race report

Black Canyon 50k Race Profile
race report, running

Black Canyon 50k 2026 Recap

Black Canyon 50k Race Profile

It’s a few days after the race and I’m flying down the stairs of my building! Still processing things, but finding today the competitor in me is loud. I keep thinking about how i could’ve dialed in better from the start and maybe found that solid flow I know I’m capable of in that first 19 miles.

Things started to go a little south when I had to stand around for an extra 30 minutes waiting for the shuttle to arrive that would take us to the start line. Once I departed the shuttle around 7:05 AM (the race was scheduled to start at 7AM), I found out the new start time would be 7:30 AM. I was a little flustered. I hit the port-a-potty and headed over to the track to try and warm up. I made some last-minute gear adjustments and did what I could. Then around 7:20, the call was made to line up at the start. I found a good spot near the front next my friend Ivan whom I ran the race with last year. Unfortunately I realized I still had my hat, gloves, and long sleeves on, so I stepped out of line to throw them out at the nearest trash can. I made my way back into the start crowd, but couldn’t get back to my previous prime spot.

The gun went off a couple minutes before 7:30 and suddenly it was on. I went out in sub-6 minute pace which felt comfortable effort-wise, but my stride was off. I could see Des Linden up ahead and I wanted to tuck in behind her, but it felt forced. I couldn’t find a rhythm until around mile 5 when the course gets more descendy.

I felt solid heading into Antelope Mesa, the first aid station around mile 7.6. I was in and out in less than 30 seconds with one bottle refilled. I picked up speed heading into Antelope and carried good momentum coming out.

I flowed along fairly well for the next 4-5 miles, but once I could see Hidden Treasure in the distance, my mind started to feel the weight of the race ahead. I picked up speed entering Hidden Treasure at mile 12.8, filled both bottles and was out pretty fast. I felt good coming out, but that good feeling quickly faded and I was scared to look at my pace.

I think maybe I let myself give up a little when I got out of Hidden Treasure. I looked at my aid station splits at that point and I knew I was a few minutes behind last year. I turned on my music, which I’ve never done in a race, not to get myself back in the race, but to lean on for survival. I never doubted I was going to finish, but I just wanted to salvage what I could.

It really wasn’t until I was close to Bumblebee at mile 19 that I got into more of a race mindset. as I approached that last descendy dirt road, I could hear the crowds and a switch flipped. I hit sub-7 minute pace flying through the crowds. I refilled both bottles, got ice in my sleeve, a cold water drench, and was out in like a minute.

I hit the climb out of Bumblebee with renewed confidence. I saw runners near the top of the 1 mile climb that I could hunt down and I was going to catch them. I was still a little nervous about losing my legs after that long climb, but locked in anyway.

At the top of the hill, the trail turned into rollers and this dude pulled in behind me complimenting my climb. We decided to team up with me in the lead and together we set off to chew up the stragglers. I was racing again!

After a few passes, I let him lead, but soon realized I just couldn’t hang. I don’t know why. I feel like I should’ve been able to. Maybe I was still worried about my legs holding up knowing we still had 8 or 9 more tough miles to go. It was a move I just wasn’t ready to cover.

I continued to comfortably grind to Gloriana Mine at mile 23.8, still passing people and hanging on the heels of Cat Bradley.

Once again, as I’d done with all the aid stations, I picked up speed as I entered Gloriana. I knew this was the last aid station and I had to make it count. I filled both bottles, threw ice down my sleeve and dumped a ton of ice water on my head and was out. It was on!

I felt REALLY good coming out of Gloriana! I was stoked! Maybe I could still beat my time from last year! Then, I caught a toe on a rock…shit! My hamstring suddenly cramped. I had to stop and stretch for what felt like forever, but was only a few seconds. I could see another runner coming up, so I got back to it.

Eventually the effort felt manageable, but I’d lost sight of Cat Bradley and the momentum I had out of Gloriana was gone.

I led another runner for a bit and we started hunting again, but I lost him on that final steep climb out of the canyon. The mood was shifting and I was climbing well!

At this point there were 2ish miles left. I missed an opportunity to soak myself in the creek, but I emptied my last bottle on my head and used tiny slurps of a caffeine gel to get back into race mode again. I was hunting. I even thought maybe I could catch Cat or Des Linden who I knew were still a few minutes ahead.

I was still conserving, but slowly building. Once I was sure I was on the final descent, I dialed in as much as I could on those rocky downs until the trail smoothed out and I could feather in that final push. There was no one in sight to catch and I had no idea what my time was, but I knew I had to finish strong and leave behind whatever I had left.

Just like that it was over. The initial relief and happiness of finishing faded quickly as I looked at my watch and saw 4:40 -> 3 minutes slower than last year. I wanted so much more that day and seeing the time as I crossed the finish line kinda left me pissed. I could feel those moments earlier on in the race pop like sour patch bubbles in my stomach. Why couldn’t I have just run like I know i can in that first 19? If only I’d looked at my watch in that final 8 miles, maybe I could’ve found an extra 3 minutes?

