I again ran Coldwater Rumble 100 in Goodyear Arizona, near Phoenix, put on by Aravaipa Running, the same group that puts on Across the Years, Javalina Jundred (100), and others. Last year I ran this race and finished in 29 hours. I went away humbled, knowing that I didn’t run well, and thought I wouldn’t return to this race. But I did return and was determined to do better.
Coldwater Rumble provides races of various lengths: 4 miles, 20K, 20 miles, 52K, 52 miles, and 100 miles. They all start on the same day with staggered start times. About 400 runners would be on the course that is laid out on various desert trails in Estrella Mountain Regional Park. You could clearly tell which race a runner was in by the color and number on their race bib.
The venue for the race is Estrella Mountain Regional Park, nearly 20,000 acres of beautiful Sonoran Desert set aside to be used by hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. On this weekend, the runners took over the trails.