January means heading south to the Valley for either trail runs or a speedy, flat 5K, since Flagstaff usually is close to being enmeshed in snow by this time.
So, heading south …
Hey, did you know that the ubiquitous folks at Aravaipa Running, which puts on a plethora of events throughout the year, apparently cannot lay claim to having Arizona’s oldest continuously run trail race?
That honor, apparently, goes to the Christensen Trail in Phoenix, a 14-miler along Trail 100 from Mountain View Park to Dreamy Draw and back. It started in 1987, and this year’s running will be held Jan. 4 at North Mountain Preserve.
We hedge in flat-out calling this “the original Phoenix trail run,” as the website boasts, because we are too lazy to fact-check. Let’s just say it’s been around a long time and leave it at that.
Flagstaff’s Linday McDonald took the women’s title last January in 1:59:05, good for fifth overall.
You can sign up here.
OTHER FEATURED RACES
–Jan. 4: San Tan Scramble (50K, 26K, 17K, 9K, 5K), Queen Creek. *Note: Registration closes Monday, Dec. 30.
–Jan. 5: Xterra White Tanks Trail Run (Half Marathon, 8K, 5K), Waddell.
–Jan. 11: Buckeye Marathon, Half, 5K, Buckeye.
–Jan. 18: Coldwater Rumble (100 Mile, 100K, 60K, 40K, 10 Mile, 5 Mile), Goodyear
— Jan. 18: Pemberton Trail Run (50K, 25K), Fountain Hills
–Jan. 19: Rock n Roll Arizona (Half Marathon, 10K, 5K), Tempe https://www.runrocknroll.com/arizona
–Jan. 26: Arizona Road Racers Desert Classic Half Marathon, 5K, Glendale
–Jan. 26: SHE Power 10K, 5K, Chandler. *Note: Women’s only races
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