Race Preview - Antelope Canyon

Race NameAntelope Canyon Ultramarathon’s – 50 Mile, 55k & Half MarathonWebsitehttp://www.grandcircletrails.com/antelope-canyon-general-info/DateUsually the 3rd Saturday in FebruaryMileage55k33kHalf MarathonLocationPage, AZCourse RatingMostly soul-sucking sand with about 11 miles beautiful single track trail and a dash of slick rock overlooking Horseshoe Bend.LodgingPage, AZ has a few different hotel options to choose from. Most are quite affordable and are located close to the race start.Crew AccessibilityCrew access has been allowed at three aid stations in past events; Horseshoe Bend, Page Rim & Lake Powell.Aid Station QualityThe aid stations for Ultra Adventures races have been notoriously amazing. This race is no exception. There are 10 aid stations along the course for 50 milers and one can expect them to be fully stocked. They even have organic options for those runners that subscribe to this lifestyle choice.Race Feel (Hometown, Corporate, etc…)I’ve raced most of the Ultra Adventures races over the past three years and I would say that overall the feel of these have had more of a hometown or grass roots feel. Matt goes out of his way to make sure racers have the best possible experience they can have. This particular race hasn’t been too large in the first few years which is more appealing to me.What to expectThree distinct and stunningly beautiful areas on the course; Antelope Canyon, Waterhole Canyon & Horseshoe Bend.The iconic Antelope Canyon is only seen on the 50 mile course so plan accordingly. Faster runners on the 50 mile course can expect Antelope Canyon to be fairly dark. I had to turn on a headlamp to navigate it. Roughly 125 finishers for the50 miler and around 100 finishers for the 55k.Did I mention the SAND, lots of sand. The three incredibly beautiful areas on this course are connected by sand. Although this course is very flat, it’s NOT fast due to this reason. A top notch start/finish area with more swag options to choose from than you can imagine.Creative and handmade finishers awardsSummaryAntelope Canyon was a “bucket list” race for me last year. The opportunity to see some of these slot canyons and horseshoe bend was too much to pass up. The overall experience of this race did not disappoint. The two slot canyons and overlook of horseshoe bend ALMOST made up for the amount of sand on the course. My suggestion would be to practice on sand if possible before running this race. If you aren’t able to, just go into it with realistic expectations and focus on enjoying the slot canyons and views. The last 12 miles or so of the 50 mile course are the most runnable and least sandy. If your legs withstood the shifting sand, you have the opportunity to run it in well. For more information please see my 2015 race report below.http://meandmywandering.com/2015/06/07/antelope-canyon-50-mile-race-report-slightly-sandy/