Cocodona 250: Why?!

When the Inaugural Cocodona 250 took place in 2021, Aravaipa Running live-streamed the whole event on YouTube. I was glued to the TV like the sports fan I’ve never been.

Jamil Coury, the race creator, had been teasing about his new trail race, The Cocodona 250 on his YouTube channel. My interest was piqued, to say the least. I’d done a trail race in Arizona by this time, and was planning my second hundred miler there. If you’re like most people, when you think about Arizona, your mind conjures up images of hot sun, harsh desert, no greenery, no water. Why would anyone run there? Well, while that may be true for parts of Arizona, that’s not the Arizona I know and love. In fact, I love the Copper Corridor 50k out of Superior, AZ so much, that I decided I’ll try to run that one every year! The race takes place at the end of this month (February 25th) and that will be my 4th running. I’m not saying it’s going to be the most ideal running weather this May along the course in Arizona, but it will probably won’t be as bad as you’re imagining.

Why Cocodona?

The short answer: Like I said, I love Arizona. It also happens that I have a ton of family history along the course. Running in Arizona has reacquainted me with the beauty there. The nature is raw and real in the wilderness of Arizona. There’s often a surprising amount of water, the sunsets (and sunrises!) are top notch, the plant life, the animals, it’s a very diverse place.

The Cocodona 250 starts in Black Canyon City, and travels up huge climbs into the old gold mining town of Crown King. From there, you traverse to Prescott. My great grandfather Robert Thompson is buried in Prescott. He was the first Arizona Ranger, and actually named some of the mountains and peaks after family members. Prescott was the first Capitol of Arizona before it got moved to Phoenix. Runners actually run on Whiskey Row - a historic road that Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday would use to get to their favorite watering hole, The Palace Bar.

From Prescott, you head northeast through Mingus Mountain. When I was little, I lived in Sedona, and my sister Trisha went to school on Mingus Mountain. For some reason I decided that when I grew up, I’d get married and live on Mingus Mountain. I was like 4 or 5 years old. Anyway, I always used to tell my family that was my plan.

From Mingus, you descend into the Verde Valley via the old copper mining ghost town of Jerome. If you’ve never been to Jerome, there’s a hotel at the top of the hill. The hotel is supposedly haunted, which lends itself well to the fact that it’s sitting at the top of a ghost town. Before it was a hotel, the Jerome Grand Hotel used to be the United Verde Hospital. It was built in 1926, and a few of my aunts were born there. They were born there, because my Grandma and Grandpa Eppinger lived in Jerome after they married!

At the base of Jerome sit the small towns of Clarkdale and Cottonwood. There’s a river crossing of the Verde river - which I’ll probably be looking forward to dunking in to cool off there - assuming it’s day time of course. This will be uncharted territory for me by this point (over 100 miles). My grandparents went on their Honeymoon in Cottonwood!

Next, we make our way to my old kindergarten stomping grounds; Sedona. My family moved to Arizona when I was very little, and I lived in Sedona until I was about 5 years old. I have great, vivid memories there of running around our yard, playing in the snow, swimming in Oak Creek, and eating at the most amazing restaurant Shugrue’s (no longer there). Fun fact, my neighbor friend who lived across the street from us was Dax Hock! (Took 3rd place at Cocodona’s inaugural year. He was in 2nd place for much of the race until my now Coach Peter Mortimer overtook him. (Small world, eh?).

Dax and I climbing trees in Sedona.

You cross Oak Creek on your way out of Sedona, and climb your way up to Flagstaff to the finish.

As you can see, I do have A LOT of family connection to this course. For that reason alone, this race calls to me. But, two hundred and fifty miles!…

Why 250?

Las Vegas, November 16th, 2019. Myself and a bunch of other Mikkeller Running Club members were sitting at a beer bar the night before the Rock ’n’ Roll Vegas 1/2 Marathon. My buddy Mike and I were casually talking Ultramarathons, when I blurted out ‘let’s do MOAB 240!’ I think at the time we were both feeling pretty buzzed, because I’m fairly certain he conditionally agreed at the time. Why did I bring it up? No clue, I had a lot of beer though. At that time, I’d only run one hundred miler, and Cocodona almost has more vertical gain in the first 50k as that entire hundred. The thought sunk down into the deep recesses of my subconscious the more sober I got. I had plans to run more hundreds, but the 200+ races get very pricey. Cocodona didn’t exist yet.

Outside of Payson, AZ 2021. I’m in the very beginning miles of Mogollon Monster 100, when suddenly Jamil Coury passes me. We chat for a moment, and I tell him of my plans to run Cocodona in 2022. “This is a great race for building up to Cocodona,” he replied.

2022 had other plans for me, however. I lost my job of almost 20 years, and the thought of spending a mortgage payment on a race when I didn’t really have income wasn’t something I was prepared to do. I was able to secure employment very quickly, but it was a new job, with many uncertainties. It would have to wait until 2023.

Cumberland Ranch, April 14 2022. I’m at the Born to Run Ultramarathons - an annual tradition. I’m lying on my cot in the back of my truck trying to get a little nap in the day before my 60 miler. Where I’m camped, I have a pretty great view of the course as runners come into the camp area. Suddenly I see this guy with short black shorts, no shirt, and Luna sandals come flying down the trail. ‘That looks like Michael Versteeg’ I think to myself. At this point the only runners out racing are doing the 4-day. (Run as far as you can for 4 days) He gets closer, and I realize it IS Michael Versteeg (an esteemed Arizona ultra runner, and 1st place finisher at Cocodona’s inaugural year. “Good job Versteeg!” I yell from inside my camper shell. Later that day, I found out that he was just getting a little run in. I managed to catch up to him right after the beer mile. I told him of my plan to run Cocodona, and how I’d wanted to in 2022, but losing my job threw a wrench in the gears. I wish so bad I would have immediately written down his response. It was life changing for me, and all I can really recall is the message he was bestowing upon me. It was something along the lines of jobs and money aren’t as important as we think they are, what is important is how we live life, and pursue our passions. I know it was not his intent when he granted me that small wisdom, but I felt immediately foolish. That’s it, I’d decided right then and there, that no matter what life threw at me, I’d be signing up for Cocodona as soon as it goes on sale for 2023. That’s just what I did!

Michael Versteeg and I