Big trail weekends reported
Over 2,100 runners tackled the Black Canyon Ultras across Arizona’s Sonoran Desert — saguaros and canyon terrain dominated the route — while the Southern Enduro Tour staged XC races and enduro stages at Hot Springs Northwoods Trails. Social posts also show more people shifting from bodybuilding to lightweight backpacking and basic field skills like boiling water and pack balance. (x.com 1) (x.com 2) (x.com 3)
Hans Troyer won the Black Canyon 100K in 7:20:00 and Jennifer Lichter won the women’s 100K in 7:57:05, with both reported as new course records. (irunfar.com) Race-day results show 765 finishers in the 100K and 848 finishers in the 50K, for a combined 1,613 finishers across the two headline distances. (ultrarunning.com) Organizers ran the event as a World Trail Majors stop and a Western States “Golden Ticket” race, with the 100K field starting from Mayer High School on the Black Canyon National Recreation Trail. (worldtrailmajors.com) Course reports and the event guide describe point-to-point singletrack through Sonoran Desert terrain — saguaros, stagecoach routes and canyon sections — with aid stations positioned roughly every six to eight miles. (aravaiparunning.com) The Southern Enduro Tour staged its Hot Springs Northwoods Enduro as a one-day race on March 29, 2026, at the Cedar Glades Park/ Northwoods Trails venue in Hot Springs, Arkansas, with official practice the day before and pro cash-payout rules tied to minimum entrant counts. (southernendurotour.com) Influencer posts tied to the weekend show creators like Levi Conely shifting some content from bodybuilding to hiking and lightweight backpacking visuals, a pattern analysts say reflects a broader “hybrid athlete” trend blending fitness influencers with outdoor skills and backpacking basics such as boiling water and pack setup. (tiktok.com)
