AZTR - The Route and Conditions

AZTR - The Riders, The Records and the Triple Crown

AZTR - The first 24 hours

AZTR - Oracle Calling

Reaching Picketpost

An Update As The Riders Catch the Women's FKT 

Update Pre-Canyon

The Canyon (still) and the Record?

WOW, WHAT A WILD SET OF FIRST FINISHES!

More riders rolling in 

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 seventeen 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 in October or an individual time trial at other times throughout the year.

[https://ridewithgps.com/embeds?type=route&id=33853404&sampleGraph=true
](https://ridewithgps.com/embeds?type=route&id=33853404&sampleGraph=true)

Each year the routes see some minor 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 bike carrying systems riders use 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 in such a sensitive environment.

The weather for the first five days is going to be hot! Forecasts of high 90s to 100⁰ Fahrenheit (35-37⁰ Celsius for my fellow Europeans) will make the entire 300mile route a scorcher! As riders head north, the nights will become cooler and there's a cold front forecast to move through, possibly bringing some rain with it. It's hard to imagine these are record breaking conditions, however, it's a stacked field so it's all to play for.

![Ripsey JS](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5V1ugjQoINmLQBoR1Z0SR3/e6f0845b46cac93e4962ea93d3113601/Ripsey_JS.png)

*The Ripsey ridge stretch*

The lighter monsoons this year have given with one hand and taken with the other! The less rainfall has meant there will be fewer water ruts and the notorious spikey vegetation won't be as torturous as recent years, but still enough to leave the "AZ Pinstripes"! On the other hand, the trail will be a little drier than usual, however, there are still enough reliable water sources to keep hydrated.

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. This means there's very little room for error and correctly estimating timings between resupplies is essential.

In a few hours' time, 51 riders will be lining up for the grand depart before making their way northbound on the AZT, 23 of these riders will be taking on the 300 mile route while 28 tackle the 800 miler.

In the 800 mile event, we've picked out a few names worth following, but half the fun of dotwatching is being proven wrong by a new-to-us name!

One name which popped out was __Henley Phillips__ although not for his racing. In 2019, he acted as a support rider to his wife Katie Visco who ran across Australia, often towing a trailer full of water for the long stretches in the Aussie Outback without resupply. An experience which will come in handy on the AZTR! Their self-documented film of this escapade is refreshingly honest and an excellent insight into what a supportive partnership looks like on such a gruelling challenge, you can find the film here:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtjTonihPvU&pp=ygULa2F0aWUgdmlzY28%3D](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtjTonihPvU&pp=ygULa2F0aWUgdmlzY28%3D)

__Miron Golfman__ lines up after a stellar year of racing: he’ll be looking to close out his season by adding the AZT800 win to his already impressive 2023 palmares after topping the leaderboard at the Iditarod Trail Invitational 1000 in January and the Colorado Trail Race (CTR) only two months ago.

__Alex Schultz__ was leading the CTR this year before having to drop out, he will be returning to better his 2022 AZT300 win with victory on the 800 mile course this year.

# Will the (Triple) Crown fall?

The women’s field is stacked with plenty of veterans and some fresh faces! We’ve had some bad news that Lael will not be lining up due to breathing difficulties, something that hampered her ride on the CTR in August. This is a real blow as she was on track to take the women's Triple Crown this calendar year. Fortunately for us dotwatchers, in her absence there’s still set to be a fierce race to follow and undoubtedly some women finishing well in the overall.

![Alexandera Houchin by John Schilling](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/19xpZtI7fo8AkxMUdr41KJ/78b952aef1ce8afe9a66734bfc31fd35/PXL_20221020_170053917.jpg)

*Alexandera on last year's ride*

Having completed the Tour Divide and the Colorado Trail Race, there remain a record number of four women attempting the Triple Crown of bikepacking this calendar year: __Katya Rakhmatulina,  Alexandera Houchin, Hannah Simon and Kristen Tonsager__.

