A Look At the Cocodona 250!!!

#380 - In 2021, a new very long ultrarace started in Arizona by Aravaipa Running. The Cocodona 250 began and what an incredible race it is! If you know anything about Aravaipa Running, then you know it's expertly organized, and though very difficult, you will have the best support possible on the course. I take a look at the changes that have happened since it started and what makes this race so special. And why you may want to one day run it! 

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(Cont.) A Look At the Cocodona 250!!!

(Cont.) A Look At the Cocodona 250!!!

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Hidden West share stories you might not hear anywhere else. Want to know why the last chance grade might be the most dangerous bit of highway in California? Why did the Japanese drop bombs on the western part of the U.S.? And where is the state of Jefferson? All these stories and more about what makes the Western U.S. so great are here. There's a new story published every week. Check out Hidden West on YouTube. Welcome to Martha Runs the World, a podcast with a new take on running, fitness, and all things health-oriented. I'm Martha Hughes, your host, and each week I present a new topic that is of interest to all runners. Hi, and welcome to episode 380 of Martha Runs the World. Today I'm going to talk about that now iconic race, the Cocodona 250. The Cocodona 250 takes place this year on May 4th through May 9th. I first heard about the Cocodona in 2020, a year before it started. Jamil Currie of Aravipa Running was scouting out a long race course in Arizona through the top half of the state. He wanted to connect trails in historic towns and beautiful landscapes. He made the route by connecting established trails, including the Black Canyon Trail. And I remember him being out there with one of his buddies or with one of the Aravipa staff, I'm not sure, but they would go out and look at the trail different trails and go out running and use the camera and the drones to film it. And it was really fun following his journey. Right then and there, I realized that this was going to be a special race. Since its first year, the Cocodona has grown so much, and that has a lot to do with the outstanding organization of Aravipa, which I'll get into in a little bit. The race is roughly 256 miles and has about 40,000 feet elevation gain. In 2024, the race saw its youngest finisher at 17 years old and its oldest at 73. The course record is set in the men's at 58 hours 47 minutes and 18 seconds by Dan Green and for women by Rachel Entrikin set at 63 hours 50 minutes and 55 seconds. If you're not familiar with them, Arivipa Running is an Arizona-based endurance event management company. It's founded and owned by Jamil Curry. It specializes in trail and ultra-marathon races, hosting over 70 events annually for over 25,000 runners. And now it has races in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Michigan. And it has events like Cocodona and Yavolina Yundrid, if you've ever heard of that one. That's a pretty big event that's happened for many, many years. Aero Vipa is known for its focus on the trail running community and supporting runners from the front of the pack to the final finishers. It has one of the best reputations for putting on professional, well-supported, and marked courses. If you participate in an Aero Vipa race, you will get the best experience your money and training can give you. I talked about a different well-known race company, which I will not mention, who produces extra long races and the trouble they went through putting on a 300-mile in a previous episode. Those problems would never happen with Ara Vipa. They know what they're doing. The Aero Vipa crew is top-notch. They are one of the best in the business. One of the other things that I love about Aero Vipa is that they are also on top of the tech side of ultrarunning and they've changed the world. They've changed the ultra-running world with tech. The other running companies have had to play catch up with what Aero Vipa is doing. When I started watching those few videos of them running parts of the route of the race, Jamil mentioned that he was going to broadcast it live on YouTube. I was so excited about that. It started on the first year, I think they started on a Monday. I I'm not sure. Um, but the first year I watched the entire Monday and Tuesday, because I always have those days off work. So I was able to watch the I was glued to YouTube. I I was totally glued to the YouTube stream. It was so exciting. I mean, for the first time ever, us ultra runners got to feel as excited about our sport as football fans do theirs. I mean, that was a first. It never had never happened like that. Sure, at uh Western States they had a booth set up at the finish line, but they had never had it live during the race. Now they have it live, but they didn't back then. 2021 was the inaugural