Cave Creek Thriller and Thrasher Night Trail Runs Recap

Cave Creek Regional Park came alive over the weekend as over 400 runners tackled two popular Aravaipa Running events. Whether chasing sunrise finishes at the Cave Creek Thriller or embracing the cool night air at the Thrasher Night Trail, participants brought the vibes to every distance.

Cave Creek Thriller Recap

The Cave Creek Thriller welcomed over 320 trail runners to Cave Creek Regional Park for an exciting morning of racing. Part of the Desert Runner Trail Series, the event featured four distinct race distances (50K, 24K, 11K, and 5K), guiding participants through scenic stretches along The Maricopa Trail from Lake Pleasant toward Cave Creek.

In the flagship 50K, Mitchell Briggs claimed the men's victory with a impressive time of 4:24:08, followed by Patriok Fedyski (4:35:17) and Ryan Johnson (4:42:01). On the women's side, Natalie Holgate took top honors in 7:17:18, with Marcela Knapp (7:32:15) and Karen Miura (7:51:15) rounding out the podium.

The 24K saw Logan Lutz cross the finish line first for the men in 1:43:41, edging out Julien Cuyeu (1:45:18) and Cody McKesson (1:45:59). Devin Nihil led the women's field in 2:11:20, ahead of Charlotte Lees (2:25:22) and Erin Randleman (2:33:46).

In the 11K, Hendrik Van Wyk secured the men's victory, followed by Anthony Santa Cruz and Steven Fletcher. Clemence Corminboeuf Wodrich captured the women's 11K win, with Shannon Treen and Ashley Clark completing the top three.

Thrasher Night Trail Recap

Under the stars at Cave Creek Regional Park, over 110 trail runners gathered for the Thrasher Night Trail, a staple of the Insomniac Night Trail Runs series. Pushing through the cool desert air with headlamps blazing, participants tackled four distances—33K, 22K, 11K, and 5K—navigating the rugged Sonoran Desert terrain after dark.

In the grueling 33K, Joshua Lloyd took the overall victory in 3:19:47, followed by Stephen Sinn (3:41:09) and Richie Wight (4:11:04). Shyla Huppenthal claimed the top spot for the women with a time of 5:08:42, followed by Nancy Lowe (5:35:31).

The 22K distance delivered standout performances, as Sarah Pequeno took both the overall and women's win in 2:19:02. Natalia Jaspeado finished as the second female runner in 2:23:39, while Phillip Walker led the men's field in 2:24:32, with Colby Adams right behind him in 2:25:57. Rounding out the female podium was Kolbi Hanlon in 2:37:35.

In the 11K, Cole Fahrenbruch paced the men's division with a winning time of 57:56, ahead of Jacob Landrum (1:07:50) and Geoffrey Foote (1:08:02). Dani Sellers led the women's race in 1:15:51, followed by Stephanie Tavares (1:21:35) and Caitlin Albrechtsen (1:24:53).