Jackpot Ultras

Event Overview

Course & Terrain

Short-loop races at Cornerstone Park, with separate course configurations for championship and other entries.

Key course features to know before comparing this race:

• The 31-acre pond at the heart of Cornerstone Park
• The Jackpot Strip: aid tent, hydration tent, store and staging
• Two head-on stretches on the horseshoe-shaped long loop
• Town Hall warming tent with nap cots
• Aravaipa’s YouTube livestream on race days

The 48-hour runs on the long course, a USATF-certified loop of about 2.3094 miles (3.717 km) that Aravaipa describes as a horseshoe with two stretches where runners meet the oncoming field head-on. The organizer lists 72 ft of gain per loop and a top elevation of 1,912 ft; the 100-mile buckle takes about 44 laps and the 200-mile buckle about 87. Three remote timing mats, crossed four times per lap, let fixed-time runners bank a partial lap if time runs out mid-loop. The 1.17-mile short course around the lake, 95% asphalt or concrete, is used only by Friday’s 100-mile races. Most of the park is lit at night, but there are dark stretches, and Aravaipa strongly recommends a headlamp and spare batteries. Wear your bib on the front, over your clothing; laps run without it are not counted.

Aravaipa’s guidance for Henderson in February is highs around 54–56°F and lows around 42–43°F, with about half an inch of rain in one of the area’s wetter months, so pack layers and rain gear. NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the Las Vegas airport station run warmer, with an average February high of 62.9°F, a low of 44.1°F and 0.80 inches of precipitation. Either way, a 48-hour runner faces two nights with average lows in the low 40s after mild afternoons, and Aravaipa’s Town Hall warming tent is there to get runners out of the cold.

Entry & Logistics

Why This Race Matters

Ken and Stephanie Rubeli’s Beyond Limits Running created Jackpot in 2014 at Henderson’s Cornerstone Park, a former gravel mine whose 31-acre pond anchors the course, and sold it to Jamil and Nick Coury’s Aravaipa Running in September 2022. The 2027 race is the 14th edition. The 48-hour joined the program in 2016, when Ed Ettinghausen ran 220.3 miles, still the course record; in 2026, 75 runners logged a distance and Greg Salvesen won with 217.1 miles. Jackpot has hosted the USATF 100-mile road championship every year since 2018 on a separate short loop, and in 2026 Ashley Paulson ran 12:19:34 there, which iRunFar called a new women’s 100-mile world record.

Historical benchmark notes in the directory record (verify current records with the linked official sources):

• 48-hour, men: Ed Ettinghausen, 220.3 miles, 2016 (organizer).
• 48-hour, women: Cheryl Symons, 195 miles, 2018 (organizer).
• Next-best 48-hour marks: Greg Salvesen, 217.1 miles in 2026, and Jonathan Noll, 215 miles in 2019; the best woman since 2018 is Rachel Entrekin, 190.6 miles in 2023 (DUV).
• 24-hour: men, Edher Ramirez, 131 miles, 2025; women, Tracy Thomas, 120 miles, 2015 (organizer).
• 100 miles, short course: men, Rajpaul Pannu, 11:38:56, 2026; women, Ashley Paulson, 12:19:34, 2026, both at the USATF championship. iRunFar called Paulson’s run a new women’s 100-mile world record, 17 minutes faster than the mark Ireland’s Caitriona Jennings set in November 2025.
• Other course records (organizer): 12-hour, Jon Noll, 81 miles (2018) and Natalie Larson, 78 miles (2026); 6-hour, Jon Olsen, 47.5 miles (2019) and Anna Russell, 44.4 miles (2014); 50 miles, Chris Andrews, 5:59:38 (2025) and Laura Cortez, 6:17:34 (2026); long-course 100 miles, Avinoam Maier, 16:40:23 and Lisa Cabiles, 18:01:49 (both 2025).

Preparing for a Race Like Jackpot Ultras

The 48-hour race guide covers the format as a whole. These guides go deeper:

• 48-hour races explained: Rules, pacing, sleep decisions, fueling and crew support.
• How to train for a 48-hour race: Durable movement, sleep planning, foot care and fueling practice.
• Sleep strategy for multiday races: An individual sleep plan with safe locations and clear stop criteria.
• Second-night survival guide: Sleep, crew checks and caffeine decisions for the second night.

Best Fit

• Runners chasing a first 200-mile buckle in 48 hours on a gentle certified loop
• First-time 48-hour runners who want 24/7 hot food, a warming tent and hotels minutes away
• Runners who like sharing a weekend with elite fields at the USATF 100-mile championship
• Crews who want an easy setup beside the course near Las Vegas

Planning Notes

• Start conservatively and use flexible process checkpoints for effort, walking, food, fluid, alertness, and symptoms instead of forcing one hourly distance target.
• Prepare several rest options before race week. Stop for sleep or assessment if alertness, coordination, or safe decision-making deteriorates.
• Prepare for sleep decisions, weather swings, and aid-station discipline. The distance is only one part of a multi-day fixed-distance race.
• The directory marks this as having comparatively simpler logistics. That editorial label is not a safety rating; verify cutoffs, terrain, support, crew access, and withdrawal procedures.
• Cupless aid: no bottle or cup, no refills
• Cold desert nights with average lows in the low 40s and some unlit stretches: bring layers and a headlamp
• No drop-downs once the race starts; switch distance at bib pickup
• No showers on site, and Town Hall cots are limited to three-hour naps

Event FAQs

Related Preparation

• Browse the curated 24-hour race calendar
• Browse the 24-hour race calendar
• Browse the 48-hour race calendar
• Open the 48-Hour format guide
• Compare all race formats
• Use the timed-race pace calculator
• Plan checkpoint arrivals and cutoff buffers
• Print a pace band for your goal time
• Estimate race calories and plan fueling
• Build a crew and drop-bag plan
• Build a race-specific gear checklist