year, so the YouTube broadcast was not without its problems. Reception from the most remote locations was kind of off and on, and there were some times where the reception wasn't coming in, and there were problems with some drones that were used. It was a first year, so they had to work through some bugs, but it was still great. It was really, really cool, and I love the support from the audience, from the live audience who was donating money and supporting all the runners. It was just great. After year one of Coca Dona, gone were the days when Ultras could get away with saying, we can't show those races live because they're too remote or we don't have the technology. That it just simply isn't true anymore. Thanks to Starlink and the terrific upgrades in drones and camera abilities, it's nearly like watching a road marathon. There's no excuse anymore. You better get your technology up to date because other companies are doing it. I did an entire episode on how Starlink will change Ultra Running, and it really has. It's completely changed everything. Now the Coca-Dona 250 has faced significant problems over the years, primarily driven by extreme weather, extreme physical challenges leading to high injury rates, and logistical challenges with course navigation and remote aid stations. You're gonna have this as a 250-mile race. Problems are gonna happen. The 250-mile point-to-point course through Arizona is designed to be relentless, resulting in high DNF, did not finish rates, particularly in the opening heavily exposed 37-mile section. The Black Canyon Trail is known to be some of the toughest parts of the race. That first year, the runners didn't know what to expect. And the ones who survived that first course are the ones who brought the most water with them because it was so hot and so highly exposed, and there wasn't a whole lot of support for many miles. And if you didn't bring enough water, you got dehydrated very quickly. Now, here's some specific recurring problems with the race. Severe foot damage, a primary complaint among participants is trash feet from constant exposure to varied terrain, including sharp rocks, dust, and water crossings. Well, you're gonna get those rocks in desert races. I remember doing the um the bootleg boogie in southern Nevada, and those rocks, oh, those trails are nasty. Those rocks are really harsh, and that was only 18 miles, so I can't imagine doing 250 miles of that. Um, heat exhaustion, temperature regulation failure. Runners have experienced set severe thermal issues, including shivering in 80-degree weather due to dehydration and metabolic or physical stress. Yeah, you get all kinds of extremes in that weather. It can be very cold at night where it's really freezing temperatures, and it can be very, very hot during the day. And it really depends on the year. Some years it may even snow on Mount Eldon, and some years it may rain almost the whole time, and some years it may be drought, and some years there may be wildfire. You don't know what you're gonna get. Severe medical incidents. The race has seen some instances of rhabdomyolysis, breakdown of muscle, muscle tissue, severe cellulitis, bronchial issues, and falls leading to severe injuries such as broken jaws. That it would be so nasty on that, on those trails, and uh, they're hard to get to. It's real hard to bring an emergency team up to some of those trails. Extreme fatigue and mental strain. The race is designed to create a surreal experience that causes intense mental fatigue and occasionally hallucinations. Well, yeah, you're going to be up for hours and hours, and every night you might get an hour or two of sleep. So you are going to hallucinate. Stomach issues, even elite runners have had to drop out due to severe gastrointestinal issues. Now, there is some problems on the course. The initial 37 miles, as I talked about already, are known to be exceptionally rugged and remote. This section features 10,000 feet elevation gain, a loose rock, often causing high attrition rates before runners even reach the first major aid station. So you have 37 miles all by yourself without any major aid stations. You might have maybe one that you maybe can get water or something, I'm not sure, but it's not a real aid station. So you have to really plan out that first bit, that first big chunk of mileage. I well, not even gonna say bit because it isn't a bit, it's a huge chunk. Extreme weather shifts, the course has been as the course has experienced everything from scorching desert sun to unexpected freezing rain and mud. Yeah. Like I said, imagine running 10 miles through mud. I I can't imagine that. I've done like three or four miles in mud, but ten or more miles, ooh. Limited aid station accessibility, the remoteness of certain long stretches, particularly through the Bradshaw Mountains, makes support difficult for crews. Yeah, if if your crew has to get through a muddy road for miles and miles to get