The first three riders are in with a good shot of bettering the current women’s record set by Alice Drobna many moons ago in 2015 with a cumulative time of 36D 6H 56M, on a singlespeed nonetheless. Even so, we're likely to see her record fall over the coming 800 miles.

Katya sat only six hours behind Lael after the CTR but now needs to make it to the AZT trailhead in a little under 14 days in order to hold the new women’s record, which is doable. We could also see Alice’s singlespeed record fall as Alexandera has just shy of 12 days to finish the AZT800 but it'll be tight given she took 12D 16H last year. Good lord, this is going to be exciting!

As with any comparisons between finish times of different editions, there are always caveats! It’s worth noting that Alice set her time when the Arizona Trail was 750 miles of racing and started in spring, not autumn.

In the men’s category, Indiana Schulz is also riding the Triple Crown. Although he’s not within reach of Jay Petervary’s current record, he could still set a fast time having finished 8th at CTR and 12th at the Tour Divide.

# The Records

Last year saw both men's and women’s singlespeed records broken by Jefe Branham and Alexandera Houchin, Alexandera will need to break her own record in order to take the Triple Crown SS record.

The current overall record is held by Nate Ginzton in a time of 9D 10H 44M and women's by Chase Edwards in 10D 18H 59M, both were set in 2021. It's worth noting that Lael rode the route last year in a smoking time of 9D 8H 23M but it doesn't stand as the course record due to the presence of a media crew which disobeys the AZT's rules. This makes her absence from the start line even more disappointing.

After 24 hours since the metaphorical flag dropped and most riders have navigated through the new Casa Blanca Canyons section between SR82 road and the 67 mile mark into the route. This passage of the AZT opened in the spring and is a welcome addition due to its great riding and lack of spiky plants. A notable difference between the AZT and most other bikepacking races is the constant evolution of the trail, as the route follows the Arizona National Scenic Trail which has always been a work in progress. For the AZTR riders this means that every year is a little or a lot different to previous years due to improvements in new trails, administrative decisions and fires and other environmental reroutes, such as the recent one for a prescribed fire in the Coconino National Park near Pinegrove Campground (560m). No two AZTRs are ever the same!

In the race, __Alex Schultz__, last year’s AZT300 winner, and __Philippe Vullioud__ have taken an early lead of 30 miles over __Katya Rahkmatulina__ and __Johnny Fitzgerald__, but that doesn’t mean much with 650 miles of racing to go! We still have a long way until the positions on the tracking could start to indicate final positions.

In the AZT300 race, __Ryan Sigsbey, Eric Payne, Dylan Turner and Matt Murray__ are already a third of the way through their route with five miles between them.

Having just passed the 48h mark of the Arizona Trail Race, __Alex Stephan__ and __Philippe Vullioud__ share the pole position, having covered 207 miles of challenging terrain. Both have ventured off route into suburbia of Oracle - a key resupply point with it's various options of guest ranches, great local eateries and shops. Both have taken up temporary residence at the The Oracle Patio Cafe and Market - a local favourite! Lead woman __Katya Rakhmatulina__ is just 10 miles behind the lead men, and this opportunity could see her move into the overall lead unless she also opts for a diversion into Oracle. She holds a 10 mile advantage over second place woman - __Alexandera Houchin__, a fellow triple crown contender. 

So far in the race, challenging temperatures are proving to be a real influencing factor. Day 1 was a hot one in the Canelo Hills, pushing 90⁰. Riders had to be aware, slow down and take care of themselves. It made the sunset closure area a challenge. Most made it through, but a handful didn't, opting to camp early. A couple riders decided to scratch due to heat exhaustion. Day 2 has been more of the same, 90⁰ in the Canelo Hills and 100⁰ in Tucson for the lead riders. It was at this point that Philippe took command of the 800 with Alex and Katya not far behind. Quite a few riders have dropped out today, heat being the predominant factor.

