MOG100: One of the Toughest Ultras in America

Once you run a half marathon, you set your sights on a full marathon. And once you conquer that, then it’s time to think about an Ultra run – at least that’s how my mind works.

However, there’s a big difference between running 26 miles and 100 miles and even I know I’m not ready for a run that intense.  But I was ready to help mark the trail of theMogollon Monster 100 (MOG100) – or so I thought.

THE MOG100 IS ONE TOUGH ULTRA

The Mogollon Monster 100 is a crazy, rugged trail race located outside the town of Pine, Arizona.  But here's the thing, the "100" is really a lie because the race is 106 miles – approximately.  And if you've ever run any long race, you know those last few miles are the ones that kill you.

“We couldn’t physically use a tracker on the trail,” said Jeremy Dougherty, one of the race creators. "It was just too rocky and uneven to get it exact but we did the best we could."

The race climbs the Mogollon Rim and Jeremy says runners can expect to climb 23,000 feet along the way.  And the course is extremely technical and not for ultra newbies (like me).

The terrain is rough and ranges from steep climbs, rocky areas, streams and knee deep grass.  It’s not like you’ll be running on a smooth dirt path. This trail is hardcore.

Jeremy and a couple of buddies came up with the race one day while hiking.  It uses 35 miles of the Zane Grey Ultra route and then a bunch of other trails to make up the full 106 miles. 

And it's tough. In fact, Jeremy thinks it might be one of the hardest ultras in America -- it maybe even the hardest.

“Last year we had 32 people sign up and only 9 finished the race,” Jeremy said. “We’ve got 50 signed up this year. We had over 60 at one time, but a few people have backed out.”

Yup, it’s that difficult. So naturally I had to volunteer to help out.

PARTICIPATING IN AN ULTRA WITHOUT DOING AN ULTRA

I found out about the race on Facebook through a post. A fellow runner was looking for a pacer for the MOG100.

With a name like Mogollon Monster how could I resist not googling this beast of a race?  I checked out the description and the photos, and immediately fell in love with the course.  It’s gorgeous. Lots of trees, great views and the thought of running under a moonlit sky sounded fantastic.

Luckily I had plans already that weekend so couldn't sign up. I'm saying "luckily", because now that I know more about the race, I think I would have died if I actually attempted to complete even 50 miles.  Instead, I volunteered to run and mark a part of the Highland Trail the week before the race – which if you’re an "Ultra Race" novice like me is the perfect way to check out the course and be a part of the event without having to run the whole thing.

I had to admit, I was pretty impressed with Jeremy and his team for putting this race together.  It's not like he does this for a living.  He's a manager at one of the resorts in Phoenix, has a 14 month old son and squeezed in this planning in his free time.

"I had to pick this weekend because this area is famous elk hunting trips. I had to make sure there wouldn't be any hunters in the area while my runners were out there," Jeremy said.

Um, yeah... elk hunters and runners. Probably not a good combination.

Then there's all that stuff you don't think about when running a race, like getting the porta-potties up in the middle of nowhere, aid stations, accommodations for the runners and their families and friends, and what to do if a runner doesn't show up at an aid station when expected.

"Cell phone reception is sketchy on most of the route and so is GPS.  If a runner doesn't show up when expected, then we have to wonder if he's lost or hurt or just resting somewhere along the way," Jeremy said.

I looked around the dense woods and the steep hills.  Yup,  making sure we clearly marked the trail was super important as I would hate to be a lost runner -- and I would really hate to be the poor person who would have to go out and try to find them in the vast area, especially at night.

HOW HARD CAN MARKING A TRAIL BE?

I arrived at the Trailhead outside of Pine around 7:15 a.m. (45 minutes late as I got lost).  As I pulled in, I saw Jeremy and Justin getting ready to hit the trail.  

Justin was going to attempt to clear a path by lopping off branches and the brush.  Jeremy and I were going to run/hike the trail and mark the route with ribbon as we went. He took the yellow tape and I had the red "oops, don't run here" ribbons.

It sounds simple until you realize I haven’t actually ever run 20 miles of trail as I’m mostly a road runner.  While I run 15 to 18 miles each Saturday for fun (on roads), I’ve only run 8 to 10 miles on trails – and none of them were as rugged as this route.  

It took nearly 7 hours for us to complete the trail marking and I was glad to see my car at the end.  I was out of water, I was bleeding (a pebble in my sock had rubbed the skin off my heel), and my legs had scrapes and bruises from the branches. 

I hurt. And I smelled like...well, like someone who was running around in a hot, dusty forest all day. 

Just 20 miles of the Mogollon Monster kicked my butt and I have the biggest respect for the 50 runners who will be attempting to complete the entire 106 miles this weekend.  Good luck!!!!  And maybe I'll be ready to run it with you in another few years.