Race Preview

The Riders

No Margin for Error

AZT300 Winner! 

Update from Monday 24th and 300 Women's Winner!

Mike Symon's Update 25th October

John Schilling's Day 7 Update

John Schilling's Day 10 Update

Yesterday’s Antics - WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!

Andy Wentzel brings it in for 2nd place!

Traversing the Arizona wilderness from the Mexican border to the Stateline Campground on the Utah border, the Arizona Trail Race has been held in some iteration or another for sixteen years, making it one of the original self-supported bike races. Its popularity has grown steadily and each year it draws veterans and rookies to its trails at either the grand depart or an individual time trial. 

Each year the routes see some changes due to work on the trail and weather reroutes, but the spirit of the route remains unchanged. The crux of the route is the hike through the Grand Canyon; a 24 mile mandatory bike portage across the canyon. Veterans will be au fait with the varying systems riders use to carry their bikes on their bikes and it’s not unheard of for racers to carry trail running shoes and cache hiking poles to assist during this stretch. Access to this wonderous park is permitted by the Grand Canyon National Park service and riders are reminded that non-compliance with the national park’s rules could jeopardise future races. Rule compliance is imperative.

Much like last year, the monsoons in the lead up to the race have caused much growth in the vegetation and the trail is looking a little greener and spikier than normal. This water runoff has also created some ruts in the trail, just to make sure the riders are paying attention.

![AZT water ruts](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2MsYXihLYi0sUehnyQOySl/b369a72aa97695b9b6aae7a8fb5c1188/AZT_water_ruts.png)

One element of the race that demands extensive preparation is learning the route and its resupplies, generally speaking water is available every 50 miles and up to 100 miles between towns for food.

![Water butt](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/44V3fytiBwVXzTSpyJF5Ni/b75598c936e239cd124dd5932f314d5c/Water_butt.png)

This year riders have the option of three routes: the traditional 300 mile and 800 mile routes with the addition of a limited edition 800 XL. The traditional 800 is 65% singletrack and a little over 90% off-road, cementing it firmly in the mountain bike category.

# The Rules

The AZTR has received more press than usual this year due to Lael Wilcox’s ride on the trail earlier this year which secured her a time that is faster than the current FKT set by Nate Grinzton last year at 9D 10H 44M. However, it is not included in the results due to her ride which violated both the no excessive visitation rule and the prohibition of personal media crews.

The full ruleset can be found [here](https://azt300-800.com/rules/). For the Europeans amongst us, it’s always good to familiarise ourselves with the rules of grass-roots races that spawned our contingent of the sport. The Race Director, John Schilling, works on a voluntary basis and while there is no entry fee, riders are strongly encouraged to join the Arizona Trail Association, whose work keeps the trail in such tip top condition.

A race through multiple national parks and along a popular hiking trail requires riders to be on their best behaviour and emphasises considerate and responsible trail use.

The grand départ was reduced last year to 60 riders in order to reduce the impact on this sensitive trail. Individual time trials (ITT) are always encouraged, and the shoulder seasons are the optimal times of year.

There are 18 riders on the AZT 800, of which two are women, and 26 on the AZT 300 northbound events. Elsewhere on the trail there are three ITT riders, one of whom was attempting a YoYo but he scratched five days ago. Across the field there is a whopping total of 17 single speed riders, including the current single speed record holder Alexandera Houchin who topped the women’s rankings at the Colorado Trail earlier this year. Her 2019 Tour Divide run also set a new women’s single speed record.

Also in the single speed category is [Jefe Branham](https://dotwatcher.cc/profile/Jefe%20Branham), Race Director for the Colorado Trail Race and highly experienced US off-road bikepacker, and [Andrew Strempke](https://dotwatcher.cc/profile/Andrew%20Strempke) who took the singlespeed win at the Tour Divide this year and crossed the line in ninth overall.

In the women’s AZTR field, [Alexandera Houchin](https://dotwatcher.cc/profile/Alexandera%20Houchin) and [Ana Jager](https://dotwatcher.cc/profile/Ana%20Jager) will be the only ones who tackle the AZT 800. Ana’s 12th place overall at the Tour Divide this year holds her in great stead, and a completion here will tick the last box of the Triple Crown (AZTR, CTR and the Tour Divide).

To learn more about the women of the AZTR then head to [The Town Bicycle’s excellent post](https://thetownbicycle.com/faces-behind-the-dots-aztr-2022/) which features interviews with all the women of the AZT 300 and AZT 800.