The questions I had quickly faded as I saw the supportive texts I received from those closest to me in my life – my sister, my coach, and my girlfriend. They were there for me, and at that moment, that’s all that mattered.

Things That Went Well

  • I nailed the controllables – aid stations, fueling, hydration, cooling, prep, and gear.
  • I PR’d the last third of the race.
  • My climbing was on target.
  • My mental game was solid.
  • I was hunting and racing again.
  • I was lucky enough to share the trails with some all stars.
  • I came out healthy with no falls or injuries.

Lessons Learned

  • When those low moments come (and they will), give myself 1-2 minutes to let it pass.
  • Make and cover more moves. Sometimes it won’t pan out, but often it will.
  • More trail time and more run miles in the next block will go a long way.
  • This is the first ultra in a long time. That start-line focus will be there next time.

The 2026 season is just getting started and I’m SUPER stoked to see what happens next!

Feel free to check out the gory details on my Strava and follow along on IG for my next adventure!

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race report

Black Canyon 50k Race Report

It was a maybe 40 degrees with a stiff wind. Not too bad for Colorado standards, but still a challenge standing around in shorts and short sleeves waiting for the race to start. Then with about 2 minutes to go, someone announced there would be a 15 minute delay because one of the shuttle buses was late. Roll with it. Use the port-a-potty again and keep warm.

At last the start was seconds away. I positioned myself up at the front, removed my jacket, and readied my watch. Smooth and confident! That was my mantra for the day.

The race started off with a loop around a dirt high school track. I quickly found myself in the lead pack of three as we moved from the track to the paved roads of Mayer. I’ve never lead a race, and even though this was the second wave, it felt like what I imagine leading a race feels like. As the leader, you’re dictating the pace, you’re following the course markings, and you have someone on a bike following you with a camera. I even learned later we had a 10 minutes of drone coverage on us!

As the course turned into dirt roads, the lead pack became two. We chatted a little about past races and how we hoped to hunt down some runners from the first wave.

I took a rare glance at my watch. I like to check my watch once or twice in the beginning of a race just to make sure my heart rate and pace are in good spots.

Soon we get to the first single-track section and wow is it fun! Smooth and flowy with gently rolls that remind you why you love running. I happily drop in behind Ivan and become a follower. It’s a nice mental reprive to let another runner dictate the pace and find the line.

About 3-4 miles in, we start encountering the back of the first wave. From here on, passing other runners would be common.

At the first aid station, Antelope Mesa, I decided to fill one bottle and keep pushing. At Hidden Treasure I filled both bottles and stopped to pee. Initially I thought maybe I was taking too much time at this aid station, but I eventually caught back up with the wave 2 leader and settled in.

I was feeling great heading into Bumble Bee Ranch at mile 19, picking up speed on the fire road descent. I wasted no time, quickly filling two bottles and flying through the bar.

Then shortly after I exited Bumble Bee I hit the first long climb of the race. It was probably about a mile and not too steep, but it was a dramatic shift in gears from a mostly downhill course up to this point. I felt strong heading up this hill, maintaining a steady, but comfortable grind. A photographer even remarked, “You look like you enjoy climbing!”

The trail soon leveled out and became more flat to rolly, but I started to feel that climb in my legs. It looked like climb was more damaging to my competitors as I had taken sole possession of the wave 2 lead. Now it was time to chase down more wave 1 runners.

I went through the final aid station, Gloriana Mine, filling 2 bottles and splashing some water on myself. It was still 8 miles to the finish, but I still felt pretty good at this point.

As I went along, my mentally slowly shifted from chasing to holding on. I got to the next big climb and realized my legs weren’t up to the challenge. I started hike/jogging the steeper parts and focused on sticking with the runner ahead of me. At times I thought I could go faster, but I didn’t feel like I had the juice to make a pass, so I settled in. I started to notice some thirst at this point. Perhaps I could’ve done more cooling and drinking, but I felt fairly confident I could manage things for the short remainder of the race. I popped the last half of a caffeine gel I had started a few miles back and got to work.

I was doing a fine job of keeping up until a small misstep took me down. Nothing serious, just a momentary lapse where I had to catch myself with my hands, but enough to put some distance between myself and the next runner.

It was just me now. My focus shifted to just getting to the finish line. I looked at my watch and knew I couldn’t be more than a mile or so out. I started picking it up, realizing I had to be getting close to the final descent. And then out nowhere, the finish line appeared in the distance and the trail started flowing downhill. I ratcheted it up to a 6min/mile pace and floored it to the finish.

I was the first finisher in the second wave. The 35th male and the 3rd male master. 35th may not seem like much but there were probably 20 or so elites at the front and 530 total starters. I also snagged a 50k PR by 23 minutes!

I felt super about this race. Not only were the course and scenery stunning, but the result was beyond my expectations. I truly felt like if I had started in wave one, I could’ve finished in the top 30. I felt like I had found my place in the world of ultra-running and I actually belonged.

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