Races
McDowell Mountain Regional Park. Two clockwise Pemberton loops. Rolling desert tread. Fast enough for records when the legs cooperate.
Field, 2026 · 26-year sampleresults
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Course records
The cruxSecond loop when the desert heat arrives (near mile 33)
Course DNA
Pemberton Trail 50K runs 50K through Fountain Hills, Arizona. +8,822 ft gain and -8,825 ft loss. Surfaces skew 100% groomed trail. Second loop when the desert heat arrives. High point near 3,909 ft. Low near 1,545 ft. January temps run 35°F to 90°F. The course rewards patience early and punishes rushed descents after mile 25.
Train for 8,822 feet of climbing across 50K. Back-to-back long runs on trail. Practice power-hiking grades above 15 percent. 8 hours total means limited margin: rehearse fueling every 45 to 60 minutes and downhill eccentric work weekly. Technicality 8/10. Build a block that simulates the crux near mile 33.
January in Fountain Hills, Arizona: plan for 35°F to 90°F. Mandatory shell if rain is in forecast. Headlamp with spare batteries if 8 hours pushes past dark. Poles help on sustained climbs above mile 13. Vest capacity for 2 liters minimum. Shoes matched to 100% groomed trail: lugs for mud, rock plate if the course turns technical after mile 25.
Hold effort through mile 13. The field often splits on the first big climb after mile 25. Second loop when the desert heat arrives near mile 33 is where time is won or lost. Walk the steep pinches. Run the flats and gentle downhills. Crew at major aids: socks, calories, ice if hot. Transitions under 5 minutes when possible. Final third is 17 miles of fatigue management. Finish with reserve for the last descent.
Results
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