Cave Creek Thriller
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Trail Running in the Sonoran Desert
The Cave Creek Thriller is a trail running event held in Arizona. It serves as the opening race of the Fall Desert Runner Trail Series. Participants can choose from four different race distances:
- 50 km
- 24 km
- 11 km
- 5 km
The 50 km course connects two regional parks via the Maricopa Trail. It begins at the Agua Fria Trailhead near Lake Pleasant and follows a point-to-point route through the desert, passing the Anthem Trailhead and climbing past Spear S Ranch before entering Cave Creek Regional Park. The 24 km course also follows a point-to-point format, starting at the Anthem Trailhead and following the latter half of the 50 km route. The 11 km and 5 km races take place entirely within the boundaries of Cave Creek Regional Park on hilly, rocky, and exposed trails including the Go John, Quartz, and Overton Trails.
This event is cupless, meaning runners must bring their own reusable containers for hydration. Aid stations are positioned along the courses, providing water, electrolyte drinks, fruit, and snacks. Shuttles are provided to transport runners from the main event site at Cave Creek Regional Park to the various outer starting locations for the longer distances.
Entrants receive a gender-specific race shirt if ordered by the guarantee date, chip-timed results, and a finisher award. A charity beer garden is available at the post-race area. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