All the Triple Crown riders are chugging along, and the main field will be revelling in the cooler temps as they push over Mount Lemmon. 

__Philippe Vulliod__ has regained the lead approaching Kelvin. __Katya__ isn't far behind as she enjoys the long downhill off the famed Ripsey Ridgeline. 

Today should be the last hot day, but even the forecast high of 90⁰ in Kelvin may actually feel cool compared to the first two days.

Only 5 riders remain for the 300. Last year's 300 finish rate was 24%.

__Pete Schuster__ dropped his SPOT yesterday along the Bellota Ranch section of AZT. Josh Tucker found it on trail and a Tucson friend of the organiser now has the SPOT and is currently heading up to Summerhaven to return it to Pete. Pete messaged from the top of Mt. Bigelow a short while ago. We have a fantastic biking community here, always someone willing to lend a hand when needed.

__Karin Pocock__ is back on route after trying to sleep off a nasty cold she picked up on her way to the start. She said she's feeling a bit better, but if it doesn't go well, she'll turn around. Wish her luck, she's a very determined strong rider.

__Miron & Tyson__ again put in a huge overnight ride, finishing the famed Lemmon Pusch a bit ago. Hopefully with the incoming cooler weather, they can ride more during the day.

All of the Triple Crown riders are still at it with the four ladies leading the way!!

AZTR - A Changing of the Guard

Yesterday Alex Schultz rolled through Picketpost trailhead, first rider to complete the 300 mile portion. Meanwhile, Alexandera Houchin moved into 2nd overall. However, there was a big shuffle!

Katya is now in the lead, Alex, Johnny F, Johnny P and Philippe all had extended stops at the 300 mile mark allowing Katya to pull through and Alexandera. This was an exciting point in the race as the shuffle up front was dependent mainly on stopping time at this key phase of the race. Johnny F stopped a couple of times at the ~330 mile mark after he pushed into second briefly, this opened up the space for Alex to hop back into second. Johnny Price is now in third with Alexandera in 4th. So, why did this happen?

Philippe had some tyre trouble before reaching Picketpost. He forgot to turn his SPOT on after leaving Superior, coming back online at Junction Bike Co in Apache Junction whilst with Johnny Fitzgerald.

Katya finally got some sleep last night, however, with an inflatable sleeping pad that has holes in it she's been sleeping on the ground. You can see her here at Picketpost as shot by John Schilling.

Katya is maintaining her lead on Alex Schultz, but Johnny Price & Alexandera Houchin are close behind. It's a little cooler today, 87⁰ in Gold Canyon now. A quick reminder that with the high temperatures riders could be carrying up to 4 kilograms more weight in extra water!

Record pace dots are now on Trackleaders, may have to reload the page. Both geared & singlespeed for men & women. Alexandera is currently way ahead of her SS record!

__UPDATE__:
An on the road DotWatcher, Laura, has emailed us to let us know that Philippe's tracker isn't playing ball so his tracking is a little off. Keep an eye out for any abnormalities. 

## The 300 Mile Race

__First 3 riders of the 300 are in, with Ryan Sigsbey taking the win. Currently a 24% finish rate for the 300.__


The cooler temperatures are ideal for riding today, at a lower 85'F (30'C) they'll be more comfortable as they push on into the second half of the race.

## Halfway

At Sycamore Creek, the halfway point of the AZTR, Katya caught the record dot at Sycamore Creek near Sunflower and Alex Schultz caught her, he is now in the lead. Philippe passed Johnny Fitzgerald and passed Alexandera shortly after. Lots of excitement at the 400 mile mark! Since then, Alexandera has also passed the women's FKT. As I type, Philippe has pushed on and caught Katya only for her to overtake again, make sure to look at the refresh time to see how long ago the riders were at that position on the map! Race flow can give an idea of how they are moving compared to one another.

The riders are moving fast, Katya is moving faster than the FKT, especially with the freshly rerouted Highline trail after Pine. An astonishing feat in the oppressive heat (a poem for our commentary!).

