Maricopa Loop FKT breakdown
** See Full Documentary on YouTube**
Where do I begin to put into words what was one of the best weeks of my life. There were highs, lows, and everywhere in between. What stands out was the overwhelming sense of community from everyone who showed up to make this happen. It wouldn’t have been possible without every one of them.
Watch the full Documentary on YouTube.
March 9, 2026 — Started at 7:04am at Pima Canyon Trailhead at South Mountain. Intention was to keep the effort light and easy with a mix of running and hiking as needed. On the descent, I started feeling like I wasn’t able to catch my breath very well.
Mile 16–27.6 - I sat down, changed into a long-sleeve sun shirt (Rocket Science Sports), switched shoes from T1 to H1 (Mount to Coast). Crew refilled my bottles and sent me on my way. Section was flat, where I was able to maintain a pretty good pace. The heat started creeping up, so we (my pacer Josh and I) stopped by a river to re-wet our ice bandanas.
Mile 27.6–37.7 - Stopped at Phoenix Raceway, drank a protein smoothie and half a PB&J, refilled ice bandana, then set off through Estrella Mountain Regional Park. There were SO MANY baby grasshoppers hopping everywhere. We were in the heat of the day, and I started getting nauseous and threw up. Took a small sit break in the shade, then continued on.
Mile 37.7–43.5 - Had the first longer sit to cool down and eat some food. The next section was on sidewalks as we ran through Goodyear. The wind and rain started, so I tucked in behind Josh as he blocked the wind as we made our way to McDonald’s.
Mile 43.5–54.5 - French fries from McDonald’s hit the spot! I grabbed two pacers and headed out for the beginning of the first night running on the side of roads before finally dipping off onto the trail. As we got closer to our next crew spot, a friend was riding his bike to ride us in, and we watched as he was hit by a car! (He was okay, thank goodness!)
Mile 54.5–69.5 - This was going to be the longest of the sections up to this point. Most of this section was through White Tanks Regional Park with rolling, smooth trails. The key to this section was to keep an easy pace and walk when my body was feeling like it needed a rest.
Mile 69.5–83 - Early morning hours are hard for me to remember; however, I do remember this section was flat, and a lot of the time we didn’t know if we were on the trail. We followed the GPX route and were looking ahead to see if we could see a Maricopa Trail sign in the distance. Sometimes it felt like we were running out in the middle of the open desert.
Mile 83–89 - The sun rose in this section, which gave me new energy! The section was flat but with a small, barely noticeable grade. The section was a mix of trail and sidewalks.
Mile 89–98 - I took a sleep here, woke up to a Starbucks breakfast sandwich and coffee. To start this section, we had to go through a construction site, flagging down the people operating the machinery to let us pass through. The site was the first quarter mile before reaching the trail. The section was rocky, rolling hills but known for having wild donkeys (Lake Pleasant area). We saw 2 packs of wild donkeys, and it was the COOLEST thing ever!
Mile 98–108.4 - Section started out with hiking, then leveled out to a straight, runnable section where I was throwing down sub-10-minute miles. I was surprised at how great I was moving being 100+ miles into the effort.
Mile 108.4–115 - I had a quick transition here, eating sushi, drinking Coke. I was feeling great coming off that last section and wanted to keep it going. We started out moving well, and within a few miles I was losing steam. This section was a bit of a blur, to be completely honest lol.
Mile 115–126 - I took another sleep here before setting out on the section, knowing I was going into the sunset. I was feeling good leaving the crew stop, ready to go. This is my second favorite section of the whole race, going through the Spur Cross area. Huge saguaros, red rocks, FUN downhill sections. Was having such a great time!
Mile 126–140 - Oh boy, was this section brutal or what. I ate a burger before heading out with two pacers. I went into this section knowing it was going to be the hardest. Steep climbs, steep technical downhills, water crossings, bushwhacking (not sure when the last time anyone was on the trail). My legs were getting cut up, my back was hurting, hiking felt inefficient. But one foot in front of the other always works. We finally made it to Bronco Trailhead.
