Late last night, Alex Schultz arrived at the Picketpost Trailhead near Superior, Arizona, after 2 days, 15 hours, and 53 minutes, becoming the first rider to complete the 2026 Arizona Trail Race 300 while maintaining his first-place position on the full 800-mile route. Learn more here…

Photos by John Schilling

At 9:53 p.m. on day three of the 2026 Arizona Trail Race, Alex Schultz was the first rider to arrive at Picketpost Trailhead, leading by almost 20 miles ahead of Rocky Gingg and Xavier Chiriboga in the 800-mile race. Alex arrived at Picketpost in just 2 days, 15 hours, and 53 minutes. Picketpost Trailhead marks the end of the Arizona Trail 300 course and is a huge milestone for 800 riders, as it leaves many difficult sections behind them.

When I spoke with Alex atop Mount Lemmon in Summerhaven, he said the first day was unexpectedly challenging because of overgrowth and rain damage. He felt a bit behind his target pace, but said that was fine because it would land him at the Kelvin Bridge during pizza delivery hours for Old Time Pizza in Kearny, Arizona, which, according to his Instagram story, worked out! After Kelvin, Alex began the notoriously hot and difficult 37 miles along the Gila River and into Martinez Canyon, where temperatures still reach 100ºF+ (38ºC+) during the day.

Alex will soon hit a critical resupply in Gold Canyon, where he’ll stock up for the next big push over Four Peaks and the Mazatzal Mountains, which are also rumored to be very overgrown this year. Temperatures in Gold Canyon are forecasted to reach 98ºF (37ºC) on Sunday, day four of the race.

Alex is followed by Rocky Gingg and Xavier Chiriboga, who have been riding closely together since the start of Mount Lemmon. With plenty of racing left, it will be interesting to see how the podium plays out between the three lead men.

In the women’s race, Liz Ryen holds the lead, but the gap between her and second-place rider Katy Applin has been shrinking as they ascend Mount Lemmon, which is making for an entertaining race to watch.

Tori Berry, the first woman to start the 300 course this year, is making steady progress after some recovery in Patagonia, Arizona, and looks like she’ll reach Tucson shortly.

Check out the 2026 Arizona Trail Race Tracker page to follow along on the live tracking map, and stay tuned for more event coverage. Find it here.

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