It’s currently midnight out on the course and the 300 leaders made it through the Oracle Ridge in daylight while some have stopped to bunk down for the night. This roughly 15 mile stretch will prove to be significantly harder during darkness with lots of tall grass obscuring the trail and plenty of rain ruts on the steeper pitches. A perfect recipe for time and energy wasting. Not much different than what they have been through already, but Oracle Ridge isn’t like the rest of the trail either.

![Oracle Ridge trailforks](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2WpDMBNoEZZjSQvzWOPre1/d858460972d3afc43d1cf47abca1e974/Oracle_Ridge_trailforks.jpg)

Alex Schultz and Will Bodewes have gapped the rest of the pack, as they only have 75 miles left of their race it’s likely they will be pushing on to Picketpost without stopping where the AZT 300 route ends. They’re over Mt Lemmon and the only riders who have passed the town of Oracle. They’re currently on the Ripsey section (pictured in header image) which Race Director, John Schilling, and friends went out to clear the catclaw days ahead of the race by bike with clippers and loppers. We have no doubt the riders and their exposed skin will be grateful to the team for the efforts!

![RD clipping Ripsey pre race](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6mHCvfVJ9NhPOAW1d2eEcl/923730db6bedb8886ada71246fef44de/RD_clipping_pre_race.png)

*John Schilling doing the hard work pre-race*

Alex currently has 90 minutes on Will and counting as Alex is pulling away while Will sleeps. In order for Will to close that gap, he’ll either need to pull a superhuman effort out of the bag or, more easily, would need Alex to falter. Alex has very little room for a mistake or mechanical at this point.

Currently leading the AZT 800 are Jefe Brenham and Andy Wentzel who stopped for some kip off the summit of Mt Lemmon where it’s much cooler than the lower lands around Tucson. Jefe’s now back up and riding after a 2H 45M stop. They were within a mile of each other at the close of play last night and it’s all still to race for with over 600 miles left.

In the women’s AZT 800, Ana Jager and Alexandera Houchin have a mere 5 miles between them but it’s a slow 5 miles through the Molino Basin hike a bike, and it took Ana a little over two and a half hours to complete those mere 5 miles.

There's rain forecast on Sunday which could make this very interesting.

# Scratch Report

After 34 hours of racing, the scratch count for the grand départs now totals 12: 10 in the 300 and 2 in the 800.

Alex Schultz is the winner of the AZT300, in a time of 2d 11h 15m! A hard earned win with some outragous trail conditions. Nice work, Alex. 

Meanwhile, it's currently 2.30am on the trail. Conditions are testing the limits of the riders, having to battle plenty of tall grass, catclaw and rain ruts. The majority of the field have hunkered down for the night whilst the leaders of the AZT800 have retained their gap and are pushing on into the night. These are Jefe Branham and Andy Wentzel, who should both make it to the Picketpost at 300 miles later on today for a 2nd & 3rd place finish in the 300. They are separated by just 10 miles at present, a small margin that could easily be sacrificed by Jefe if he stops to sleep. However it is Andy who has gone longer without a reasonable rest, so the pressure is on him to keep Jefe in his sights!

In the women's race Ana Jager and Katie Scott are heading the field, both having just passed the Oracle Ridge and 200 mile mark. Just 5 miles separates them as they battle it out for the women's 300 victory, before Ana continues on for the 800. 

Five of the singlespeeders opted for the tougher route option up the official Pusch Wilderness Bypass, aka reverse Lemmon Drop route. This 20 mile stretch offers a slight reduction of overall distance, but with the challenging terrain to contend with instead. The highway climb up Mount Lemmon is the official race route and it seems the majority of the field have taken this leg saving option. 

__Scratch Report __

Conditions are taking a toll on the riders, with now 20 scratchers in total. Will Bodewes had suffered a wheel/tyre mechanical with less than 60 miles reminaing and had to scratch, what a pain!

Sunday looked like a rainy one, with most riders going between Oracle and Picketpost. We worried the rain could affect the mud, but conversely be helpful in the sandy depths of Goldfields. However, the ideal conditions emerged and riders pressed on. The overcast but warm nature of the weather allowed the riders to tackle the trail without overheating in the potentially hottest area but with no fear of exposure to difficult conditions. At the rear of the race, there was a potential for some snow on Mount Lemmon, however, after some worries there seemed to be no issue for the riders.

