Black Canyon Ultras - 100K course and race-day weather
- Mayer High School, Spring Valley, Arizona, USA
- 100.1 km62.2 mi
- 1,591 m5,220 ft D+
- 9 aid stations
Analyzing route...
Black Canyon 100K course, section by section
The Black Canyon 100K course runs 100.1 km with 1,591 m of climbing and 2,236 m of descent - 16 m of climbing per kilometre. It tops out at 1,280 m, and its lowest point on the GPX is 534 m. 22% of the distance climbs at more than 3%, 31% descends at more than 3%, and the remaining 47% is flat or rolling.The Black Canyon 100K course runs 62.2 mi with 5,220 ft of climbing and 7,336 ft of descent - 84 ft of climbing per mile. It tops out at 4,199 ft, and its lowest point on the GPX is 1,752 ft. 22% of the distance climbs at more than 3%, 31% descends at more than 3%, and the remaining 47% is flat or rolling.
The organiser's 11 checkpoints split the course into 10 sections. The table gives each leg's own climb, descent, average grade and high point, measured on the official GPX.
Download the official GPX| Section | KmMi | Distance | D+ | D- | Avg grade | High point |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start - Mayer High School → Antelope Mesa | 0.0-12.40.0-7.7 | 12.4 km7.7 mi | +164 m+538 ft | -195 m-640 ft | -0.3% | 1,280 m4,199 ft |
| Antelope Mesa → Hidden Treasure | 12.4-20.87.7-12.9 | 8.4 km5.2 mi | +22 m+72 ft | -282 m-925 ft | -3.1% | 1,188 m3,898 ft |
| Hidden Treasure → Bumble Bee Ranch | 20.8-31.212.9-19.4 | 10.4 km6.5 mi | +52 m+171 ft | -212 m-696 ft | -1.5% | 950 m3,117 ft |
| Bumble Bee Ranch → Gloriana Mine | 31.2-38.619.4-24.0 | 7.4 km4.6 mi | +157 m+515 ft | -100 m-328 ft | +0.7% | 864 m2,835 ft |
| Gloriana Mine → Deep Canyon Ranch | 38.6-51.324.0-31.9 | 12.7 km7.9 mi | +213 m+699 ft | -428 m-1,404 ft | -1.7% | 828 m2,717 ft |
| Deep Canyon Ranch → Black Canyon City Trailhead | 51.3-59.931.9-37.2 | 8.6 km5.3 mi | +188 m+617 ft | -177 m-581 ft | +0.1% | 663 m2,175 ft |
| Black Canyon City Trailhead → Cottonwood Gulch | 59.9-74.737.2-46.4 | 14.8 km9.2 mi | +365 m+1,198 ft | -371 m-1,217 ft | -0.0% | 770 m2,526 ft |
| Cottonwood Gulch → Table Mesa | 74.7-82.246.4-51.1 | 7.5 km4.7 mi | +141 m+463 ft | -166 m-545 ft | -0.3% | 614 m2,014 ft |
| Table Mesa → Doe Spring | 82.2-94.551.1-58.7 | 12.3 km7.6 mi | +251 m+823 ft | -221 m-725 ft | +0.2% | 748 m2,454 ft |
| Doe Spring → Emery Henderson Trailhead (Finish) | 94.5-100.158.7-62.2 | 5.6 km3.5 mi | +39 m+128 ft | -88 m-289 ft | -0.9% | 619 m2,031 ft |
The climbs that shape the race
The track holds 8 major climbs and 12 major descents. The biggest climb runs from km 80 to km 87 (through Table Mesa): +200 m over 6.3 km at an average of 3.1%. The steepest sustained climb averages 6.9% over 1.0 km from km 49, with pitches of 14.6%. Late in the race, two climbs come back to back from km 63 to km 66: 218 m in all. One major climb starts in the last 30% of the course. The longest descent drops 319 m over 9.1 km from km 11 (down to Hidden Treasure), at an average of 3.4%.The track holds 8 major climbs and 12 major descents. The biggest climb runs from mile 50 to mile 54 (through Table Mesa): +656 ft over 3.9 mi at an average of 3.1%. The steepest sustained climb averages 6.9% over 0.6 mi from mile 31, with pitches of 14.6%. Late in the race, two climbs come back to back from mile 39 to mile 41: 715 ft in all. One major climb starts in the last 30% of the course. The longest descent drops 1,047 ft over 5.7 mi from mile 7 (down to Hidden Treasure), at an average of 3.4%.
Distance, total climb and high point are the organiser's. Each section's climb, descent, grade and high point, the low point and the named climbs are measured on the official GPX with the same method as the interactive profile, so the sections can add up to a slightly different total.