Race: Black Canyon 60k

Runner: Deserae Clarke

Race Date: 02/15/2020

Location: Mayer, AZ

Results: 6:19, 8th female, 16th OA

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

This is one of the most beautiful courses out there, and the addition of a 60k to the established 100k makes it accessible to even more runners.

The 100k is a golden ticket race so you get to see some really fast people.

Aravaipa does a great job with the experience around the event, from the expo the day before through the aid station at an actual ranch to the finish line.

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

Honestly can’t think of any.

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

The races are point to point and have 2 different finishes. They’ve put a lot of thought into it and this is the best setup logistically, but it can be a little weird as the 60k finish is also a 100k aid station. You also have to drive down then to see the 100k finish. They honestly do a pretty good job balancing all of this.

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

This was my first ultra since July, and while I had some places where I struggled I think it was a solid B effort, which I was happy with given where I am in my training. I also managed to rally and finish strong on the uphills near the end.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

This course is net downhill, however a lot of the drop is near the start and a lot of the uphill is near the middle to end. Every year people go out too fast, trash their quads on the downhill and struggle at the end. Running a smart, controlled race at the beginning will definitely help.

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

I need to remember that I can push more during the low points because they will eventually come around.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

GORGEOUS!

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

As with just about every Aravaipa event this is a well-oiled machine. In fact, they are so experienced that even when things go wrong the runners rarely know.

Competition – Is there a strong field?

Yes, since the 100k is a Golden Ticket race, even the 60k draws a strong field.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

The 60k stays open longer than the 100k. There’s camping at various pints of the course and shuttles to the start, I honestly think they make it as easy as possible for the runners.

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

In addition to the standard fare Aravaipa does an excellent job of catering to a variety of special dietary. They also do a good job of having at least one experienced person at each aid station to help runners problem solve or handle emergencies.

Weather and typical race conditions

That’s a loaded question for this race. Weather in Arizona is February is not always predictable. This year was gorgeous. 2018 was hot. 2017 and 2019 rained so hard the course was unsafe and a large section was converted to an out and back on road and jeep road. The good news is, they have permits in place going forward that allow for an alternate rain course that still stay on trail but doesn’t require river crossings.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

For the 60k crew can access Bumble Bee Ranch and the finish. Both have plenty of parking and are easy to access. There is also a great atmosphere nth place. As an added bonus, you can buy Freak Brothers pizza made in their portable wood fired oven at the finish.

How’s the Swag?

Everyone got long-sleeved 3/4 zip tech shirts, a dry bag , a sticker and a poster. Additional race gear is available for purchase. The finishers awards for the 60k were wooden medals hand made by Aravaipa Artworks.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

If we’re talking 5 stars, it gets a 5. I cannot recommend it enough.

Deserae Clarke is a coach with Team RunRun. To learn more about her or to work with Coach Deserae, check out her coaching page.

Race: Black Canyons 100k – http://aravaiparunning.com/network/blackcanyon/

Runner: Jeff Urbanski

Date: 2/18/17

Location: Mayer, AZ

Results – 11:38:45

 

3 Bests – what aspects of the race did you like the most

Aravaipa put on another great race. They communicated the alternate course change well in advance and managed to run everything smoothly given the weather challenges. I have been pleased with both BC100k and Javalina.

The aid stations were well stocked throughout the race and the volunteers were super helpful.

The crew was solid! It was great seeing Matt, Julie, Paavo, Daisy and Josh at various points on the course.

Not so much – aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

I know it was the alternate course (so this wouldn’t happen with the normal course), but I didn’t love the out and back on single track. It makes for a lot of getting off the trail, stopping, restarting, etc.

It was tough to get in a rhythm with the snaking nature of a lot of the course. There were very few parts, partially due to the mud, that allowed for smooth comfortable running.

I fell for the first time in a race! Not cool. What not to do – don’t be worried about how you’re going to pass someone on single track and then eat it 🙂

 

Weird factor – what’s the weirdest thing about this race

This race takes you to the middle of nowhere desert which can lead one to wonder, “who actually lives out here”.

Highlights of your race – what did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular

I was pleased that I was able to stay positive throughout the race. My energy was fairly low much earlier in the race than I expected, but I was able to maintain a similar level of hurt for a long period of time and just get through it.

Given the rain and muddy trails, I was worried my feet would get torn up during the race. Using my drop bags, I was able to change my socks multiple times as well as my shoes to avoid any blisters.

 

Lessons for others – share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

Be prepared for anything with this race. Make sure you have gear for both hot and cold temperatures. Running in the desert without cover is always an adventure, so do yourself a favor and bring whatever you can to make things easier on yourself.

Don’t get too worked up about things you can’t control. The weather and the course change were not exactly optimal, but it’s helpful to just be able to roll with it without stressing too much.

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

Don’t be in a hurry. I tucked into a group on one of the technical sections on the way out, and I think it saved me from myself. I was worried about going out too fast given the steady downhill on the front half, and this helped save my legs for the way back.

 

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

Single track starts pretty early in the race, so it helps to be closer to the front if you’re really looking to be competitive. With the alternate course, it would help to be closer to the front to ensure you don’t have to hop off the trail as much for those on their way back.

 

Aesthetics – is it a pretty course

It was cloudy and foggy for much of the race, but there were a few times when everything cleared up. Given the rain this winter, there was a lot of green with pretty views.

Difficulty – is it a tough course

There wasn’t much elevation change, so from that perspective the course wasn’t too tough. As previously mentioned, it wasn’t very easy to get into a groove and just bang out the miles.

 

Organized and well run – did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

I was very pleased with how well the race was run. It can’t be easy making the call to completely change the course and everything else with it. I was impressed with how Aravaipa communicated all of the changes and made everything happen.

 

Competition – is there a strong field?

I’m not exactly a front runner, so it’s hard for me to say. There were some solid times, particularly given the conditions, so it was a decently strong field. People wanted their WS100 golden tickets!

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

This is typically a point to point course, so you have to decide if you want a hotel near the start or finish. In this case it ended up being an out and back from the original start, so the idea of having our hotel near the original finish went out the window. In general, the race isn’t too far outside of Phoenix, so all in all it was pretty straightforward.

 

Aid Stations

The aid stations were well stocked. I’m wheat intolerant, and upon mentioning that they quickly offered to make me quesadillas with corn tortillas instead. They were roughly 5-7 miles apart, and the volunteers were great.

 

Weather and typical race conditions –

Last year it was really hot – this year it was really wet (and cold for me – 40’s the whole way).

 

Gear – did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

I know of a number of people that dropped due to the cold. I was super happy that I decided to bring multiple pairs of gloves, hats and arm sleeves. This saved me since I don’t own a wet weather running jacket.

 

Spectators – is this a friendly course for your friends

There were a handful of aid stations that allowed for crew. This isn’t a course that brings out the spectators throughout though.

Awards –

I got a buckle for the 100k finish as well as a drinking glass. The top finishers got their WS100 golden tickets.

 

The Overall Score – how many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it

This is a 5 out of 5 if for no other reason than the race directors. I have to believe there would have been smoother running and pretty views if it hadn’t been pouring the whole time.