Jefe Branham and Alex Wentzel have been going neck and neck but Jefe has started to create a little bit of separation in the battle for the 800 race. There’s a long way to go, but it seems Jefe to have made the most of the good conditions on Sunday, pulling ahead but they’re beginning to taper back together. Keep an eye on their positions as this night’s rest ends.

Before we duck into the women’s race a small explainer for those unfamiliar with the route detours:

The AZT Wilderness Bypass is not the official race course but is legal (counting towards the leaderboard too!) and significantly more difficult than the official way up Mount Lemmon. This is one of the first times ever that a group of riders has decided to tackle the detour!

In the women’s 800 Alexandera Houchin, winner and FKT setter of the Colorado Trail Race, looks to be plugging away and trying to catch up with Ana Jager after taking the AZT Wilderness Bypass. Both riders took a decent rest on Saturday night. The gap grew after Ana pressed on a little further into the darkness than Alexandera, who awoke earlier and is chasing Ana down. 

Katie Scott (300 Northbound) has ridden the furthest in the women's category, they are currently 280.1 miles into the 300. Isabelle Fisk is the next rider in the women's category for the 300 with just over 40 miles between her and Katie.

For some great Trail Updates, take a look at [Corey Kronser](https://www.instagram.com/corey_hardcore_kronser/) who has been posting some scenic shots as he rides.

Scratch Report:
We've got a few more scratches now. At this point in the race, we will hopefully see a slowing down of Scratches as the lumps and bumps ease out. 

Update from Sunday's Rainy Day!

Photo by John Schilling and info from Mike Symons

Katie Scott rolled into Picketpost at around 11am local time yesterday, taking the win for the 300 race, almost exactly 100 hours after leaving the start at the Mexican Border. Katie has had an incredible race, tackling the conditions with a few short stops. Isabelle Fisk is following closely behind and looks as though she will pull into Picketpost today.

Jefe is still holding on tight to his lead. He entered the Four Peaks climb around 15 hours ago in a steady position and has chosen to rest throughout the night this past night. Yesterday Jefe continued riding strong descending down towards Sunflower where he could appreciate the incredible flowing water at Sycamore Creek, making it down the rough section in the light to bed down with the technical descent behind him.

Behind Jefe, Andy Wentzel blasted through Saguro Lake, a resupply spot at the marina, in quick time to make up some space between himself and Jefe.

In the women’s 800 Northbound race, Alexandera continues to chase Ana who moved through Picketpost around 5 hours ahead. Alexandera has chosen to rest this past night whilst Ana pushed on, whilst taking a quick detour to resupply in town at Apache Junction. The secondary race for the women was the first to Picketpost, Ana beat Katie Scott, the leader of the 300 race, to Picketpost in a very tight race. This does however, mean that Katie Scott is the winner of the AZTR 300 Women's Race!

At the back of the race, James is making his way up Lemmon and continues to make progress.
In front of him, a small number of riders continue to push forward between Oracle and Picketpost.

With the clouds clearing the day couldn’t have been better for the riding. The temperatures in the lower deserts are normal for this time of year, something that is very appreciated by the riders. However, there is a slight exception for the riders who have just made it to Mt Lemmon, the temperature has dropped and it could be rather cold.

Checking the 7-day forecast, the weather is decent with a small chill. However, as usual, the shoulder season carries a risk of precipitation throughout without warning so it is best for riders to keep an eye out.

## Resupplying on the AZTR

The resupply in Gold Canyon is a lifeline at this point in the race. With limited options closer to Picketpost, Queen Valley has some hope but depending on the time of day the riders could be stuck without any food until Gold Canyon.

Leaving the trail can be a costly choice, however, in some cases, it is the only option if the available supply stops are closed during the night. WIth colder conditions and shorter days, it is imperative that riders keep fuelled and warm up as they ride on.


Another beautiful day out on the AZT. 

__Jefe__ continues his push at the front of the pack. A brief departure from the route had him needing to backtrack to where he made his mistake. He appears to be resupplying at the Bashas in Payson in preparation for the last big obstacle between the desert and the high country - the Mogollon Rim. Riders through there should appreciate the work crews have been putting into that section over time.

__Andy__ is a ways back, but hasn’t pinged in a couple of hours with another group of six riders including __Ana__ and __Alexandera__ still navigating in or close to the  four peaks area.

