Saturday, March 22nd, 2025

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Crown King Scramble

50K

Lake Pleasant to Crown King
Arizona

Run Arizona’s classic 50K footrace from Lake Pleasant to the old mining town of Crown King.

You’ll start on the shores of beautiful Lake Pleasant, run through the heart of the Sonoran Desert and climb your way through scrub brush, junipers and ultimately to the cool pines of the Bradshaw Mountains! From Spines to Pines, the finish line at the historic Crown King Saloon awaits you.

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Start Time & Location

6:00AM
Castle Creek Boat Ramp
Lake Pleasant Regional Park
Morristown, AZ 85342

Directions

Finish Location

Crown King Saloon
7219 Main Street
Crown King, AZ 86343

Bib Pickup

Friday, March 21st
12pm - 5pm
Aravaipa Headquarters
2401 S 24th St
Phoenix, AZ 85034
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Saturday, March 22nd
Race Day Pickup 5:00AM
Castle Creek Boat Ramp
Lake Pleasant Regional Park
Morristown, AZ 85342

Volunteer

We need help to make the Crown King Scramble possible. Volunteer perks include Aravaipa race credits and race swag!

Volunteer Soon

Race Perks

- Gender specific race shirt
- Scenic and challenging course on dirt roads
- Well stocked aid stations every 3.2-8.5 miles
- Post race barbecue included with entry
- Beer available for purchase at the finish line! (bring cash & support the town)

Live Tracking

Follow the 2025 Crown King Scramble with live split points throughout the race.

Aravaipa Live

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Registration closes: Mon, March 17 @ 11:59PM MT

Race Registration

Entry Fees*	Until 7/31	Until 12/31	Until 3/17	Race Week
50 Km	$175	$190	$205	$205

*Prices do not include applicable local taxes
**Race shirt guaranteed on race day if registered by 3/1/25

Course Information

Key Stats

Date | Saturday, March 22, 2025

Start Time | 6:00 am

Time Limit | 11 Hours (5:00pm Overall Cutoff)

Distance | 31 Miles

Total Elevation Gain | 6,828 feet

Max Elevation | 6,563 feet

Women's Course Record | 4:26:44 - Ida Nilsson (2019)

Men's Course Record | 3:41:24 - Ryan Raff (2024)

Course Map

CalTopo Course Map

Race Details

The Crown King Scramble is a point to point uphill 50 kilometer foot race from the shores of Lake Pleasant in the heart of the Sonoran Desert to the town of Crown King in the ponderosa pines of the Bradshaw Mountain Range. The trail traverses through several climate zones that takes you from “spines” to “pines”. The first half of the race is on rolling smooth dirt forest roads and the back half is on rough four wheel drive jeep trail that climbs steeply up into the mountains. You’ll watch Lake Pleasant grow smaller and smaller in the distance as the promise of cooler temperatures drives you forward. The race starts at 1700 feet elevation and tops out at mile 28.7 at 6520 feet elevation before a final 600 foot descent into the finish. This is a race that has it all!

Drop bags are only permitted at French Creek Aid Station and the Finish. Please label your drop bag with the appropriate aid station name, bib number, and last name. Drop bags can be dropped off during packet pickup on Friday or at Lake Pleasant on Saturday morning, NO LATER THAN 5:30 AM.

Drop bags for the finish line may be dropped off at the start on race day. Drop bags will be returned to the finish line in Crown King when French Creek Aid Station closes down, which means that they will not arrive in Crown King until approximately 2:00pm. Please limit the size of your drop bags to that of a small duffle.

All cutoffs will be strictly enforced. With the point-to-point nature of this event, our medical, aid station and communications volunteers must stick to the following schedule for the overall safety of all runners on the course.

NOTE: These cutoff times are the latest anyone can be leaving French Creek or arriving at the finish.

French Creek (Mile 15.3) – 10:30AM
Finish in Crown King (Mile 31.1) – 5:00PM

Spines to Pines - The 30th Running of the Crown King Scramble 50K

Additional Race Info

Results & Photos

This is a point to point course. One-way shuttle tickets can be purchased at the time of registration or through UltraSignup while spots are available. This shuttle picks up at the finish in Crown King and returns runners to the start at Lake Pleasant (around a 2.5 hour drive).

