⏵ Course guide · Northern Arizona ultra
Big Pine sends its 50K field through the ponderosa pines of Fort Tuthill County Park above Flagstaff, above 7,000 feet the whole way, topping out near 7,701 feet. The climbing is moderate and the elevation is the real opponent. I will walk you through the loop first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for a high-altitude daytime ultra, with free calculators along the way to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official Aravaipa race page. Check the current date, distances, cutoffs, and aid in the race-day details before you commit. Race logistics change year to year.
Every distance runs the same Soldiers Trail and Highlands Trail Loop at Fort Tuthill County Park, you just do more laps for a longer race. The trail ranges from narrow single-track to wide, well-maintained forest paths, climbing through ponderosa pines above 7,000 feet before topping out on a mesa with expansive mountain views.
Big Pine shares its trail network with the previous night's Blackout Night Runs. If you ran Blackout, you already know these climbs; if this is your first time on the course, expect it to be well graded for beginners while still rewarding a stronger runner who wants to push.
Topping out near 7,701 feet, this course sits above 7,000 feet for its entire distance. If you live near sea level, the thinner air will make climbs feel harder than the grade suggests, especially in the opening miles before your breathing adjusts. Arrive early if you can, or simply pace conservatively on the first loop.
Big Pine runs the morning after Blackout Night Runs at this same venue, and finishing any distance at both earns a bonus Double Down medal. If you are attempting the double, treat your legs from the night race as part of your Big Pine pacing math, since recovery time is short.
With a 10-hour cutoff on a moderate course, the real pacing question is managing altitude early so you have legs left for the back half.
Your normal easy effort will produce a higher heart rate at 7,000-plus feet than it would at home, and that surprises a lot of runners into starting too fast by feel. Use a grade-adjusted pace target rather than trusting the first climb's feel, and give yourself the opening loop to let your breathing settle in.
A flat-ground pace from home tells you little about a course above 7,000 feet. A vert-aware finish prediction built for this climbing gives you an honest window to check against the 2:15 PM start/finish aid deadline and the 5:00 PM overall cutoff.
⏵ Free tools to pace this course
A 50K under a 10-hour cutoff at elevation asks more of your fluid intake than a similar distance at sea level, even with mild pine-forest temperatures.
Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate an hour, using the aid stations every 4.1 to 6.5 miles to stay topped off. Altitude can blunt appetite for some runners, so favor foods you know you can stomach over anything untested.
Higher elevation and dry mountain air pull more fluid from you than the pleasant pine-forest temperatures might suggest, so carry at least one bottle between aid stations as Aravaipa recommends. Sodium in the 300 to 500 mg per liter range covers most runners on a course this length.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a high-elevation day out with the free ultra fueling calculator. Browse the rest of the free running tools at the tools hub.
⏵ Train for it with Summit Line
Get a race-day plan built around YOUR fitness, this exact Fort Tuthill loop profile, and your projected splits. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for elevation, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
Big Pine climbs about 2,440 feet over 31 miles through the ponderosa pines of Fort Tuthill County Park, topping out at 7,701 feet, so the elevation itself is the primary difficulty here more than the grade of any single climb. Aravaipa describes the trail as well graded for beginners while still letting stronger runners push pace, and the 10-hour cutoff is generous for a course this size. If you are coming from low elevation, altitude will likely be the bigger factor than the climbing.
The 50K carries about 2,440 feet of total gain, topping out at 7,701 feet. The course, now in its 11th annual running, uses both the Soldiers Trail and Highlands Trail Loop, a mesa-topping route through pine forest with narrow single-track mixed with wider, well-maintained forest paths.
Big Pine runs the same trails the morning after Blackout Night Runs, Aravaipa's Insomniac night race at the same venue. Finish any distance at both and you earn a bonus "double down" medal. If you are considering both, remember Big Pine starts as early as 7:00 AM the very next morning, so recovery time between the two is short.
50K runners need to be through the start/finish aid station (around mile 22.5) by 2:15 PM, with an overall cutoff of 5:00 PM, 10 hours after the 7:00 AM start. That leaves real margin for the distance and elevation, so most prepared runners have a comfortable buffer.
Aid stations sit every 4.1 to 6.5 miles, stocked with water, electrolyte drink, sweet and salty snacks, and fruit. Because it can get warm and you are running at elevation, Aravaipa recommends carrying at least one bottle of water between stops. Pacers are allowed on the final loop of the 50K only; no pacers for the shorter distances.
It is one of the more beginner-friendly high-elevation ultras available, since the trail is graded for beginners and the cutoff is generous. The one thing to train for specifically, especially if you live near sea level, is the altitude: arrive a day or two early if you can, or simply run the early climbs more conservatively than you would at home.
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/big-pine-trail-runs">The Flagstaff Extreme Big Pine Trail Runs course guide</a>This guide is independent and for planning only. The course details, dates, distances, cutoffs, and aid come from public sources and can change year to year, so confirm the current specifics with the official race before you register or run. The fueling and pacing advice is general and not medical advice.