2011 Mesquite Canyon 50K

Aravaipa Running strikes again.  Just like last year's inaugural running, the Mesquite Canyon Races again lived up to expectation.  Another stellar event by Nick and Jamil Coury.  This year's event was punctuated by the final race and crowning of the Desert Runner Trail Series (with both a Short Trail and Ultra Trail division) campions.  Mesquite Canyon offered distances for all runners; 5 mile, half-marathon, marathon and 50K.  With more than 325 runners showing for the races, the start/finish line was a buzz all day long.  Full race results can be found here.

A familiar start line.

A dawn start.  (photo Aravaipa Running)

Back at it again!  His first race in over two years.  James Bonnett shows he still has it by winning the half-marathon. (photo Aravaipa Running)

Lost among the rocks of Ford Canyon. (photo Justin Lutick)

Done and done, with blood and salt stains to prove it. (photo Bret Sarnquist)

The gentlemen of Flagstaff:  (left to right) Scott Bajer (9th in the 50K), Ian Torrence (2nd in the 50K), Bret Sarnquist (3rd in the half-marathon) and James Willis (3rd in the 50K).

The winner, for the second year in a row, of the women's race and seventh overall:  Paulette Zillmer

Shad Mickelberry came over from Vegas to get in his heat training.

Keira Henninger, Leona Divide's race director, made it a close women's race finishing only two minutes behind Paulette.

Flagstaff's Bret Sarnquist accepts his trophy from race director Jamil Coury.  Bret wins the Aravaipa Desert Runner Trail Series. (photo Aravaipa Running)

Your Moment of Zen

A doggie Report Card.  You gotta love the big, orange sticker in the upper left corner...