Prescott Ultra-Runner Completes Record-Breaking Run Of Arizona Trail
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In the running world, there are marathoners and then there are ultra-runners. That means people who run races longer than the 26.2 miles of a marathon.
They run 50K races … 100 milers … trail races … and from rim-to-rim across the Grand Canyon.
And now, a Prescott man has completed a record-breaking run of the Arizona Trail.
The Arizona Trail runs from the border of Utah in northern Arizona, all the way to our southern border with Mexico. And it’s not a straight line — it kind of winds its way through the state, including through the Grand Canyon. In all, it’s about 800 miles long.
And Michael Versteeg ran the whole thing.
He had a crew driving alongside him, basically making sure he had food and a place to sleep throughout his run, and he’s the first person to ever even attempt a run of the Arizona Trail like this.
Michael Versteeg running on the third day of his race on the Arizona Trail around Mile 200.
James Madsen
Paco Contu massaging Michael Versteeg’s feet at a stop along the Arizona Trail, near Mile 650.
(Photo courtesy of James Madsen)
Michael Versteeg duct-taped his feet during his run.
(Photo courtesy of James Madsen)
Michael Versteeg and his crew watched the sunrise at the Mexico border after he finished the 800-mile run.
(Photo courtesy of James Madsen)
Map of the Arizona Trail.
(Photo courtesy of The Arizona Trail Association)
