Erin Quinn

The Race Across Arizona is Quickly Becoming the Most Competitive 200-Plus Mile Run in the U.S.

It’s hard to believe that in just four short years, a 250-mile running race in the Arizona desert could turn into one of the most competitive ultrarunning events of 2024.  On May 6^th, upwards of 270 runners will toe the line at 4^th Annual Cocodona 250 which begins in Black Canyon City and ends in downtown Flagstaff. Runners have 125 hours to complete the course with the very front of the pack trying to get it done in under 3-days.

Not only has the race sold out for the first time in since its inception in 2021, but this year’s event has attracted a deep field of accomplished ultrarunners that will make this the most competitive field ever assembled for a 200-plus mile race in the United States.

The Course

The Cocodona 250 takes runners from Black Canyon City into the Bradshaw Mountains to a historic saloon in Crown King. From there the course continues to climb through the Bradshaw’s, over Mount Union where it begins a rocky and brutal descent into Prescott leading runners straight to Whisky Row where an aid station awaits them in the back of a bar. After exiting Whisky Row runners will continue on towards the iconic Granite Dells before heading through Fain Ranch, up and over Mingus Mountain into the old mining town turned artist colony—Jerome. Once runners leave Jerome, they are treated to the beautiful red rock formations and high desert vistas of Sedona. After Sedona the runners begin to move through the Ponderosa Pine forests and finally up and over Mt. Elden where they make their final descent into the heart of downtown Flagstaff where the finish line awaits those who can stay the course.

While there are pockets of jaw-dropping beauty, this race is arguably one of the most diverse and challenging 200-plus milers in existence. It can be brutally hot, exposed, with 40K worth of climbing. The first 30-plus miles are remote, rocky, unforgivably steep without aid stations. In fact, that first section, which climbs more than 10K, is considered to be one of the most difficult 50K’s in the country if it were a race unto itself. To that end, runners are given 18 hours to finish the first 37 miles which brings them to Crown King Saloon. And If they make it?

They still have over 200-miles to go.

The Rise of the 200-mile Distance

The rise of 200-plus mile races has a short but storied history in the United States, in large part due to the pioneering work of Candice Burt, the owner of Destination Trails (DT.) Burt’s company hosts three, 200-mile races each year including the Tahoe 200 in California, the Big Foot 200 in Washington and the Moab 240 in Utah. These races are decided by lottery and there is always a long waitlist of eager runners hoping to lace up their shoes if someone withdraws.

While Burt and her team were busy building up a loyal following for the DT 200’s, even creating a “Triple Crown of 200’s”award for those that finished all three in the same year, Jamil Coury, owner and creator of the Arizona-based running company, Aravaipa Running, had been steadily dreaming of, and actively scouting out, a point-to-point 250-mile trail race in his home state of Arizona. His idea, was to showcase some of the iconic natural wonders of Arizona while also highlighting some of the State’s historic mining towns and cities. Unlike the more remote feeling of DT’s 200-mile races, the Cocodona 250 dips in and out of towns and cities, allowing runners to experience the solitude of the desert and mountains while simultaneously having them enter civilization, even having to wait for crosswalk signals and traffic lights or if they’re in the mood, order a shot of bourbon at one of bars along the route.

Coury, an avid and accomplished ultrarunner himself is also driven to bring ultrarunning to the masses and make it more of a spectator sport with the use of live-tracking, drone footage, static cameras at aid stations, on-course videographers as well as interactive livestreaming and commentary.

Whatever he and Burt are doing is working because what was once a tiny niche sport that existed within the already-niche sport of ultrarunning (any distance over the 26.2-mile marathon,) has not only grown exponentially, it’s imploded. What was once considered a fringe group of aberrant runners and endurance eccentrics, is now experiencing a cross-over from many elites in the 100-mile distance.

