Cocodona 250 course

Source: The distance and the ascent are from the race organiser (aravaiparunning.com). We calculate the descent from the organiser ascent and the elevation difference between the start and the finish. The elevation profile and the gradient data come from a 10 m digital elevation model (NED (US)). All elevations are to the nearest 10 m (50 ft).

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About the course

The Cocodona 250 is a c.253 mi407 km point-to-point ultramarathon across central Arizona. It starts in the Sonoran Desert at Black Canyon City, at c.2,000 ft610 m, and finishes in the mountain town of Flagstaff, at c.6,900 ft2,100 m.

The route heads north along the Black Canyon Trail and climbs into the Bradshaw Mountains to the old mining town of Crown King. It continues through Prescott and the historic hillside town of Jerome, then passes through the red rock country around Sedona. From there it climbs onto the Mogollon Rim and through ponderosa pine forest to Flagstaff, with a late ascent of Mount Elden (the course high point).

The course has 38,800 ft11,830 m of elevation gain and 33,900 ft10,330 m of loss, and averages around 5,700 ft1,740 m above sea level. It is mostly on trail, crossing a wide range of terrain: rocky desert single-track, mountain ridgelines, canyons and high-country forest.

The Cocodona 250 course climbs 38,800 ft11,830 m and descends 33,900 ft10,330 m over its c.253 mi407 km distance, finishing almost 5,000 ft1,520 m higher than it starts.

That's more total climbing than the Hardrock 100, but spread over two and a half times the distance, so the climbing is far less concentrated. Its gain per mile is closer to that of the Leadville 100 and Western States 100.

Ascent & descent analysis

In early May, Cocodona runners face a huge temperature range. The low desert around Black Canyon City often climbs above 32°C90°F during the day, while at the higher elevations around Flagstaff and Mount Elden overnight temperatures can drop to near or below freezing.

Rain is usually unlikely, but strong winds are common. The exposed desert sections offer little shade from the sun, while the high-country forest can turn cold quickly after dark.

The weather data has been obtained using the Open-Meteo historical weather API.

Conditions at the start line

The pictograms below show the conditions at the start of the course on the race date in each of the last five years.

Temperature range on course

Temperatures experienced on course are impacted by elevation. The graph below shows the temperature range for the five most recent events at different parts of the course.

Daylight hours

The graph below shows the daylight hours on the day of the 2027 edition (2 May), in local time.

The Cocodona 250 starts in Black Canyon City at roughly 2,000 ft610 m and gradually climbs to a high point of around 9,300 ft2,830 m on Mount Elden before finishing in Flagstaff at close to 6,900 ft2,100 m. Most of the race is at low to moderate altitude, but the highest ground comes in the final stages, when fatigue can make even moderate altitude noticeably harder.