you’re in town: Biosphere 2 – Along the Tucson Marathon Course you’ll pass the Biosphere 2 Research Center. If you have the time, either  before or after the race to stop by (probably not during..) …

Tucson Marathon’s Most Accomplished Athlete: Bassirima Soro

Bryce BrooksUncategorized

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 …

If It Comes Easily, It’s Worthless

Kelly PattersonUncategorized

A profile of ultrarunner, Keith Munch We often meet people at our races or group runs who inspire us, and whenever possible, we aim to share their stories with you. Meet Keith Munch, a member of the Aravaipa running community.  A recent transplant from Arizona to Colorado, he recently finished the inaugural Royal Gorge Groove 60K (finishing with a grotesquely broken pinky finger thanks to misplaced footing on the technical trail early on in the race).  He is preparing to toe the line at Ring the Springs 100 Mile in June, sandwiched by two more 100 Mile races in May and July.  Without further ado, meet Keith. 1. Tell us about yourself!  I was born …

DISCOVER FLAGSTAFF X ARAVAIPA RUNNING

Kelly PattersonUncategorized

COCODONA 250 Discovering Flagstaff Through the Cocodona 250 By Sarah Ostaszewski It’s no secret that Flagstaff is one of the country’s top high-altitude running meccas. Especially over recent years, Flagstaff has shifted from sleepy mountain town and seasonal training grounds for professional runners and Olympians to full-blown trail running destination with a thriving outdoors community. World-class track athletes and elite-level marathoners are no longer the only one’s training year-round in Flagstaff. Some of the world’s best ultramarathoners have made the high-altitude hub their home. More and more trail runners are considering their own move to Flagstaff, and not without good reason. Easy access to a variety of trails and terrain makes for stellar year-round running. …

Desert Solstice 2020 – The Race in the Desert

Nick CouryUncategorized

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 …

COVID-era Races: A Race Director Account

Julie NeischUncategorized

Aravaipa has been fortunate to hold 3 recent in-person events: Silverton Alpine Marathons, Kendall Mountain, and Tushars Mountain Runs. Read below as RD’s Julie and Noah recount the experience. From Julie: Rather than ‘you never know what you have until it’s gone,’ these races were ‘you never know how much you missed something until it’s back!’  Silverton Alpine and Kendall Mountain were our first in-person races since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and it was incredible to be back to in-person races.  There were many changes to the race experience for staff and runners alike.  In typical ultra-runner fashion, participants adapted better than we could have hoped. Saturday morning, just before sunrise, participants in …

Crown King Scramble 50K: Virtual Edition

Scout PhillipsRace Report, This Week In Aravaipa Running, Uncategorized

I put on an old t-shirt Saturday morning, you know the kind; it’s soft from multiple wears and washes, maybe even a little threadbare in spots, but it means something special to you so it has yet to be turned into a rag or donated to the local clothes closet. My t-shirt is green. It has the old Crown King Scramble 50K logo on the front, and the elevation profile of the race on the back. I’ve had it for a few years, and I wore it all day last year as the Race Director for the 2019 event. I woke up feeling a bit disoriented on Saturday, it was 4:47 a.m. and I wasn’t …

Rumble Reminiscence

Hayley PollackUncategorized

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 …