The first shuttle will depart around 1:00pm (when full), and subsequent shuttles will leave when full. The final shuttle will leave at approximately 5:30pm, after the final cutoff. Please be aware that there will be a wait for shuttle departure, and this wait could be an hour or more depending on when the vans fill. We hope this will give you time to enjoy your meal and a beverage while you cheer on other finishers!

We will also have a Sunday morning shuttle van option that will leave at 10:00am for runners staying overnight in Crown King!

If you have a support person assisting with transport, please be aware that the North Entrance Station to Lake Pleasant closes at 8pm. Private vehicles will not be able to enter after this time (all vehicles can leave via the automatic gate).

Please arrive early to park, check in and warm up prior to your run. Restroom facilities are located at the start line at Lake Pleasant Regional Park.

Saturday, March 22, 2025
5:00 AM – Check-in begins
6:00 AM – Race Start (consider a headlamp)
6:26 AM – Sunrise
11:00 AM – BBQ Lunch begins in Crown King
1:00 PM – First Shuttle Leaves (approximate – won’t leave until totally full)
5:00 PM – Final Cutoff – Crown King Saloon (Mile 31.1)
6:00 PM – Last Saturday Shuttle Leaves (approximate)
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM – Live Music at Crown King Saloon!

Sunday, March 23, 2025
10:00 AM – Sunday Shuttle Departs CK for Lake Pleasant

The course will be well marked with orange plastic ribbons with black polka dots. Trail junctions and turns will be well marked with yellow laminated signs. Please pay attention to these signs at each junction. In addition, WRONG WAY flagging (blue & white checkerboard) and pink signage will be posted to designate non-race trails. All runners are responsible for understanding the layout of the courses. Please familiarize yourself with the course maps on our website prior to race day.

Keep your eye out for “Choose Your Own Adventure” sections. Will you take the slightly longer tangent, or the steeper scramble? It’s up to you!

We will have our MedStar Solutions medical staff in multiple mobile teams on course and at the finish at Crown King to assist with first aid onsite. We reserve the right to pull you from the race if medical officials deem it necessary. If you experience a medical emergency on course, please get word to the nearest aid station. Each aid will have satellite communication with our on course Medstar staff.

NOTE: Please do NOT call 911 in a medical emergency. Our medical team is highly trained and understands the terrain and driving access points. Please call the race day number and they will dispatch immediately.

MedStar Solutions Race Day Number: 480-269-4126

Awards
- Awards to top 3 male & female finishers
- Awards to top grandmasters male & female (50+)
- All finishers receive a custom finisher award

Trail Running & Trash
This race is permitted by multiple land agencies. Please respect the trails and the beauty of the land by disposing of any trash at one of our aid stations. Do not throw trash on the ground–runners caught littering will be disqualified. There will be no restrooms along the trail. Please plan ahead and carry a ziploc of TP We ask that you practice “Leave No Trace” along the course to ensure the race continues for many years.

Cupless Race
In our continued effort to reduce our races footprint and preserve the trails we love, this year’s Crown King Scramble will once again be a cupless event. What does that mean? There will be no paper cups at the aid stations at this race. Runners will be responsible for carrying their own container to refill along the way. UltrAspire reusable cups may be purchased with registration or on race day OR we encourage you to bring your own! Grab a cup, a hydration vest, pouch, or water bottle and we will fill it at each aid station along the way. We ask you to help us in our efforts by preparing for a cup free race day and thank you in advance for being good stewards of the trails! Want to read more about why going cupless matters? Click here!

Race Timing
All runners will be provided with a race bib that must be worn at all times during the race. You will be checked in and out of all aid stations on the course. There will be chip timing on course and live race day splits will be available on live.aravaiparunning.com

Camping
Camping is permitted in Lake Pleasant Regional Park but not directly at the start line. Please contact them for fees and permitted areas or visit their website:
https://www.maricopacountyparks.net/park-locator/lake-pleasant-regional-park/camping/

Lodging
We encourage all runners to make a weekend out of their Crown King Scramble experience and stay in Crown King with us after the race. There will be plenty of stories to share over a beer or two at the Saloon! Lodging options:
Chris’s Cabin & AirBnB’s: 602-722-5753
Bear Creek Cabins and Ore Belle Cabin: Cindy, 928-899-2031
Bradshaw Mountain Guest Ranch and Crown King Cabins – Taryn, 928-632-4477.
Cedar Roost Inn: Darla, 928-632-5564
Crown King Saloon: Lorrie, 928-632-7053

Thank you to our sponsors!

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