Cave Creek Thriller
Cave Creek, United States • 11 Oct 2025
Cave Creek Thriller - October 11, 2025
The Cave Creek Thriller takes place Saturday, October 11, 2025 at Cave Creek Regional Park, 37900 E Cave Creek Parkway, Cave Creek, AZ. The event offers four distances:
- 50K
- 24K
- 11K
- 5K
The event is the first race in the Desert Runner Trail Series. The 50K and 24K run largely on the Maricopa Trail in point-to-point formats and finish inside Cave Creek Regional Park. The 11K and 5K remain entirely within Cave Creek Regional Park on mountain trails.
Course and logistics
Course details: the 50K distance is listed as 31.2 miles with 2,810 ft total elevation gain and a max elevation of 2,518 ft. The 24K is listed as 15.6 miles with 1,960 ft gain. The 11K is listed as 7.3 miles (960 ft gain) and the 5K as 3.6 miles (542 ft gain). Trails include steep, rocky, and exposed sections with views of the Sonoran Desert. Aid stations are provided every 3.0 to 9.25 miles and include water, electrolyte drink, snacks, and fruit. This is a cupless event; runners must bring a reusable cup or purchase one on site. Parking is at Cave Creek Regional Park (day pass fee $7) and shuttle service is provided for point-to-point starts. Pacers are not permitted. Entrant limit is 500 runners and registration closes Monday, October 6. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.