The irony in all of this is that the 100-mile ultrarunners have historically been considered to be outliers and mavericks who would willingly decide to run through the wilderness for 24-36 hours at a clip for nothing more than a belt-buckle and possibly some food and water. While completing a 100-mile run is hardly common place, the 200-plus mile distances are like a hero’s journey as they require days on end to complete, often with little to no sleep. These races have pushed the boundaries of human endurance so far that they’re like going to a different planet that exists in an alternate time-zone.

Destination Trails has certainly seen its fair share of ultrarunning celebs and elites with David Goggins popularizing his two attempts at taking on the Moab 240. Bowhunter, podcaster and ultrarunner Cameron Hanes is also a fan of the 200-mile races, and uses his platform to interview many of the podium winners of the Triple Crown events. His motto and t-shirt design is “Nobody Cares. Work Harder.” Professional ultrarunners like Courtney Dauwalter, dipped her big toe into the 200’s and set the course record at Moab in 2019 followed by fellow professional trail runner, Jeff Browning, who bested her course record in 2022.

The 200-mile distance got even more exposure when professional ultrarunner, Sally Mcrae decided to take on all four 200’s in the span of 6 months, beginning with Cocodona 250 in May of 2023. Mcrae is an inspirational figure, an author, podcaster and creator of the “Choose Strong” strength, and mobility app for runners. She was very public about her decision to jump from the 100-mile distances to the 200-mile distances last year, starting with Cocodona and finishing with Moab 240 where she was 1st place female. A film crew followed her and made short, documentary films of her races, highlighting her ability to overcome physical pain and fatigue and get to the finish line regardless of the obstacles.

While there have been elite athletes that have made a foray into the 200-plus distance, like Mcrae, Dauwalter and Browning, there has never been a field so deep as the one lining up for the 4^th annual Cocodona 250 this May.

The Competitors

On the men’s side alone there are the winners of each previous Cocodona including Arizona native, Michael Versteeg who won the inaugural race while tripping on mushrooms. Then there is the fast-packer and thru-hiker Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy, who won the 2^nd Cocodona in 2022 as well as Church of the Latter-Day Saint, Jesus-loving, raw-milk drinking, and proud carnivore, Mike McKnight of Utah who was the 2023 Cocodona champion and the 2022 runner-up to McConaughy. McKnight is also considered the “King of 200’s” having won more 200-mile races than any other ultramarathoner.

Along with the winners of each previous year are also past Cocodona 250 finishers that are gunning for the podium themselves including Killian Korth, who led the race for over 200-miles last year until he was overtaken by McKnight. There is also three-time finisher, Jeff Garmire out of Bozeman, Montana who has been in that front pack each year.

Just to make things even more spicy the entrants list now includes Craft-sponsored athlete, Arlen Glick, a Mennonite from Ohio, who finished 4^th at the Hardrock 100 in 2023 and 2^nd at the Western States 100 in 2022. One of the most winningest 100-mile racers in the world, Browning, aka “Bronco Billy,” is also toeing the line this year after winning the Sedona Canyons 125 miler last year (which takes place on the 2^nd half of the Cocodona course a day later.) Browning has won 29 100-mile races including prestigious mountain races like the Hardrock 100, and The Bear 100.. He has also equaled his age in 100-mile finishes with 52 under his belt, is still the Moab 240 course record holder, and now lives and trains in Arizona.

Browning also coaches McKnight.

Both McKnight and Browning are proponents of the OFM (Oxidized Fat Metabolism) which has athletes prioritizing mostly animal based foods, and fats with very little carbohydrates and/or processed food. It’s also referred to as an “ancestral diet,” and is making its way through various ultrarunning circles.

During last year’s Cocodona, McKnight got off to a rough start. At one point he was as far back as 62^nd place. Despite wanting to DNF (did not finish) the race, his wife and crew convinced him to take a nap before cutting off his wrist band. After a two-hour respite, he woke up, drank a bottle of raw milk and told his crew that not only was he going to continue, but that he was going to win. He fueled almost the entire rest of the race with raw milk and made one of the greatest comebacks in all of ultrarunning history, moving from 62^nd to 1^st in the span of 24 hours.

