December usually is a quiet month for racing, at least in Northern Arizona. The cooler weather down in the valley brings out the masses for a variety of Christmas-themed 5Ks, as well as several tough trail races and, of course, the Tucson Marathon.
This month we feature the only race we could find in Northern Arizona — we’re not counting Prescott — and it’s a doozy.
Each year, at the Four Corners of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, they put on a four-day running extravaganza with a novel twist. You do four marathons (or half marathons) in four days, starting and finishing each marathon in different states each day. The nonprofit NavajoYES organization is one of the main sponsors.
This year’s Four Corners Quad Keyah Marathon Series begins Dec. 5 and runs through Dec. 8. The order of races: Thursday (Arizona), Friday (Utah), Saturday (Colorado) and Sunday (New Mexico). The meeting place for all four will be the Four Corners Monument near Teec Nos Pos on the Navajo Nation.
Here’s what the website has to say about the courses: “Runners may choose to compete on a trail or a one-mile paved option each day. The routes consist of a variety of terrain and scenery, and offer runners a variety of experiences. … The Arizona and New Mexico trail routes will utilize a 5.25 mile trail/dirt road course, which runners will complete five times; half runners do two laps and out-and-back to Ray’s A.S. Utah will feature a 3.75 mile loop course, including some challenging singletrack in the beautiful surrounding canyons. Colorado will have a scenic and very runnable 5.25 mile trail course that runners will complete five times.”
Cost: $425 for all four marathons; $375 for all four half marathons.
As of this morning, not a single Flagstaffian is on the confirmed race list.
Other December races of note:
— Dec. 7: McDowell Mountain Frenzy: 50 Mile, 50K, 25K, 10 Mile, 5 Mile (Fountain Hills).
— Dec. 14: Desert Solstice 24 Hour (the track at Central High School in Phoenix). Note: qualifier for the USA 24 hour national team to compete in the world 24 hour championship.
— Dec. 14: Christmas City Santa Run: 10K, 5K (Brownlow Trail, Prescott)
— Dec. 15: Tucson Marathon: 50K, Marathon, Half Marathon (Oracle to Catalina)
— Dec. 15: Xterra Estrella Mountain Trail Runs: 24K, 12K, 5K (Goodyear)
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