Unfortunately for the riders, __Jefe__ discovered early on today that the very usually welcome Jake’s Corner store is closed for remodeling. Not sure if the bar next door is open but the market isn’t. Luckily, a small market isn’t that much further up the road. It is relatively new but will be very much appreciated by those needing resupply.

Way back still on the 300 portion of the course is another handful of riders making determined pushes to picketpost. Some are scheduled to finish there while others still have aspirations to push to Utah.

Weather forecast for the next 10 days looks good along the entire route, but there are reports of many down trees in the Flagstaff area after the storm front went through over the weekend and included massive winds. Crews are out trying to clear what they can but, it might pose more obstacles for those on the AZT if they can’t clear everything out.


Day 7 for the riders as daylight hits the route. Last night __Jefe__ stopped early to take advantage of warmer camping conditions & was rolling along the Highline trail in the wee hours. Andy had some battery issues with his tracker most of the day y'day, but is back online and has closed the gap to 16 miles.

Most everyone else is moving this morning spread out along the Four Peaks segment.

__Ana__ is holding her lead, currently at 13 miles as she begins the rugged climb towards Mt. Peeley.

Farther back, __Corey__, on his drop bar setup, will be crossing AZ88 into the Goldfield Mtns this morning then climbing up Four Peaks.

Our 800 Lantern Rouge, __James__, from across the pond, is out in the desert void between Oracle & Picketpost. He should have a wonderful day of desert riding ahead of him.

The final two 300 riders, __Bret & Chris__, are on the final segment: Kelvin to Picketpost. Arguably the most scenic of the entire route outside of the Grand Canyon. Bret took advantage of the ATA rain water collector, making camp there last night.

__The 300 took a toll on riders this year, assuming both Bret & Chris finish, that will make 6 finishers out of 25 starters. Tough year!!__

As the race charges into its seventh night, we first must congratulate both Bret and Chris who found their dots bouncing at Picketpost earlier. Huge efforts and determination were no doubt required to finish.

Up at the front of the 800, Jefe still holds the lead but things in the top two positions seem to be tightening. Can Andy reel him in further? in third position, Andrew is making some strong progress in bridging the gap to Andy. He has the formidable final push from Washington Park up to the top of the Mogollon Rim coming up shortly. Will be interesting to see how he responds after the effort required for that.

In the womens race, Ana continues to ride strong and last pinged in Payson three hours ago so hard to say where she is currently.  Alexandera by the tracker is relatively close, though the climb to Payson is indeed a pretty tough one.
Alexandera is facing additional challenges as well. In a call to MTBCast, she relayed that while she thought she was prepared with three sets of brake pads, she has burned through them. The major problem is that somewhat unbelievably, there isn’t a bike shop in Payson. She said she put some orders in to get them sent to a post office, but that overnight delivery was very unlikely. Riding to Flagstaff without functional brakes is not really possible, so she is ultimately going to just need to wait for her delivery. Really tough news for her.

Mike Symon's Day 8 Update, Brake Pad Bonanza

Alexandera is on the move!! She was able to have a courier drop parts at the Pine trailhead!!

Ana caught up to Zack last night, made a short detour this morning to get water at the ranger station.

Our drop bar rider, Corey, has made it through the gnarly descent off Gold Ridge trail.

At the back, James M. is scratching after completing the 300. Trail is more demanding than he anticipated and is now short on time. Rod D. Took a zero day in Gold Canyon, but is now on the move tackling the rugged Jacob Crosscut trail in the early morning darkness. Rod finished the 750 in 2016, so it'll be interesting to get his take on the 800.

10 riders remain, 8 are riding singlespeed. Only Ana & Rod have gears. Tough group.

John Schilling's Day 9 Update! More tales from the trail.

Beccy Waters

Nicky Shaw

Kitty Dennis

Arizona Trail Race Tracking:  Race tracking and commentary for AZTR 2022. A stalwart of the MTB bikepacking calendar including a traverse of the Grand Canyon, the Arizona regularly attracts some of the strongest off-road racers and has remained true to its original low-key self-supported ethos.

Arizona Trail Race AZTR 2022 Tracking

A stalwart of the MTB bikepacking calendar including a traverse of the Grand Canyon, the Arizona regularly attracts some of the strongest off-road racers and has remained true to its original low-key self-supported ethos.

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