to you to an aid station to help you out, that's gonna be tough. They may not make it, or they may get stuck. You may not have your crew there. Yeah, it's a tough situation. It really is tough. It really is difficult. You have to think about these things and make plans, make alternative plans in case your crew can't make it. Logistical and operational issues, course navigation, the difficulty of the train has at times made finding the correct path challenging. Registration challenges due to high demand, ultra sign up has experienced crashes, making registration stressful for participants, safety and medical access. The extreme remote nature of the course means prompt medical attention can be difficult, sometimes requiring runners to reach aid stations after injuries. Oh yeah, if you're injured way out in the middle of nowhere, what are you gonna do? Examples of recurring problems. In 2021 to 25, high heat and difficult terrain forced changes to the route, and runners continued to report severe sickness and injuries. And I believe it was in 2022 where there was a big fire that forced the race to change part of the course. It might have been 23, but I believe it was 22. In 2024, runners reported to have to battle through illness, injuries, and a very competitive field, with many struggling with the heat in the latter stages. 25, the race was marred by an unexpectedly high number of DNFs due to stomach issues, even among the most elite competitors, and the race experienced high profile dropouts. So there are problems even with elite runners. It's a really tough race. Despite these problems, the race is often described as life-changing, and many participants aim for redemption to return and complete it after a DNF. The race is so popular now that next year in 2027 it's on a lottery system. There have been changes since the first race in 2021. Kokodona has evolved from a novel 200 mile plus point-to-point journey into a more competitive festival style event with improved logistics, course adjustments due to fire that happened, and added spectator features. Significant changes include course reroutes, avoiding the Bradshaw Mountains, the addition of new shorter distance races alongside the main event, and the implementation of a lottery system in 2027. Hey, you have a popular race like this, you have a run very well well, you have a well done race, you have a very well organized race. Peep runners are gonna flock to that because they like that kind of race, obviously, because it's well supported. Why wouldn't you, right? Here are the key changes made in Cogadona since it started. Course reroutes, the route has shifted to avoid the rugged Bradshaw Mountains, opting instead for a counterclockwise loop around Prescott and down to Skull Valley. Added mileage and loops, a roughly 16 mile out and back was added around mile 150 to maintain the 250 mile distance. Drop bag locations, changes have been made to aid stations access, including adding a drop bag location at Camp Wamatochik, while removing some crew access and updating the sleep station setup. Start location, the start was moved to Deep Canyon Ranch for the 2024 race with early sections occasionally adjusted to avoid snow on the Koconino Plateau. Pacer availabilities. Pacers are now allowed starting at mile 61, which is Whiskey Row. Now the structure and access, event growth and distances. The event now includes more accessible distances to increase participation, including the Sedona Canyons 125-mile race that starts on Wednesday, and the Elden Crest 36-mile race, which starts on Friday. Entry system due to high demand. I think those two uh types of runners should be able to enter a little easier than brand new ones. Spectator and crew experience. Parking has been transitioned from a VIP system to a more inclusive car camping format at the main event venue, and a five-day live stream has become a standard feature, which I really appreciate. I think that's great. I can watch that at work on my phone when I'm not busy. I think it's awesome. I love this event so much. Competitive evolution, speed, and intensity. The level of competition has significantly increased. The 2025 winner Dan Green broke the course record by over an hour, which I mentioned his time earlier. The women's field performance, women's champion Rachel Enterkin, shattered her own 2024 winning time by over seven hours in 2025. And she became the first two-time champion. So she owns that race. Safety and policies, mandatory gear. The race has adjusted rules on mandatory gear and weather gear to handle fluctuating conditions from extreme heat to heavy snow on Mount Eldon. I think that's really, really important. One of the things that UTMB does right is they have a big list of mandatory gear for their 100-mile runners, and I think that's vital for a long, long race. Voluntary involvement. The race has formalized a five-day format, placing heavy reliance on the local volunteer