Copper Canyon Ultramarathon
The Copper Canyon Ultramarathon is a race created and organised by Micah True also known as Caballo Blanco who died in March 2012. Through his appreciation of the Raramuri people who live in Northern Mexico and to help provide food for this relatively isolated community, True invited Scott Jurek,Christopher McDougall, Jenn Shelton, Billy Barnett and Barefoot Ted to run in the race in 2006.
The race starts and finishes in the town square of Urique, Chihuahua, Mexico.
From the Caballoblanco.com website:
The race will consist of a 21+ mile loop up-river, followed by another 18+ mile loop down-river, then continue up-river again on rough dirt road on another 10+ mile total out and back to the Tarahumara village of Guadalupe Coronado, before ending in the plaza of the town of Urique.
The Ultra Marathon version of the race will be about 50+ miles. There will be the shorter 21 and 18 mile options and the 40 miler as well for those of us who may want a little less challenge.
he two separate extended trail sections will be beautiful, rolling single track, each climbing considerably [2,500+ feet and 1500 feet,] then descending the same, back to what would be considered unimproved dirt-road, beginning and ending in the town plaza of the deep canyon town of Urique, where we will meet in the evening for the awards presentation. The estimated total climb is 9,300 feet with equal descent.
The turn-around points will be the Tarahumara village of Guadalupe Coronado, up-river; then back a few miles across the river to a bridge, cross the river and diverting a few miles up the lush arroyo Mescalera on another dirt road leading to lovely single-track trail and up to another smaller suspension bridge, then climbing another 1800 feet in a couple of miles to the beautiful mountain mesa Naranjo--a lush settlement with awesome views-- before looping back to the town plaza of Urique; then following the dirt road down-river for about 6 miles to a sturdy steel suspension bridge that crosses the river, running single-track to an arroyo, then cross-country up a rocky arroyo with minimal trail until spotting the beautiful dirt trail leading up another 3 miles or so to the lovely rancho "Los Alisos", where sweet, vine-ripened grapefruit abounds!
Runners will check in at Los Alisos, which will have radio contact to Urique, take aid and return on the trail to the river where they will cross and run back up-river to Urique at the 40 mile mark, take more aid, and continue 5+ miles to the mission on the far end of the village of Guadalupe Coronado again, returning on what could at this point be some pretty good "death" hills, to the cheering finish of the race in the plaza of Urique. Cerveza, Comida y Fiesta!!!
