Black Canyon Ultras - 50K course and race-day weather
- Mayer High School, Spring Valley, Arizona, USA
- 51.8 km32.2 mi
- 611 m2,005 ft D+
- 4 aid stations
Analyzing route...
Black Canyon 50K course, section by section
The Black Canyon 50K course runs 51.8 km with 611 m of climbing and 1,221 m of descent - 12 m of climbing per kilometre. It tops out at 1,280 m, and its lowest point on the GPX is 608 m. 17% of the distance climbs at more than 3%, 33% descends at more than 3%, and the remaining 50% is flat or rolling.The Black Canyon 50K course runs 32.2 mi with 2,005 ft of climbing and 4,006 ft of descent - 62 ft of climbing per mile. It tops out at 4,199 ft, and its lowest point on the GPX is 1,995 ft. 17% of the distance climbs at more than 3%, 33% descends at more than 3%, and the remaining 50% is flat or rolling.
The organiser's 6 checkpoints split the course into 5 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 | +165 m+541 ft | -197 m-646 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 | +53 m+174 ft | -213 m-699 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 | -102 m-335 ft | +0.7% | 864 m2,835 ft |
| Gloriana Mine → Deep Canyon Ranch (Finish) | 38.6-51.824.0-32.2 | 13.2 km8.2 mi | +217 m+712 ft | -434 m-1,424 ft | -1.6% | 828 m2,717 ft |
The climbs that shape the race
The track holds 5 major climbs and 6 major descents. The biggest climb runs from km 32 to km 33 (from Bumble Bee Ranch): +99 m over 1.6 km at an average of 6.1%. The steepest sustained climb averages 6.9% over 1.0 km from km 49, with pitches of 14.8%. 2 of the major climbs start in the last 30% of the course. The longest descent drops 320 m over 9.1 km from km 11 (down to Hidden Treasure), at an average of 3.3%.The track holds 5 major climbs and 6 major descents. The biggest climb runs from mile 20 to mile 21 (from Bumble Bee Ranch): +325 ft over 1.0 mi at an average of 6.1%. The steepest sustained climb averages 6.9% over 0.6 mi from mile 31, with pitches of 14.8%. 2 of the major climbs start in the last 30% of the course. The longest descent drops 1,050 ft over 5.7 mi from mile 7 (down to Hidden Treasure), at an average of 3.3%.
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.