Absolutely beautiful race! It was fantastic to be able to escape the summer heat and run through the pine trees. All Aravaipa Running races are well planned and managed, and this race was no exception.

I ran the 13k, which ran about 8.35 miles. The first mile was mostly uphill, but then it evened out and turned into rolling hills with occasional big ups/downs. The scenery was gorgeous, and the aid stations were fully stocked with all sorts of goodies.

I highly recommend this race to anyone, and with a wide range of distances available, it will meet everyone's needs.

I am in love with Aravaipa races! This race was no exception. Everything was smooth, amazing race support and management. Staff are knowledgeable, supportive and caring.

The race took place at McDowell Mountain Regional Park, and started right on time. For sale merch included a wide variety of items, including a 5 dollar backpack I will be using as a drop bag in the future.

Full ultra style aid stations with wide variety of vegan options too!

If you have not participated in an Aravaipa race, I highly suggest you do!

What better reason to run a 5k than to raise awareness for such an excellent cause? My entire family participated, and we had a blast.

The parking lot was next to the starting line, and it was very easy to navigate.

There were a lot of booths set up to provide information, resources, and goodies to runners.

The course was fun, but not at all difficult. There were some rolling hills, but nothing too hard. This would be an excellent race for those new to trail running, or just simply tired of running on the asphalt constantly.

There was an aid station or 2, but I did not stop so I cannot really vouch for amount or availability.

Overall, a great morning for a great cause!

It was pretty amazing to be part of such a huge effort! The United Relay of America is a stage relay race that started in California and is moving across the country, ending in New York.

It was super exciting to be able to join in with so many other people, in order to reach a common goal. The money raised is going to charity and runners are able to select which charity they would like to support. I ran for the Trevor Project, which provides services and support for LBGT youth, in order to help reduce suicide rates.

We ran a local stage, which started near the Phoenix Zoo, and ended in Chandler. We were able to create our own route, which was definitely beneficial as we were familiar with the area.

While we did not see the race supporters, we were provided the exact GPS coordinates of where to meet the stage before as well as the stage after. This allowed for us to meet, pick up the baton, and get moving, to then pass it off. We ended up running 9.5 miles.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable run! I highly recommend getting a few friends together, and running a stage near you. Stages are still available as the batons are still moving towards the midwest.

What a blast! A beautiful day, with a net downhill, through a blooming desert in spring time! The race was easy to find, and there was plenty of parking. There was a cap of 90 half marathon participants, which was double the amount of runners from the previous year.

School buses shuttled runners to the start, and the race was held almost entirely on the Arizona Trail (an 800 mile trail that starts in Utah and goes all the way to Mexico).

Aid stations had a variety of options, including vegan gummy snacks! Fruit and electrolytes (tailwind) were at most of the stations as well.

The trail was very enjoyable, and I did not see one piece of runner trash left behind!

At the finish, there was quite a spread of food, including a delicious vegan taco option made of sweet potatoes, black beans, red onions and cilantro. It was so good, that I made a pot of it to eat for this week's lunches!

There was no medal for this race, but the race shirt is pretty amazing! It's a high quality v-neck, that fits great and is super soft. This is the same company putting on the 50 miler I am running in November, and I felt they were very supportive as well as organized.

Looking forward to next year for sure.