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The 2026 Arizona Trail Race starts tomorrow morning from the US/Mexico border, with just over 40 riders split between the full 853-mile route and the shorter 300-mile option. In this preview, we look at what’s to come, including this year’s route and a few riders to watch…
Photos by Eszter Horanyi unless noted otherwise
This Thursday, October 1st, marks the start of this year’s Arizona Trail Race. Riders will line up just north of the US/Mexico border and head northbound at 6 a.m. Due to border wall construction and restricted access, riders unfortunately won’t be able to start at the true US/Mexico line at Border Monument 103.
This year’s Grand Depart is quite different from previous years, as the AZT300 has two start dates: AZT800 riders and two AZT300 riders start tomorrow, and 16 other AZT300 riders start later in the month on October 15th. Riders can also choose to do an Independent Time Trial on the route at any time. Typically, both the 300 and 800 Grand Departs start concurrently, on the third Thursday of October.
This year also marks major route changes, primarily to the 800 route. Unfortunately, this is the second year in a row that 800 racers will not be able to make it all the way to the Utah border. Last year, the Dragon Bravo wildfire left the AZT on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon closed for the season. Things were looking good this year, but in late August, an intense storm caused severe flash flooding in Bright Angel Creek, tearing through Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area. The flooding destroyed large sections of the North Kaibab Trail and damaged multiple footbridges and campgrounds. The flash flood took the lives of three backpackers and left many stranded at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, with more than 80 people needing rescue. The North Kaibab Trail remains closed for the foreseeable future due to the damage.
As a result, 800 riders will once again finish in Flagstaff, Arizona. However, they must still do an arduous version of the hike down into the Grand Canyon via the South Rim with their bikes loaded on their backs, then head back southbound toward Flagstaff. Optionally, riders can also summit Humphreys Peak on their way back to the Flagstaff finish. Humphreys Peak is Arizona’s highest mountain, at 12,633 feet (3,852 meters). Because it crosses into designated wilderness, riders must stash their bikes in the forest to hike to the summit. Finish results will be separated by those who chose to summit and those who didn’t.
The 800 route takes an entirely new approach into Payson, Arizona, avoiding Highway 87 on a longer, more rideable dirt road. The southern portion of the route also has some fresh singletrack near Kentucky Camp (roughly mile 74). This gets riders off the area’s dirt roads and onto trails. It is also worth noting that the AZTR no longer acknowledges FKTs on the route. Each year inevitably brings route changes due to closures, land development, and trail construction, which makes finish times from different years difficult to compare.
Who To Follow
AZT800
Karin Pocock
Karin is an AZT veteran, with multiple AZT 800 finishes to her name. Wildly, this will be her fourth consecutive year at the start line, following three successful finishes. It will be a blast to watch her cruise along the course, given her route experience. Good luck, Karin!
Geoffrey Wong
I met Geoffrey during the 2025 Gila 100 Stage Bikepack Race. He was attempting to ride the Gila 100 route in a day, while the rest of us split it into two days of riding. The Gila 100 follows the AZT from Oracle to Picketpost. I ran into him at a trailhead roughly 50 miles into the route, where he scratched. He said the terrain was surprisingly difficult and that he was behind schedule, so he pulled the plug. He mentioned he was training for the Tour Divide, and I was thrilled to see him finish it later that summer. He went back this year for another Tour Divide finish, followed by a Colorado Trail finish. And it looks like something inside of him is calling him back to the AZT, this time for the grand tour of the 800 route. Enjoy the trail, Geoffrey, and best of luck on completing the Triple Crown Challenge!
Alex Schultz
Coming off a win at the Oregon Timber Trail Race this summer and an AZT800 victory last year, you’d be hard-pressed to find a rider bringing more experience and form than Alex Schultz. This will be his fourth straight year tackling the AZT800, with wins in 2023 and 2025 and a second-place finish in 2024. Last year’s win also capped off his Triple Crown Challenge, completing the Tour Divide, Colorado Trail Race, and AZT800 in a single season.
Add in his 2022 AZT300 win and time racing the shorter NUE events, and Alex has built an impressive resume. He joined Revel earlier this year and will be aboard the new Ranger, a bike well suited to the demanding singletrack ahead. With that combination of experience, fitness, and familiarity with the route, he’s certainly one to watch.
AZT300
Gwen Cameron
Earlier this year, Gwen made her bikepacking debut by winning the Pinyons and Pines Bikepacking Race. Since then, she seems to have been racking up plenty of MTB hours in Colorado’s high country in preparation for the AZT300. I have a good feeling that the 2026 Pinyons and Pines course will have her well prepared for what the 300 has to offer, as it was a very challenging version of the P&P route this year.
Dexter Kopas
A Tucson local and an incredibly friendly, kind person, Dexter has a solid list of race finishes this year, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s in good shape for a strong finish on the AZT300. Dexter co-organizes the SAUR (Sonoran Ultra Endurance Ride) bikepacking race that starts in Tucson every spring. Good luck out there, Dexter!
Stay tuned for more, as Wyatt will be bringing us updates and photos from out on the route over the next two weeks.
Check out the 2026 Arizona Trail Race Tracker page to follow along on the live tracking map, and stay tuned for more event coverage. Find it here.
Further Reading
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