The Cactus Flower Trail Series is not exactly a secret, but it sure feels like a secret race. The series has been going on since the fall of 2013 and timed by Race Timers. The beauty behind the Cactus Flower Trail Series is that the races are kept very small and capped at 145 runners. This makes the race intimate and special. Here are my two favorite things about the Saguaro 7k and one super small missed opportunity:

1. Intimate race: Big races are fun, they are also overwhelming. The Cactus Flower Trail Series races are capped at 145 participants. This keeps everything simple, less crowded parking lot, less crowded on the trail and the event clean.

2. Speaking of clean, this race was the cleanest race I’ve ever been to. It was paper cup-less! I wore my Orange Mud Gear Vest Pro so it was ok that there weren’t cups. But I loved how the trail and aid station wasn’t littered with used cups. No porta-potties either which meant there wasn’t the extra cost for them, so the overall race cost was kept low. You did have to bring your own pins for your bib too. I forgot mine! Luckily a friend brought extra. I like how the race directors strive to keep the deserts clean by eliminating the extra stuff and asking runners to pitch in.

3. It would be nice to have an earlier start time. 7 am is already too hot now that Arizona is warming up. I totally understand that starting earlier is tough because of sunrise time. But maybe we can start at 6:30 am.

If you are looking for a beautiful race, that isn’t crowded but still filled with tremendous support from the race directors, then sign up for the Cactus Flower Trail Series. I’m not affiliated with them or an ambassador, I just love their races! There are still 5 more this year to run.