Summary: Across The Years is a fixed-time, multiday running event held over the New Year. Runners have 24, 48, 72 hours or 6 days to cover as much distance as possible and are free to walk, stop, eat and sleep whenever they want. The 6 day race starts on 12/28 and the “shorter” races start the following days, with the option to start on different days. Each race starts and ends at 9am and thereafter the course changes direction every four hours (at 1:00 PM, 5:00 PM, etc.).

The race is held at Camelback Ranch – Glendale, located in Phoenix, Arizona, the spring training facilities for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox. The route is a USATF certified 1689.5 meter (1.0498 mile) loop consisting of 85% dirt paths and 15% asphalt/concrete. The track averages 10-20 feet in width, with a minimum width of 8 feet. The facility is only a few miles away from the Westgate City Center, home of the University of Phoenix stadium, shopping, and other attractions.

Lessons Learned from Race Reports

You won’t need a light to navigate the course at night, but you might want one when going through your stuff.
Be sure to read all the course rules and information on sleeping tents, quiet hours, etc.
See course photos and course surface information here
Good FAQs with all sorts of questions and answers
Not surprising – there is very little shade on the course and even cooler temps still feel hot in the AZ sun
Gaiters recommended since it’s mainly a dirt track
Once the sun goes down, don’t be surprised if your pace picks up with cooler temps
Bring warm clothes for the cool nights, especially if you’re walking
Know how to take care of blisters and other foot care – lots of mentions of hot spots, blisters, blister care in the med tent, etc.
Bring changes of shoes, especially ones with toe box room to account for swelling, and changes of clothing for day and night
Focus on keeping core temperature down in the day time heat to be able to fuel
Take the time to rest and cool off if needed. Lots of runners take rest breaks, thinking they are done, then they have a few hours rest and are ready to get going again, running better than pre-rest
Some runners have designated times they’ll rest, like the heat of the day, or 3-4 hours at night
For runners doing any event over 24 hours, most rested at some point and ate solid foods, and some had a plan on when they rested, others rested on a whim. Lots of runners pointed out afterwards that they wished they had planned their rest rather than waiting until they were too broken to continue.
While road shoes work, consider having trail shoes on hand in case your feet feel like they’re getting beat up

Elevation

Minimal and the course will seem flat and fast at first, but the small bumps along the way will seem bigger as the race progresses.

Course Map

Aid stations

Total aid stations: 2 per lap, one fully stocked at the start/finish (basically every mile), and one halfway through the loop with water and electrolytes

What’s available: Fully stocked aid station 24 hours a day at the start/finish. The race will prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day in addition to having many of the traditional staple items like peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, bean roll-ups, cookies, candies, coffee, soda and sports drinks. There will also be snack items offered on different days at various times like M & M pancakes, French toast sticks, quesadillas, grilled cheese sandwiches, fruit smoothies, sushi and late-night spring rolls. Breakfast is served in two stages, early in the morning (pre-dawn) with pancakes or French toast sticks, then again around 10 am with some type of an egg or tofu item (except for the first day). Lunch is usually a type of sandwich or wrap or chili or hot dog. Dinners have consisted of items like lasagna, tamales, pizza or burritos.

Crew access

Yes, at the start/finish. The race staging area is a 170,000 square foot grassy field where runners can set up tables, tents, and personal items for the race. An additional dirt lot on the south side of the course is available for runners to park their cars, trucks, campers, or RV’s along the course for quick access during the race.