Reflections on Following the Inaugural Cocodona 250

by Chase Parnell — May 7, 2021

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What a race! You might think that following a running event for four days would be boring or monotonous in some way but I found the length of time only added to the drama and intrigue. It gave us plenty of time to add depth to the storylines of the race and runners. Michael Versteeg was well-know before this race in the Arizona ultra running community but you have to think he’s now somewhat of an international sensation after we all just followed him so closely for days on end. It doesn’t hurt that he’s somewhat shrouded in mystery as well, looking as if he might’ve been living in a cave for the last decade, only to emerge with his Salomon and Satisfy Running gear to vision quest his way to the win. It really was a pretty dominant win and I hope he’ll consider coming back next year to defend his title.

And then there was Maggie Guterl who confirmed our predictions that this style of race is right in her wheelhouse. She essentially led the race from start to finish with only maybe a few short leapfrogs early on. Such a gritty performance from her. The mental strength required to pull something like this off is something I don’t think most of us can even comprehend. To have no massive physical or mental breakdowns over the course of three and a half days is pretty wild. But really, that applies to all the finishers of this race, some of whom will be out there far longer. If you get this sucker done, especially after learning how difficult the conditions were, you should forever be enshrined in the ultrarunning book of lore and maybe consider putting “Cocodona 250 Finisher” on your gravestone.

So we have our winners, but let’s get into some of the play-by-play action from start to finish.

How the Race Unfolded

Monday morning at 5am close to 200 runners took off from Black Canyon City to start their journey north. As the day unfolded and the temperatures began to rise, comments from the runners started coming in about the difficulty of the first 50-80k. Many underestimated how much water they’d need and really suffered under the Arizona sun. Here’s what Maggie had to say about this gnarly beginning stretch:

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The hardest 100k she’s ever ran? Take a look at her ultrasignup and that’ll give you some added context to that statement. Who knew Jamil was this cruel! Nah, sounds like if you were prepared with the right gear and you brought enough water, it was a manageable stretch but just a very very challenging start for a 250 mile race. The crux of the entire thing might have been Kamp Kipa at mile 65. If you made it there with any juice left, then you might be able to resurrect your spirits, recover, rehydrate and press on.

Michael Versteeg had some company early on in Drew Frehs and later Michael McKnight but ran 100% alone (excluding his pacers) and off the front for the final 100 miles. McKnight, who looked like the favorite going in because of his vast 200 mile racing experience, really suffered in the heat out there. Here’s what he said on DAY ONE!

This is epic. Michael McKnight is SUFFERING in the heat! Says he took more naps in a single 20 mile stretch than he did in any of his other 200s combined! 🤯 Starting to think the heat-adapted are going to excel out there! But hey, Mike is a beast and rallying! 🙌🏻🙌🏻 #Cocodona250 pic.twitter.com/BeRQyS4nD5

— Treeline Journal (@TreelineJ) May 3, 2021

To already be going through black-outs and severe dehydration on the first day must have been pretty daunting. But McKnight would rally and suffer many more times before pulling the plug at mile 168. This is what he had to say about it, “I ended up dropping last night due to heat stroke symptoms. Ended up anemic in the ER and diagnosed with rhabdo. My CK levels are in the mid 3,000s and normal is 30. The heat is no joke. Major kudos to everyone still grinding it out.”

The legendary Pam Reed said the stretch leading into Sedona on Day 2 was, “hotter than Badwater.” And Badwater takes place in Death Valley! So the heat was a huge factor and it’s no surprise that the Arizona contingent had a strong day out there. I underestimated how much of an advantage the desert runners would have. From the dust to the heat to the exposure, you need to have those things in your blood. Unless you’re Maggie Guterl, she can win while training in Durango in spring time conditions. Mic drop.

Question for Aravaipa: Any chance this race could be put on in April? Would that even matter much with the heat on day one and two? I suppose you might risk having too much snow on the Coconino Plateau or on Mount Elden, but maybe that’d be okay? Asking for a friend.

As time wore on and we started getting into the final 100k, not a whole lot changed. One exception was Peter Mortimer charging hard and moving into second place. So AZ went 1-2 on the men’s side. There was some chatter about a potential sweep when Joshua Locke was creeping up there, but in the end Dax Hock of Boise, Idaho and Witt Wisebram of Atlanta, Georgia broke it up, finishing 3rd and 4th respectively. Regardless, I think this is something future entrants are going to need to keep in mind: get your heat training in if you want to dance with the Arizonans at Cocodona!