## The Portage

There is now a southbound ITT rider, Ian Quigley, he started over the last few days and he's currently on the Grand Canyon Portage, this brings us the perfect moment to introduce a bit of context to this gruelling section.

The Grand Canyon National Park is what it says on the tin, the National Park designated to protecting the massive Grand Canyon, a geological feature surrounding the Colorado River. To boat down the Canyon, tour operators must recieve a permit. Riders cannot allow their wheels to touch the ground, they cannot sleep (napping is strictly off the cards!) and if they want to camp they must obtain a permit at the Backcountry office on the South Rim - they are of limited availability at the 2 campsites along the crossing. 

There's a designated group site at each for AZT through users. Many riders, especially the ones in front, often do the hike in one big push. It's an incredible feat of strength & determination. That's 21 miles, carrying your gear with your bike on your back - almost a marathon after 700 miles of riding! Factoring in kit, bikes, water etc you could be looking at carrying upwards of 30kg. 

Due to this incredible weight, the biggest issue is the shoulders, so many riders carry walking poles for just this section, they help stabilize the load and release a bit of pressure on the knees. Plus, it's good for hand position, helps avoid the 'sausage finger's feeling. Josh Tucker lost his trekking poles on Mt. Lemmon and a trail angel has been out to find them

__It's the most difficult, yet amazing and dumb thing I've ever done with my bike!! - John Schilling__


Alex Schultz has powered on through and is now resting just outside the Grand Canyon prior to the crossing. He's currently there with Southbound rider, Ian Quigley, who has just finished his crossing.

Alex has now pushed on and is ahead of Nate Ginzton's record and may be able to take the course record. However, the Grand Canyon is a key section so keep an eye on Alex as he crosses.

Philippe has recovered from his previous issues and is now in second place after a big push, the gap between himself and Alex is still wide but closing down.

[Katya](https://www.instagram.com/kat__yea/) remains high in the runnings, not far behind Philippe at all and she has just passed the Men's Single Speed Record. She is easily in place to take the women's record if all continues to run smoothly. She was able to get a longer sleep yesterday and is feeling fresher. Make sure you catch up on her daily updates via her [instagram story](https://www.instagram.com/kat__yea/).

Alexandera is easily ahead of her SS record, she's riding in 4th behind Johnny Price and ahead of Hannah Simon and Miron Golfman. We've seen Miron take a late lead in races previously and as he's moved up the rankings in the tail end of a race so keep an eye out. He also had a bit of a time loss looking for a lost wallet!


Alex is quite a bit ahead of record pace. The record pace dots are on Trackleaders, slightly smaller with the record holders initials. Alex should be dropping into the Canyon shortly.

Both Philippe & Katya are solidly in 2nd & 3rd at the moment. Katya is also ahead of record pace as is Alexandera for her own singlespeed record.

Miron Golfman continues his late push through the rankings. He is no stranger to this, but how many more can he catch??
Elliot Dumont is out with a broken frame. Karin Pocock has apparently overcome her sickness she had since the start and looking for some big days ahead. Thomas is wrapping up the 300 portion of the 800 this morning, our last rider to Picketpost.

The Canyon and Beyond

All 6 of the Triple Crown Challenge crew are still in the game!

Arizona Trail Race AZTR 2023 Tracking + Commentary: A stalwart of the MTB bikepacking calendar along the Arizona Trail known for its rough nature, heat and long stretches without resupply, including a 21 mile hike of the Grand Canyon. the AZTR regularly attracts some of the strongest off-road racers and has remained true to its original self-supported ethos.

Arizona Trail Race AZTR 2023 Tracking

A stalwart of the MTB bikepacking calendar: the Arizona Trail Race is known for its rough nature, extreme temperatures, long stretches without resupply and an arduous 23 mile hike-a-bike through the Grand Canyon. The AZTR regularly attracts some of the strongest off-road racers and has remained true to its original self-supported ethos.

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