Your plan in four answers
Set for September 11, 2027, about 46 weeks out.
- Distances
- 100 miles, Marathon
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Taper starts
- August 24, 2027
Course
The Mogollon Monster course
The 100 mile starts at 6:00 a.m. at the Two-Sixty Trailhead near Payson and runs east to west along the Mogollon Rim to the finish at the Pine Community Center, about 100.9 miles in all with roughly 16,000 feet of climbing and a high point of 7,912 feet. The route climbs the Rim six separate times, and some climbs and descents reach 30 to 45 percent grades.
Read the full course notes
Expect rocky, technical singletrack on sections such as the Highline Trail, Donahue, Myrtle and Promontory, with ponderosa pine forest on top of the Rim. The 42K runs on Sunday from the Pine Trailhead: 26.7 miles with about 4,554 feet of gain, one climb up the Rim on the Donahue Trail, one descent and a return to Pine. Time limits are 38 hours for the 100 mile and 12 hours for the 42K, and 100 mile entrants need a prior 50 mile finish plus 8 hours of trail volunteering.
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Distances
- 100 miles, Marathon
- Weather on race day
- Mid-September days along the Rim usually run from the low 70s to the 80s °F, but nights on top of the Rim can drop into the 30s °F. Late monsoon thunderstorms are possible, with wind, lightning and fast-rising washes. Pack warm layers and rain gear for the night and plan to drink and salt steadily through the heat of the next day.
What to train for
This race is won on the climbs and descents: build weekly vert toward 8,000 to 10,000 feet in your peak block, with long hikes on 20 to 40 percent grades using poles if you plan to carry them.
Practice power hiking at a strong, sustainable effort, then running loose and relaxed down rocky trail, because the six Rim climbs and steep drops wear on quads more than mileage does.
Do at least two back-to-back long days (for example 25 then 15 miles) and one night run on technical trail with your race headlamp. Train with your race fueling, aiming for steady calories every 30 to 45 minutes, and if you can, spend time above 6,000 feet before race day.
Sample week
A sample Mogollon Monster training week
A week from the middle of the build, about six weeks out. Your plan sets the real distances and paces from your own fitness and adjusts them every week as you train.
- Monday
- Rest, or 20 minutes of mobility
- Tuesday Key session
- Hill repeats: 10 × 2 min up a steady grade, jog back down
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 6 mi
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 8 mi with 4 mi at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 4 mi, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 18–20 mi on trail, with as much climbing as you can find
- Sunday Key session
- Second long day, 10–12 mi easy on tired legs
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Mogollon Monster
Start the taper two to three weeks before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp. The course is hilly, so keep one short hill session in the first taper week to keep the climbs familiar. With the race on September 11, 2027, your taper starts around August 24, 2027.
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Build me a training plan for the Mogollon Monster 100 & 42K (Marathon) on September 11, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Mogollon Monster training questions
How long should I train for the Mogollon Monster?
Most runners give a 100-mile twenty to twenty-four weeks of focused training on top of an existing base. The plan above counts back from your actual race date, so if you have less time than that it builds the best plan the remaining weeks allow rather than pretending you have longer.
Is the Mogollon Monster course hilly?
Hilly. The 100 mile starts at 6:00 a.m. at the Two-Sixty Trailhead near Payson and runs east to west along the Mogollon Rim to the finish at the Pine Community Center, about 100.9 miles in all with roughly 16,000 feet of climbing and a high point of 7,912 feet.
What is the weather usually like at the Mogollon Monster?
Mid-September days along the Rim usually run from the low 70s to the 80s °F, but nights on top of the Rim can drop into the 30s °F. Late monsoon thunderstorms are possible, with wind, lightning and fast-rising washes. Pack warm layers and rain gear for the night and plan to drink and salt steadily through the heat of the next day.
When should I start tapering for the Mogollon Monster?
Start the taper two to three weeks before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp. The course is hilly, so keep one short hill session in the first taper week to keep the climbs familiar. With the race on September 11, 2027, your taper starts around August 24, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Mogollon Monster training plan?
No. The plan above builds in your browser with no account, no email, and no card. Make a free account only if you want to keep it, log your runs against it, and have the coach keep adapting it as your training goes.