As Maggie battled it out with the top ten men, Jessi Morton-Langehaug of Sandy, Utah and Dawn Greenwalt of Flagstaff, Arizona were exchanging positions, fighting it out for 2nd. One of the fun things about this race was that the athletes themselves could share their journeys on social media in real time. Sarah Ostaszewski posted a story with a pic of her and Jim Walmsey (shout out to Jimbo for getting out there and supporting the runners!) and Jeff Garmire was probably the most entertaining follow in that regard, posting daily updates on his hallucinations as they become more and more intense; construction crews, parking lots, and trailheads, only existing in his alternate reality.

Finishers after four days of racing:

• 1st – Michael Versteeg (72h 50m)
• 2nd – Peter Mortimer (77h 18m)
• 3rd – Dax Hock (79h 16m)
• 4th – Witt Wisebram (81h 13m)
• 5th – Joshua Locke (83h 13m)
• 6th – Tod Bachman (84h 29m)
• 7th – Maggie Guterl (85h 34m)
• 8th – Trevor Meding (86h 43m)
• 9th – Taylor Spike (86h 57m)
• 10th – Dreh Frehs (88h 18m)
• 11th – Mark Vogel (89h 34m)
• 12th – Jesse Alexander (90h 12m)
• 13th – Dawn Greenwalt (90h 16m)
• 14th – Stefan Fiandiero (91h 10m)
• 15th – Jessi Morton-Langehaug (92h 33m)
• 16th – Jamil Coury (93h 3m)
• 17th – Jeff Garmire (95h 31m)

Full results found here.

I was definitely bummed that Coree Woltering had to pull the plug early on. He said after the race that it was severe physical fatigue from his Pinhoti Trail FKT just weeks earlier. McKnight dropping took a little air out of the competitive element for the win since he was really the only one charging hard enough to challenge Versteeg in the latter stages. It would appear that none of the top female contenders dropped.

So that’s sort of how the race played out. There was so much more so if you are an ultra super-nerd, head over to the Aravaipa Running YouTube channel and watch how it all unfolded. Maybe watch at 2x speed and it’ll only take you 36 hours to watch it all! I tuned in sporadically and definitely didn’t catch all the moves and nuances so the above notes are just the highlights that hit me during the duration of the race. Too much fun.

The Future of Aravaipa Running and the Cocodona 250

I think from the spectator’s perspective, the Cocodona 250 met/exceeded all the hype leading into the race. There’s just nothing else like it in the USA from a coverage perspective. There were over 1,000 viewers watching the stream essentially at all times during the race. And people loved it! That said, what I am now interested in hearing is what the racers have to say. Did they love the Cocodona 250 course? Was it so brutally hot that a finish didn’t even redeem the suffering (doubt it)? Did it feel safe enough out there? The DNF rate didn’t seem ridiculously high or anything but there was a little pushback on too strict of cutoff times early on (they were later adjusted).

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But don’t get it twisted. I said it in the preview and I’ll say it again now, the Cocodona 250 is here to stay! I guarantee you that next year we’re going to see many more A-list elites, both domestic and internationally. I saw Jeff Browning chilling at the finish line. Have to wonder what a guy like that could do on this course!

The Aravaipa crew is passionate, smart, and they’ve really seized the opportunity to separate themselves as a brand. They’re almost so good that it worries me. After the news of Ironman “partnering” with UTMB, what’s Jamil going to say when Spartan comes and drops a big ass note in his lap? Anyways, the conglomeration of all the pinnacle races is another story for another day.

Lastly, speaking of Jamil, the guy had the confidence in his team to get out of the studio and onto the trail. He finished the inaugural race in 16th place in 93 hours and 3 minutes. Huge congrats on finishing that bad boy! Can’t wait to hear how it all went down on any one of his media networks, platforms, channels and feeds. I’ll consume them all.

Cheers to Aravaipa, the Cocodona 250, Arizona, and all the runners out there that inspired us with their efforts. Shout out to all the permitting agencies, crews and volunteers for making this race possible.

The Cocodona 250 delivered.

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