Cocodona 250 course maps and aid stations

The 250 went to a lottery for 2027. It opened May 1, 2026, closed May 18 and announced its results on June 1. Under its rules, 475 runners get in and 300 more go on two waitlists, one for women and one for men. Everyone gets one ticket, plus one for each earlier finish of any Cocodona distance (up to three more) and extra tickets for volunteering at the previous year's race. The entry fee is $1,995 to $2,095 depending on when you pay, plus 6.35% Arizona and Yavapai County tax and UltraSignup's fees.

The other four races have no lottery. They opened on UltraSignup in early June, and when this page was checked the 125 and 40 were sold out with a free waitlist, while the 100 and 80 still had places. Registration closes Sunday, April 25 at 11:59 PM Mountain time. Fees aren't refunded: withdrawing gets you a 75% credit up to 60 days out and 50% between 30 and 60 days, and you can't transfer or sell an entry.

No qualifying race is required, but for the 250, 125 and 100 the organizer recommends a 100 miler first, or thru-hiking or multi-day backpacking. You have to be 18 unless the race director approves you.

The 250 and 100 start at Deep Canyon Ranch in Black Canyon City, about an hour's drive from the Phoenix airport. Flagstaff's airport has daily nonstop flights from Phoenix, Dallas and Los Angeles and is about an hour and 20 minutes from the start and 15 minutes from the finish. The organizer plans $50 pre-race shuttles to the start on Saturday, May 1, from the Phoenix airport or from Flagstaff, so you can leave a car near the finish. There are no shuttles after the race, and the runner guide points you to Groome Transportation for the ride back.

You can park long term at Deep Canyon Ranch and camp there from 1 PM on Saturday. There's no packet pickup on race morning. In May, Arizona is on the same clock as California.

In the 250, crews can reach 13 of the 21 aid stations, starting at Crown King. Before Crown King, every crew going there checks in at Bumble Bee Ranch and waits for a parking pass, which is handed out once their runner reaches a set point on the tracker. Without the pass you can't drive into Crown King. It's about 30 minutes from the start to Bumble Bee Ranch and another hour to Crown King. The next crew stop after that is Whiskey Row in Prescott, at mile 75.6.

Crews get one vehicle per runner, nothing over 25 feet and no trailers, and can only help within a quarter mile of an aid station. Pacers go on foot, one at a time, and can't carry anything for their runner. They have to be 18, or send the race a waiver signed by a parent. In the 250 they can start at Whiskey Row, but they have to drop out from Schnebly Hill to Munds Park and from Wildcat Hill to the finish, where the course crosses Mexican spotted owl habitat. Friends and family can run the last stretch in from Buffalo Park.

The 250 runs from about 2,000 feet to over 9,000, and the runner guide warns that the low country can be extremely hot by day and the high country extremely cold at night. NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for May give Sedona a high of 84°F and a low of 53°F, and Flagstaff 68°F and 35°F. The course notes expect the mid 80s crossing the Verde Valley, the upper 30s at night on the plateau, and lows around 25°F on Mount Elden, with wind chill below zero.

Everyone, pacers included, carries a phone, a GPS device with the course file and a way to charge it, a headlamp, a collapsible cup (there are no cups for cold drinks), a space blanket and a whistle. Gloves, a warm hat, a long sleeve layer and an insulating layer are checked at set aid stations, and a waterproof jacket is required if it rains or snows. The 250 and 100 also start with a check that you can carry 4 liters.