While the two of them are training buddies and have helped to crew and pace one another, they both also like to win. Browning told McKnight that he “better bring his ‘A’ game,” to this year’s race. Everyone better bring their “A” game because Browning also coaches Wes Ritner, who, along with McKnight, have both won the Destination Trails’ Triple Crown of 200’s. Ritner has has decided to expand his 200-game this year but signing up for the Cocodona. He and Browning have already tackled that first 37-miles on a training run and those hills and rocks didn’t appear to slow them down at all.

There aren’t many other sports where amateurs can line up with the elites and where coaches and their athletes are in direct competition with one another.

What’s even more fascinating about this year’s race is that many of the ultrarunning podcasters and commentators are among the starting list. Joe Corcione of the Every Day Ultra Podcast and Finn Melanson of the Singletrack Podcast, both of whom did extensive coverage of last year’s Cocdona 250 are now competing in the event.

Eyes will certainly be on Jake Johnson, another speedy ultrarunner who continues to bag wins and podium finishes and will likely make use of the flatter, more runnable sections of the course, as well as Suburtas Haroldas of Alaska who has been collecting a lot of 1st-place plaques at various 100 and 200-mile races the past few years.

There doesn’t appear to be much of a “back of the pack,” field with all of these experienced 100 and 200-mile racers zipping up their hydration vests. But there is a group of tried-and-true Cocolocos who have done all three races and plan to add a 4^th to that achievement including two ultrarunning social media influencers—Andrew Glaze and Wes Plate. Glaze is a firefighter from California who has run more than 100-miles each week for the past 207 weeks and Plate, like Glaze is someone who tends to self-document his races and then post them onto YouTube and Instagram where he has a large fanbase.

Another crowd favorite in the ultrarunning world is Callie Vinson, a body positivity and inclusivity advocate who lost 200 pounds and went on to run and complete the Moab 240. This Indigenous female runner exudes joy and affirms all paces and races and shapes and is coming back to Cocodona this year after a DNF in 2023.

While the woman’s side does not appear to be quite as deep as the men’s side, it certainly has some standout runners with last year’s 2^nd place female winner, Aliza Lapierre of Vermont returning for a shot at first place. Last year’s 3d place female, Mika Thewes, who also set the course record at Big Foot 200 in August of 2023, will certainly be a contender in this race. And then there’s also Ashley Paulson, the professional triathlete-turned-ultrarunner who recently beat her own course record at the grueling Badwater 135-mile race in Death Valley by almost 2 ½ hours. There are a host of other accomplished female ultrarunners including Anne Tisdell of Virginia who came in 2^nd to Mcrae at the Moab 240 this past October and the young ultrarunning up and comer, Elsa Jaworski, 27 of Salt Lake City, Utah.

I’m sure there are dark horses among these wild horses and in a 250-mile race, anything can happen and many times those things do happen. People get lost, they drop out, they get injured, they suffer heat exhaustion, get dehydrated, can’t hold food down, their blisters become ulcers and the list goes on. It becomes a bit like an endurance chess-game, with problem solving and plotting the next move equally as important as athletic fitness and mental fortitude. Browning calls the 200-plus mile distance, “A 100-miler on steroids.” It’s the new wild west of ultras and like all good westerns, there will certainly be a sweaty, dusty, possibly even bloody showdown at this year’s Cocodona 250–somewhere between the Crown King Saloon, Whisky Row, Fain Ranch and the streets of Flagstaff.

“It is an extraordinary undertaking and gives runners an incredible point-to-point experience through some of the best landscapes that Arizona has to offer,” said Coury.

It will be livestreamed, and family, friends and fans will be able to watch it unfold on YouTube and through the live tracking which gives minute-to-minute updates on where the runners are throughout the 250-mile course.

Runners have between dawn on May 6^th to dusk on May 11^th to get to the finish line.

Happy Trails!

–Erin Quinn

The Red Rock Formations of Sedona