I am honestly surprised that no one else has done a review, here, of this race, until now. The Javelina Jundred has earned a reputation as the party in the desert. It is run the last weekend of October and is a costumed run (if you choose to dress up) that offers 100K and 100 mile options. (This year they also added a Jackass Night Run option with shorter distances.)

The expo for the race is awesome. The swag was amazing. The race support is on point. This event offers camping at the start/finish area and you can choose to camp in your car or a tent. If you choose tent, you can bring your own or rent one from the race organizers! I opted to stay at a hotel just 8 miles away.

The 100 mile runners started at 6 a.m. and my 100K distance started at 7:00 a.m. The race information warns of heat during the day and cool night temps, so I went prepared with arm sleeves for sun protection, hat, sunglasses, etc. By 9 a.m. it felt warm and by early afternoon, temperatures were in the 90s. At the end of October. Night time temps dropped into the low 60's. For some, this was cold, but for me it felt great.

This is a looped course. The first loop is just over 22 miles and includes a section that is omitted from every other loop. Subsequent loops are about 19.5 miles each, so 100K runners do 3 total loops and 100 milers do 5. The loops are run washing-machine style, meaning the first loop is clockwise, second is counter-clockwise, and so-on. Because of this, you pass by other runners all day and all night, which is a bonus.

The other bonus is that the race organizers prepare for the heat. They brought in 20,000 pounds of ice in 2018, and every time I was in an aid station, they had plenty of ice. We filled ice bandanas and hats and arm sleeves with ice, and we were able to douse ourselves in ice-cold water if we chose to do so. Those things would help keep us cool for the first 2-3 miles out of each aid station. Still, the heat got to me, and I walked a lot of the miles in this race.

The nice thing, though, is that you can walk the whole thing if you want and finish the 100K distance because you have 29 hours to do so. There is not a lot of elevation gain in the race (about 2,000 feet per loop, I think) so the climbing is not a challenge. In this race, the rocky section between the Coyote and Jackass aid stations, and the heat, are what make the race a challenge. There is no shade on the course. It is open desert, and cacti, with beautiful view, but with zero shade.

This event is definitely a party in the desert. The furthest aid station had a full-on disco party happening at night, with glitter and a disco ball! Some runners ran in costume the entire event, including well-known ultra-runner Catra Corbett, who won the costume contest this year as the Mad Hatter. (This was her 10th time running the 100 mile event and she was presented with a jacket at the end of her race.)

This event is a great race for a first time 100K or first 100 miler, provided you're able to train in the heat and can run well/ adapt to that. It does get cold, as deserts do, at night. But if you're smart, change into something dry, and have layers available, this should not be an issue. The real battle is with the heat. Plan to take it slow between 11 a.m. and about 4 p.m. and if you do that, you will conquer this race and still have enough energy left to party at the Jackass Junction aid station during your final loop.

I ran the Hawk Hundred 50 mile race as my first 50 mile trail race. The race is held on a 25-mile loop of trails in Clinton Park just outside of Lawrence, KS. Other distances offered are the marathon (1 loop plus an additional out and back to complete the 26.2 miles) and a 100 mile distance.

The Lawrence TrailHawks is the group responsible for running this race, and the RDs are beyond amazing. From the day I first signed up, I became a part of their "family" even though I live in another state. The race Facebook page was a flurry of activity, introducing new racers as they signed up, providing updates on trail conditions and weather. Two friends ran this with me as our first 50 miler, and by the time arrived at the Friday night expo/race briefing/ pre-race dinner, we felt like we knew many of the runners and organizers. How amazing are the RDs? hen the last of my friends was coming through toward the finish, her gear bag from a remote aid station had not yet made its way back. I asked the RD what our wait time might be, and she immediately sent a runner out to that station to retrieve the bag and bring it back for us. At 1:30 in the morning!

The course is a mix of very technical and rocky single track, smooth dirt, rooty single-track, and there is even a grassy knoll section, half-way through each loop, which includes some of the most climbing in the race, but the grassy surface was a welcome relief to my tired feet. There are 2 aid stations on the course (plus the start/finish area) and although the race is a loop, the aid stations are set up so that you encounter each of them 2 times per loop. The food offered at the aid stations was awesome and the volunteers at the aid stations were beyond amazing! One of my friends got a rock in her shoe and the volunteer at one of the aid stations sat her down, took off her shoe, shook out the rock, put her shoe back on and laced it up... all without hesitation and without delay. They were simply amazing.

I have run over 60 races and, in my opinion, this is one of the best events I have ever attended. It has totally spoiled me with respect to what I now expect from every other race, Race Director, and aid station.

If you are looking for a trail marathon, 50 miler or 100 miler, I would strongly suggest that you run this event. It exceeded all expectations.

The Aspen Backcountry Marathon is a well-organized and challenging trail marathon. They also offer a "heavy half (a little over 14 miles) as a shorter option.

I have to say, initially, that the swag for this race was awesome. It is sponsored by Adidas, so my registration netted a running cap, tech tee, and my choice of 3 different colors/sizes of very nice duffel bags. Upon completion of the race, finishers are awarded an engraved metal pint glass.

The course is run alternating directions, each year. I ran it in 2018, which meant I had 3,000 or so feet of gain during miles 3-10, followed by a gentle descent and rolling downhills for the last 16 miles of the race. Every other year, the race would involve 16 miles of gradual climbing followed by a steep descent over what would be miles 17-23. That steeper section though is tough, no matter which direction you might be going, because it is rocky and very steep. The views are stunning, though, not only from the mountain vistas, but also as you're running through a pleasant, flat meadow in the middle sections of the race.

My only complaint about this race is that it is run on the same day as a Duck Derby, and 1/4 mile or so from the finish is a bridge. The Duck Derby finish is at that bridge, and so by the time I came through (I was one of the slowest runners on course that day as I was using this as a training run for an upcoming 50 miler) the bridge was crowded with Duck Derby spectators and I had to walk and weave my way through. The only other drawback is that parking is limited in the area of the start/finish. Nevertheless, the race is very well-run, the swag was great, the views were spectacular, and I highly recommend this race to anyone who may be considering it.

Normally I have loved Ragnar races, but this was one of my least favorites because of organizational issues.

The scenery is awesome. But for some reason, several of the planned exchange points did not have capacity for all of the runners' vans and one of the sites that ran out of room was an overnight site for Van 2. The lot was full at the planned exchange point so we were redirected to another lot that had no inside areas to rest and no restrooms.

Aside from the logistical issues, the course scenery was amazing. I ran the Ragnar Leg over Deception Pass and it was definitely worth the extra effort! I loved the actual running part of this race.

I would recommend this race but would suggest that runners be very flexible as far as where they can rest and plan for several hours extra after the race if you plan to take the ferry back across to Seattle afterward.