community and offering up to 300 plus volunteer credits to participants. I think it's a wonderful race. It starts off next week. Um, is it next week? Hang on. It starts next Monday, so be ready for that and look for the live stream. They usually have it live stream one, and then two, and three, and four, because they only do a certain number uh number of hours on each stream. And take a look for that because it's really fun and you'll get addicted to it. I swear you will. It will be hard for you to leave the house or do anything during those live streams. I do believe they don't do one in the middle of the night. Um, they might. Last year I missed part of it because I got so busy at work, but they I think they take a few hours off at night and then they come back in the morning. But it's really, really interesting and it's a fascinating look at the race, and you can get a real insight into what the race is like. I want to give a review and mention a wonderful documentary that was just released this week by Air Viper Running called The Cutoff. It's on YouTube. You can look up their uh YouTube channel, it should be right there. It's a brand new documentary about the back of the pack at Coca-Dona. It's a it's a great, great documentary. I loved it very much. Finally, I said to myself as I watched The Runners, it's a documentary about runners like me. The back of the pack runners. I don't do those long distances, but finally, finally, finally, the back of the pack is being covered. Now, it did mention in Kogadona that 70% of the runners make it, meaning there's a 30% DNF rate, which is really high for a race, but it's a difficult race, so you have to expect that there's going to be a lot of DNFs. The runners need to maintain a two mile per hour pace, which seems really slow, but then you factor in that all the snaps they have to take. They have to, they have to sleep a little bit every night. They have to get at least an hour or two. You add that in, and you add that in any medical attention they need, any uh eating they need, anything that they need to take care of, you have to add that in to that 30-minute mile pace. The narration in the film is really good. It gives a lot of information, it gets up close and personal with the back-of-the-pack runners, and you really get to know them. They're wonderful people. They're out there doing this incredible race. They're so brave and so courageous, and you love each one of them, and you just want to cheer them on. It gives this film gives such honor and reverence to these runners, these amazing runners. And it even brought me to tears at some of them. It just such a great, great documentary. I highly, highly recommend it, and I think you should see it. And it was just released this week, so um, actually last week, because I'm recording this early, so uh yeah, it was just released uh last week, and it it's remarkable. I really I love it very much. And I wanted to also mention that I do have a YouTube channel myself, and I'm going to start doing more with it. I have I put on every episode, every podcast episode up there, and I also do shorts of two minutes or less on there. I try to do one every week, but I'm also going to put it up a little bit longer of videos up there. I'm gonna start doing that. I haven't done it yet, but I'm gonna start doing longer videos up there just because to put more stuff on the YouTube channel. I like doing videos, it's a fun way for me to get things out about running, and I'm going to talk about things that wouldn't necessarily take up a whole episode of the podcast. And I like to make my podcast episodes at least 23, 24, 25 minutes long. So if it's not that long, it's not going to be on a podcast episode. And I can put that on a video on my YouTube channel. So if you don't know, my YouTube channel is Martha RunsTheWorld slash Martha Hughes is the name of the of the YouTube channel. I think I have that in the show notes. It should be in the show notes. I will put that in the show notes if it isn't, so that you can find it and check it out. Um, because like I said, I have lots of shorts there right now, and I have every episode of the podcast there as well. And you can also, if you want to follow me on on Facebook, that's would be great. I think I still have the old website address up, which I have to take off. Sorry, just talking to myself. It is early here. I need coffee. I need to go for a run. Which I will do just after this recording. So I want to thank you so so much for being listeners of the show. It means the world to me that you listen. And um I hope you have great runs. I hope that you enjoy uh watching Kokedona. If you're not a runner in Kokodona, check it out because it's really, really fun to watch on YouTube. It's it's great. It's must see TV. What's better than TV because it's real. It's live, it is happening, and it's fun. Alright, on that note, um, thank you so much, and let's dye our shoelaces and go for run.