The 3rd annual Black Canyon 100K will take place this Saturday, February 13th north of Phoenix, Arizona on a point to point course along the Black Canyon National Recreation Trail. Over 260 runners from across the country will take to the 62 mile course under record temperatures forecast in the mid to upper 80’s in the afternoon. This 2017 Western States qualifier (for those finishers under 17 hours) is also a “Golden Ticket race. that will send the top 2 male and female finishers to the big dance in Squaw Valley, California in June. New to the Black Canyon Ultras this year is a short course 60K which will travel from Mayer High School to Black Canyon City.
100K racers will leave the track of Mayer High School in Spring Valley, Arizona shortly after 7am followed by an 8am start for the 60K runners. Participants will have 2.7 miles to spread out before they head onto the high desert single track of the non-motorized Black Canyon Trail. Runners will traverse through junipers and grasslands transitioning off Antelope Mesa to the saguaro cactus of the Sonoran Desert. As temperatures heat up, runners will find respite through several canyon crossings of the Aqua Fria River.
Headlining the 100K for the men is 30 year old former pro road marathon runner and Cornell University track star Sage Canaday, who trains in Boulder, Colorado. Sage was the 2013 USATF 100K Trail National Champion and since his 100K debut at the 2012 Ultra Race of Champions has dominated the distance. The women’s favorite just might be Amy Sproston of Bend, Oregon who was the 2012 100K IAU world champion that helped the US win gold that year. Sproston had an impressive international season racing this past year in 2015 at Ultra Trail World Tour events like UTMF and TNF100K after wining the HURT 100 (26:22:39).
2015 Ladies Champ Caroline Boller
Other notable runners in the men’s field for the 100K include 2-time Western States Champion & Javelina 100 Course Record Holder Hal Korner of Oregon, 26 year old Michael Owen of Ohio, reigning Javelina 100 Mile Champion (13:49:17) Paul Giblin of Scottland, and the first ever winner of the Black Canyon 100K Aravaipa Racing Team member Michael Carson. Fresh off an impressive (3:50:05) course record at the San Tan Scramble 50K, Arizona’s own Charlie Ware will also toe the line and mix it up with over 250 other men in the 100K including new Coldwater Rumble 52K course record holder and Aravaipa Racing Team member Sion Lupowitz.
Other top women runners include this year’s HURT 100 champion (30:24:18) Denise Bourassa. New England’s Serena Wilcox will look to regain her 2011 form when she won the Vermont 100. Debuting at the 100K distance following her 52K win and course record at the Coldwater Rumble (4:41:42) is Arizona State University’s own Kelly Wolf. Alberta’s Alissa St Laurent had an impressive 2015 with wins at Cascade Crest 100 Miler, Sinister 7 100 Miler, and the 125K Canadian Death Race.
Live coverage will be available on Aravaipa Running’s Twitter account using hash tag #blackcanyonultras as well as at selected checkpoints along the way here.
Finish line results for the 100K will be posted through Aravaipa Running’s Ultracast.