Cave Creek Thriller
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Cave Creek Thriller Trail Runs
The Cave Creek Thriller is a trail running event held on Saturday, October 17, 2026, centered at Cave Creek Regional Park in Cave Creek, Arizona (37900 E Cave Creek Parkway). The event offers multiple point-to-point and within-park courses across the Maricopa Trail corridor and park singletrack.
Distances:
- 50K
- 24K
- 11K
- 5K
The 50K starts near Lake Pleasant and follows the Maricopa Trail, including a short section of the Black Canyon Trail, passing the Anthem area and Spear S Ranch before entering Cave Creek Regional Park to finish on the Go John, Quartz and Overton Trails. The 24K shares much of this desert corridor and finishes inside the park. The 11K and 5K remain entirely within Cave Creek Regional Park on hilly mountain trails.
Aid stations are provided on course at regular intervals and typically stock water, electrolyte drink, sweet and salty snacks, and fruit. The event is cupless; reusable cups are available at registration and on race day. Drop bag and crew access vary by distance, with a designated drop bag location at the Anthem aid station for the 50K. Pacers are not permitted.
Event services include gender-specific race shirts, chip timing, live split tracking, a charity beer garden, post-race food, and finisher awards. Entrant limit is 500 runners. Course markings, on-site medical staff, parking and shuttle arrangements are detailed for each distance. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
