This weekend within the Sonoran Wasteland east of Phoenix, Arizona, the Javelina 100 Mile will happen with over 1,500 runners competing throughout 3 distances. Dubbed “ultrarunning’s greatest birthday party,” the Javelina 100 Mile has additionally turn into one of the crucial aggressive 100-mile races in the US.
The marquee tournament of the weekend, the 100-mile race, has, for the remaining two years, served as one of the most seven Western States 100 Golden Price tag Races. Every of the races within the Golden Price tag Races sequence gives most sensible competition an opportunity to achieve access to the Western States 100 and this weekend’s Javelina 100 Mile appears to be a barn burner.
Arlen Glick, 2021 Javelina 100 Mile champion. Photograph: Javelina 100 Mile
Two decades in the past, then common path shoe corporate Montrail started webhosting a sequence of races throughout the US known as the Montrail Extremely Cup. On the time those races have been unfold around the vintage extremely distances of fifty kilometers, 50 miles, and 100k, and most often awarded the highest two or 3 finishers access into the Western States 100.
Races got here and went within the sequence. Some previous races incorporated the Manner Too Cool 50k, Lake Sonoma 50 Mile, Ice Age 50 Mile, and Mountain Masochist 50 Mile. In 2013, two 100-mile races, the Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile and Pinhoti 100 Mile, have been added to the sequence, and for a couple of extra years 100-mile races remained a part of the sequence.
Because the Western States 100’s presenting sponsorship modified and ultrarunning developed into a real world recreation, the Golden Price tag Sequence — because it got here to be known as after Montrail left the scene — used to be predominantly there to offer North American runners with an opportunity to achieve access into the Western States 100, whilst world runners had equivalent alternatives to take action during the now defunct Extremely-Path International Excursion.
Golden Price tag Races persevered to come back and cross, as some regional occasions just like the Georgia Dying Race 74 Mile have been eradicated and different conventional 100k path races, the Black Canyon 100k as an example, have been added. Through 2019, the Golden Price tag Races sequence had established itself as one of the most most sensible ultramarathon race sequence on the earth.
Keely Henninger (in crimson), the 2023 Black Canyon 100k girls’s winner. Photograph: Jesse Ellis/@letswanderphotography
After the death of the Extremely-Path International Excursion, the Golden Price tag Races expanded to incorporate extra world races. In 2021, for qualification to the 2022 race, there have been two French races added — UTMB and Staying power Path des Templiers. Starting in 2022 and 2023, races in France, New Zealand, and Thailand have been incorporated along extra conventional North American races.
The sequence had through now additionally expanded to happen throughout the year, whilst prior to now it have been scheduled within the January to Might window following the Western States 100 lottery in December.
All of this background brings us to the 2023 to 2024 model of the Golden Price tag Races — to me, essentially the most mature model of the sequence to this point. To this point this season, 4 Golden Tickets every were awarded on the CCC in France, Grindstone 100k through UTMB in Virginia — marking the go back of the Golden Price tag Races to the U.S. East Coast for the primary time in different years — and the Great Cote D’Azur 115k through UTMB, additionally in France.
This weekend’s Javelina 100 Mile would be the first of 2 100-mile Golden Price tag Races, with the second going down on the Doi Inthanon Thailand 100 Mile through UTMB in December. The overall two races of the sequence will probably be two vintage North American 100ks, the Black Canyon 100k in Arizona in February, 2024, and the Canyons 100k in California in April, 2024. When the mud settles, 30 athletes from all over the world may have punched their tickets to the Western States 100 by way of the Golden Price tag Races.
For the ones of you coming down right here to the wilderness for the Javelina 100 Mile or Black Canyon 100k, I sit up for seeing you!
Bottoms up!
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s Beer of the Week comes from State 48 Brewery in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. Javelina Hefeweizen is a vintage German wheat beer with a slightly of sweetness. A easy, well-balanced beer weighing in at 5% ABV, it is going completely with absolutely anything. When you’re coming to Phoenix, be sure you prevent through State 48.
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- Have you ever taken section in any of the Golden Price tag Races?
- Or do you intend to for the approaching season?