The New Desert Runner Trail Series!

Noah DoughertyCommunity

As we continue to evolve as a running company and do our best to bring you the greatest events around, we have created all new logos for our Desert Runner Trail Series (DRT) that will begin on October 10th at the Cave Creek Regional Park and concludes in March with our Mesquite Trail Runs at White Tank Mountain Regional Park. The series passes have refreshed design as they’ll encompass their own Sonoran Desert bird, specific to each distance level. We’ve even added an Evolution style pass for the fall (and spring) series called the Phoenix Pass that will give you the opportunity to build from an 11 Km to 25 Km to 50 Km! The …

Women’s Ultra Training Program – Dead Horse Ultras Recap

Hayley PollackCommunity, News, Race Report

It’s not a “program”- well, it is – but it’s more than that. The Aravaipa Women’s Ultra Training Program is a community of women who for the last year have come together to train, build friendships, and explore more of their potential through ultra-running. The past 5 days have been amazing and I can’t quite get over how both iterations of the training cycles have brought together such amazing people. We spent 5 days together (after 4 months of training) and if I can speak for the group, enjoyed every minute of it. Training from July 15 – November 19 for the Dead Horse Ultra in Moab, Utah the training cycle consisted of the worst …

training program 50k

Women’s Training Program – Update

Hayley PollackCommunity, News, This Week In Aravaipa Running

It was a new venture; one in which I was unsure of the outcome. Hosting races is Aravaipa’s business model, creating a premier women’s only training program was, previously, not. However, I had the passion and the right companies to help guide me on this journey. Jamil and Aravaipa have given me the platform, Oiselle has given me the guidance and inspiration, and Alicia Shay has given her time, energy and education to help make this a reality. This past weekend the Women’s 50K Training Program hosted its Seminar and Film Festival in Anthem, Arizona. It has always been about empowering women, giving them a forum to ask questions, and cultivating a group that connects emotionally …

Our Commitment to the Trails We Love

Hayley PollackCommunity, News, Press Release, Uncategorized

Aravaipa Running was born out of a deep respect and love for nature: exploring it, finding and overcoming limits within it, and embracing the pain and euphoria it can cause. One incredibly important aspect to this is understanding that the same nature is home to creatures that allow us to share their habitat. While wilderness areas can be roadblocks to creating the ‘ultimate’ event and certain times of the year are ruled out immediately for conservation purposes, even as race directors, we not only respect these limits but know how important the preservation and protection of these lands and animals are to our continued enjoyment of nature as we currently know it. With that said, …

A Tribute to Volunteers

Jamil CouryCommunity, Ultra Thoughts

The whole reason I’m now a race director of trail running events is all because of volunteering. I started helping at events as soon as I started running. I was inspired by the performances and drive of the athletes I was helping. In some small way I felt like I was making a difference for them. As a runner myself, I benefit greatly from the hours of dedication of countless volunteers at every race I attend. Just this last weekend I was helped by hundreds of volunteers at the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in Europe. They filled my bottles, fed me pasta and were sure to make sure I was OK in my lowest moments. Some …

Javelina Jangover Night Runs Recap – 2015

Hayley PollackCommunity, Race Report, This Week In Aravaipa Running, Ultra Thoughts

I hope to never lose my sense of wonder in dramatic Arizona skies. Our sunsets are unreal, our sunrises too. Monsoon season brings a whole new set of beauty (and, sometimes, destruction) with massive thunderheads and lightning shows to rival 4th of July firework finales. Thankfully, this past weekend at Javelina Jangover, we got the show but not the destruction. All day long, while setting up, the weather was stiflingly hot and oppressive. Not long before runners were due to arrive at the course the cumulonimbus clouds were building higher and higher over the mountains surrounding McDowell Mountain Regional Park. However, we were ready for them! Our experience hosting events in the Arizona summer has …

Kendall Mountain Preview

Hayley PollackCommunity, News, Press Release, Race Preview, Ultra Thoughts

If you can believe the write-up about Kendall Mountain on summitpost.org then you “[shouldn’t] feel too proud when you reach the summit of this one.” However, we disagree. The basis for their argument is this race, Kendall Mountain Run: because runners run up Kendall Mountain it is brushed aside. Standing in Silverton, looking up at Kendall as it towers over Greene Street you get your first sense of the injustice done in that one sentence. It is not hard to image how that 1908 bet started… seeing Kendall looming over their town the locals were sure that no one could possibly reach the summit and return within 1.5 hours and the bet was made. Although …

Adrenaline Night Runs Recap

Hayley PollackCommunity, News, Race Report, Ultra Thoughts

Adrenaline Night Runs are over, the course de-marked, and the truck all packed up ready for the next adventure. However, the performances of last night are still playing over in my mind. At a wedding reception today, with a table of runners, the conversation quickly turned to Sion Lupowitz’s domination of the course and his progression as a runner. It was a performance of strength and beauty watching him power through all 54K with no one in his rear view. With the new shorter distance (from 64K to 54K) there was no mark besides the “W” on which to set his sights; yet, he left the bar high in his wake running 4:00:09 (7:09/mile). Daniel …

2015 Insomniac Night Trail Run Series

Hayley PollackCommunity, News, Race Preview, Ultra Thoughts

What happens when you are forced to ignore heat training advice? You know, the articles where they give varying degrees of heat and what you are supposed to do in each scenario. Invariably there is a section that tells you to cut back once it gets too hot or stick to running indoors for faster recovery. There was a Runner’s World article I read not too long ago that described racing in 80° as “gruesome conditions.” However, as many of us know, living in the desert, trying to train for a fall race, and being morally opposed to spending hours on a treadmill leaves you with little choice about braving the heat. I could listen to the …