Black Canyon Carnage

Held in the Sonoran Desert in mid-February, roughly 60 miles (100km) north of Phoenix, Arizona, Black Canyon continues to cement itself as one of the most competitive 100Ks in the US, if not the world. With three golden tickets to trail running’s most hallowed event, Western States, on the line for both men and women, plus its status as a World Trail Majors event, the stakes are high. The course is fast, net downhill, deceptively technical, and often brutally hot, cutting through the relentless desert with very little shade. Mercifully, this year’s event delivered great weather. Sunrise extended warm citrus colours across the magnificent Arizona sky, a sight made all the more impressive by the beautiful mountains that surround the Sonoran Desert. While a dry heat was there all day, temperatures were relatively mild, hitting low-to-mid 70s (21–24ºC) towards the afternoon.

This year also brought another stacked field with no shortage of storylines. Chief among these was the interest in how Olympic bronze marathoner Molly Seidel might fare in her sophomore ultra. She had smashed the course record and finished first overall in her debut, the Bandera 50K, only a month earlier, so speculation was rife. Would she dominate? Would she blow up and DNF? A lot of people were buying into the hype, and rightfully so. Although she didn’t get the double, she proved to the trail world that she’s going all in. She placed fourth in 8:25:13, and got what she came for: a Western States golden ticket (third placed Tara Dower had already booked her spot so it rolled down to Seidel).
Staying on the women’s side, Jenn Lichter (ACG) took the race, blazing to a course record of 7:57:05 to secure her golden ticket. Anne Flower (HOKA) followed just 54 seconds back in a tight chase. Dower (Altra) crossed in 8:11:46 for third. Most people underestimate the technicality of this race. There are rocks scattered all over the trail, and if you zone out for a bit you’ll most likely clip one. There were so many falls, and plenty of blood. Carnage. You definitely felt it when people were coming in at the mile-50 Table Mesa Aid station.

On the men’s side, the “young and fit” Hans Troyer (HOKA) also set a new course record: 7:20:00 in a commanding performance. After being hospitalised in the 2024 race, he returned with something to prove. Anthony Costales (ACG) finished in 7:24:32 to punch his ticket, and Tracen Knopp (The North Face) rounded out the podium in 7:26:45 to secure his spot at Western States. With Troyer already holding an entry for 2026, the final golden ticket rolled down to fifth-place finisher Jordan Bramblett (unsigned), a Prescott local.

One storyline that didn’t get written related to the rumours swirling of a potential last-minute appearance from ultra legend Jim Walmsley (if you’re new to trail, know that he has won Western States in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2024, amid a stack of other honours). Maybe next year.

Regardless, Black Canyon remains one of the most entertaining desert showdowns in trail running. And this was another screamingly fast year filled with course records, breakout performances and plenty of mayhem. Just how we like it.