Black Canyon Ultras Mayer, AZ   Feb 14–15, 2026

Come run through Arizona’s scenic Sonoran Desert on the Black Canyon National Recreation Trail. These point-to-point ultras promise an unforgettable adventure.

The Black Canyon National Recreation Trail is approximately 80 miles and offers opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, and horse riding. With roots tracing back to prehistoric Native American travelers and traders, this historic trail holds national significance. Established by the Department of the Interior in 1919 as a livestock driveway, it served woolgrowers herding sheep between Phoenix and the Bradshaw and Mingus Mountains. Still utilized as a cattle driveway north of highway 69, the trail concludes at the Prescott National Forest boundary. Originally a livestock pathway, the Black Canyon National Recreation Trail also parallels segments of the old Black Canyon stagecoach road between Phoenix and Prescott.

As part of the Black Canyon Ultras, runners will tackle a 55-mile section of this trail, commencing at Mayer High School in Spring Valley and finishing at the Emery Henderson Trailhead near New River. Along the route, participants will traverse Black Canyon and the Agua Fria river multiple times.

Course Summary
Point to point on the non-motorized Black Canyon Trail (a National Recreation Trail) featuring a mixture of single track trail, jeep roads, and pieces of an old stagecoach route. The Black Canyon Trail is located on Bureau of Land Management land and is overseen by the Black Canyon Trail Coalition.

Black Canyon Echo Challenge
Runners seeking to challenge their mettle and prepare for consecutive day running can choose to participate in our Echo Challenge; a distinctive test of endurance and fortitude that merges two back-to-back events, the Black Canyon 100K and the Black Canyon 50K.

The Echo Challenge presents participants with the opportunity to tackle both ultra distances, where they will push their limits over the span of two consecutive days. This challenge includes entry to both the 100K and 50K races, with each event scored independently. This ensures that participants will receive separate timing and scoring for their performance in each distance.

For those who successfully complete both races, a combined time will be calculated and shared, highlighting their extraordinary feat of conquering back-to-back ultra-marathons. Participants who do not finish the challenge will still retain a finish time for either race they complete.

Runners interested in participating in the challenge will need to register first for the 100K and choose the “50K Add-On” to take advantage of the discounted 50K entry.

Western States 100 Qualifier
Black Canyon 100K is a Western States 100 qualifier. You must complete the entire 100K distance under 17 hours in order to be eligible for the lottery.

Golden Ticket Race
The top three (3) female and top three (3) male finishers in each individual race will automatically qualify for entry into this year’s Western States 100 event. In the case that the first, second, or third place participant is already in Western States (or decides to opt out), the automatic bid will slide to fourth place and down to fifth place as needed (no places below fifth will be accepted). Runners will receive their invitation via email and have two weeks from the qualifying race to complete the registration, including paying the entry fee. There are no deferments or transfers.

World Trail Majors
World Trail Majors is an association of some of the most emblematic trail and ultra races from around the globe, coming together to be a positive influence on the sport as a whole. This collection of nine independent and community-first race organizers are dedicated to moving the sport forward by creating world-class experiences around the globe.

We are delighted to announce that Black Canyon 100K will be a part of this collection of iconic events around the world.

The goal of WTM is to connect runners, communities, and cultures around the globe who love the sport of trail running while striving to preserve the original values of the sport; involving local organizations, respecting local communities, and boosting local economies.