Mile 140–152 - I slept for 2 hours here - I needed a mental and physical reset after the night I had. Woke up, ate noodles, put on jackets and pants because the weather was cold deep in the mountains. There was one more climb before steep downhill and rolling hills before getting to the next aid. I had to take breaks, broke down emotionally a couple of times in this section. My friends were there to help me through the low (thanks, guys), and the sun rose in this section.
Mile 152–162 - I took a nap in the sun before eating breakfast burritos and setting out. The next section was smooth, runnable, mountain biking downhill trails, which I ran the majority of and felt strong! I put in music during this section for the first time.
Mile 162–168 - Stopping at Granite Mountain Trailhead, drank and ate and was in good spirits heading out. Similar to the last section, net downhill and smooth runnable terrain. We were really getting into the heat of the day, so my pacer was wetting down my arms to keep me cool.
Mile 168–176 - I slept for 2–3 hours during the heat of the day and woke up feeling refreshed. Ate a burger and fries from In-N-Out, then set off on the final day section heading into McDowell Mountain Regional Park toward Pemberton Trailhead. This section was smooth, runnable, mountain biking downhill trails and I was still moving pretty darn good with minimal effort.
Mile 176–191 - Ate ramen noodles, pasta, and a couple cans of Coke before heading out on the first section of the last overnight. There was climbing in this section, yet I was moving like a champ! I was hiking efficiently up the backside of Windgate Pass and moving down efficiently toward Gateway Trailhead, then to Bosa Donuts parking lot. I was FLYING and moving SO WELL!
Mile 191–197 - I stopped for 45 min at this stop, and I was having trouble regulating my body temperature (jackhammering, shivering, sweating). I got moving again heading into the city of Scottsdale. The next section weaved through neighborhoods on the dirt path and eventually onto a bike path. I did a mix of running and walking.
Mile 197–207 - We did a quick exchange to keep me moving along the greenbelt through the middle of Scottsdale, then eventually along the canal on the reservation. I spent most of this section power-walking, trying to be as efficient as possible without running.
Mile 207–222 - I took a 3-hour sleep here, waking up, eating breakfast burritos, and drinking coffee. I knew the rest of the miles were going to be along the canal, smooth and flat. The weather turned out to be in the mid to high 90s. So it was going to be a game of running, walking, and managing the heat however possible (water, ice, umbrella, hat). This section was efficient and fast - running most of it until the heat got to be too much, then walking was the name of the game.
Mile 222–233 - Running into the crew spot, I had a great surprise with my sister-in-law and nieces there to cheer me on. I stayed long enough to cool down, get down some calories, POPSICLES!! Hottest section of the entire effort. My pacer was wetting my head, arms, and legs, and I was carrying a sun umbrella. The shade made a big difference, but running with the added wind resistance made running inefficient. I ran out of water and carbs on this section.
Mile 233–247 - Last section! We left this crew stop still in the heat of the day with ice bandanas and an umbrella for cooling. I was mixing up running/walking on the pavement vs. the gravel next to the path. This section was a long straight shot until we got into Tempe and made our way over the highway and around the golf course. Once the sun started setting, I was able to finish out the FKT with mostly running.
The emotions started coming when I was turning into the drive of South Mountain Preserve. I couldn’t believe I was finishing. I didn’t want it to end. I couldn’t have done it without the unwavering support from my friends and family.
Throughout the FKT:
- I drank lots of Cokes, Sprites, KetoneIQ
- I ate burgers, burritos, PB&J, peanut M&Ms, ramen noodles, hot chocolate, sushi, dates
- Constantly wetting my sleeves, legs, neck, and head to keep me cool
- I was never alone on the trail and had THE BEST support from friends and family
- I said mantras: “Remember who you are” and “Just float”
Photos: Connor Dyer