Cave Creek, AZ, United States · Saturday, October 17, 2026

Fixed Distance 50K

Cave Creek Thriller 50K Race

16 days to go

50 km Distance

not publishedn/a Climbing

2.5 est Grit · Entry level

Calculated from 50 km alone — the organiser has not published an elevation profile. Read 2.5 as a floor, not a verdict.

33.8333° N, 111.9508° W © OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap

What the course asks

Time limit 9.5 hours 11:24 min/km average. Generous. Walkable throughout for most of the field. Climbing is unpublished, so this pace is a ceiling on the effort, not a measure of it. About average for a 50K. Measured against 1035 races of the same distance. Cut-off calculator →

Field size ~48 Small. Long stretches with nobody in sight.

DUV results for the 2025 edition (50km) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

Typical conditions, October

Daytime high 27°C

Night low 12°C

Rainfall Dry — rain unlikely

Daylight 11 h 20 m of light

Regional 2001-2020 average for October — NASA POWER, grid elevation 976 m. Not a forecast.

Results history

Year	Race	Finishers	Men's winner	Women's winner
2025	50km	48	Eric Lipuma · 03:38:51	Joanna Fortier · 04:46:09
2024	50km	52	Nicholas Coury · 04:23:18	Natalie Horn · 04:59:30
2023	50km	46	James Papai · 04:44:00	Erin Frizzell · 05:44:32
2022	50km	76	Bryce Brooks · 04:01:08	Rachel Buzzard · 05:17:23
2021	50km	72	Ryan Raff · 03:51:24	Megan Kupres · 04:20:22
2020	50km	69	Nate Meiners · 03:59:45	Lisa Roberts · 04:25:44
2019	50km	41	Nicholas Coury · 04:12:51	Sarah James · 05:27:51
2018	50km	41	Catlow Shipek · 03:57:45	Michelle Hawk · 05:08:40
2017	50km	44	Ryan Linder · 04:42:50	Laura Hall · 05:45:48
2016	50km	51	Travis Swaim · 04:06:11	Kristina Pham · 05:24:31

The field shrank 8% between 2024 (52) and 2025 (48). 29% of the 2025 field were women.

DUV results for the 2025 edition (50km) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

The Aid Station

Course-specific beta from the community

👟 gear

With trail terrain, choose a shoe with moderate cushioning for optimal performance.

By UltraHub Expert

Gear for this race

Chosen for 50 km of trail.

Trail Running Shoes 50 km of trail — cushioning that is still there in the last quarter.
Race Nutrition 50 km of self-supported fuelling between aid stations.
Hydration Vests Flask capacity for 50 km, without the bounce.
GPS Watches Battery life first — a 50 km day outlasts most full-GPS modes.

Adidas

Terrex Speed Ultra

RunRepeat found the Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra to have a grippy outsole and great lockdown, while iRunFar noted that the shoe works on a variety of trail conditi…

★★★★★ 4.5

La Sportiva

Prodigio Pro

RunRepeat found the La Sportiva Prodigio Pro to have a secure, locked-in fit due to its premium upper, and also praised the shoe's energetic ride, particularly…

$225 ★★★★★ 4.6

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