Races
Black Canyon
Spring Valley to New River. Net downhill until Table Mesa, then rollers, baby-head basalt, and afternoon heat.
100 km+11,411 ft-13,533 ft20 hours1,742 ft to 4,216 fttech 6/1010 stationspoint to pointGolden TicketWSER qualifierFebruaryGolden Ticket
Distance100 km
Gain+11,411 ft
Loss-13,533 ft
Altitude1,742 ft to 4,216 ft
Technicality6/10
Air32°F to 85°F
- Start3,996 ft
- High4,208 ft
- Low1,755 ft
- Finish1,873 ft
- Antelope Mesa at mile 7.7, cutoff 9.25 hours
- Hidden Treasure at mile 13, cutoff 10.75 hours
- Bumble Bee Ranch at mile 19, cutoff 12.75 hours, crew, drop bag
- Gloriana Mine at mile 24, cutoff 14.5 hours
- Deep Canyon Ranch at mile 32, cutoff 17 hours, crew, drop bag
- Black Canyon City Trailhead at mile 37, cutoff 19 hours
- Cottonwood Gulch at mile 46, cutoff 22 hours
- Table Mesa at mile 51, cutoff 23.5 hours, crew, drop bag
- Doe Spring at mile 59, cutoff 26 hours
- Emery Henderson at mile 62, cutoff 27 hours, crew
Terrain
Field, 2026 · 9-year sampleresults
Starters954
Finish rate80%
Median14:52
Sub-24765
Geometrycourse math
Steepest drop545 ft-5.5% over 1.9 mi
Night miles0 misunset near 18:00 local
Weather at the cruxcourse math
At hour 8 of race, feels like 15 C (65 F).Sample of 7 race days, medium confidence.At hour 8 of race, apparent temperature P90 is 15 C / 60 F.
Course records
Men7:20:00Hans Troyer
Women7:57:05Jennifer Lichter
The cruxTable Mesa to Emery Henderson
Course DNA
The Course
Net downhill out of Spring Valley. Rolling desert singletrack. Basalt. Chert. Sand washes. Aids hit Antelope Mesa, Hidden Treasure, Bumble Bee Ranch, Gloriana Mine, Deep Canyon Ranch, then Black Canyon City Trailhead. Cottonwood Gulch. Table Mesa. Doe Spring. Emery Henderson. The Aqua Fria near mile 37. Then Table Mesa to New River: rollers, baby-head basalt, and deep sand. It reads downhill. It does not run that way in the sun. Low near 1,742 feet. High near 4,216. Trail 85 percent, jeep 12, paved 3.
The Work
No long climbs. High-speed rock instead. Calves, Achilles, and plantar fascia take the micro-hits all day. Discipline the run-walk. Train turnover on rocky trail with tired feet. Save the fascia for Table Mesa.
Kit
Draining trail shoes. Rock plate for the chert. Gaiters that exclude debris. Sand and granite grit turn wet socks into sandpaper after the river. Change them at Bumble Bee or Deep Canyon.
Race Day
Conserve the descent out of Spring Valley. Heart rate in Zone 1. The race starts at the Aqua Fria. Save the quads and you pass people on the last third. Table Mesa is chaos. Park where you can leave. Dry shoes and socks right after the river. Salve the inner thighs. Desert sand will grind skin if you skip it.
Results
Black Canyon finish lines.
Winner: Hans Troyer, 7:20:00.
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Sources (2)
- Field stats (2026): https://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=125776
- Qualifier: golden_ticket: https://www.wser.org/entry-info/