Crown King Scramble
Phoenix, United States • 28 Mar 2026
Event
The Crown King Scramble is a point-to-point 50 kilometer footrace held on Saturday, March 28, 2026, from Lake Pleasant Regional Park to the Crown King Saloon in Crown King, Arizona. The race is organized as a single-day event with a published time limit of 11 hours. Entry includes a gender specific race shirt, post-race barbecue, and a custom finisher award for all finishers. Awards are given to the top three male and female finishers and to top grandmaster finishers (50+). The event is a cupless race: there are no paper cups at aid stations and runners must carry their own reusable container.
Course and logistics
The course covers approximately 50 km (31.1 miles) and gains about 6,828 feet in elevation, rising from roughly 1,700 feet to a maximum near 6,520 feet before a final descent into Crown King. The route starts on maintained dirt roads along the shores of Lake Pleasant, passes through Sonoran Desert terrain, and after about mile 15 continues on rough 4x4 jeep trail with sustained climbing into ponderosa pines of the Bradshaw Mountains. Five staffed aid stations are located on course at miles 8.5, 15.3 (drop bags permitted), 19.1, 22.2, and 27.3, with the finish at mile 31.1 (drop bags permitted). Due to the remote nature of the course, crews and pacers are not allowed on course. Shuttle service runs from the finish back to the start; the return drive is about 2.5 hours. Medical teams will be on course and at the finish to provide first aid and communications. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.