Cocodona 250 History: The Stories Beneath the Miles

Cocodona 250 History: The Stories Beneath the Miles

From Free Outside by Jeff Garmire

April 24, 2026 · 1h 28m

About this episode

This episode explores the history of the Cocodona 250 route and the stories behind it.

We spend a lot of time talking about how hard Cocodona 250 is. The miles, the climbing, the heat, the sleep deprivation. But this course didn’t start as a race. Bryce Brooks teaches us all about that. In this episode, we go through the history of the Cocodona 250 route, from Black Canyon City to Flagstaff, and all the strange, wild, and sometimes brutal stories that came long before runners showed up. Mining towns that popped up overnight. Roads built to haul gold through the mountains. Saloons, fires, outlaws, and entire buildings moved by hand. Sections of trail that were once trade routes, stagecoach roads, and lifelines through unforgiving terrain. And the realization that when you’re out there struggling… you’re not the first one. This episode is part history lesson, part storytelling, and part reminder that these miles mean a little more when you understand where you are. Support our Sponsors: Sawyer: https://sawyerdirect.net/ Janji (code: Freeoutside): https://snp.link/a0bfb726 CS Coffee: CSinstant.coffee Garage Grown Gear: https://snp.link/db1ba8ab Subscribe to Substack: http://freeoutside.substack.com Support this content on patreon: HTTP://patreon.com/freeoutside Buy my…

People in this episode

Host: Jeff Garmire

Guest: Bryce Brooks

Topics covered

  • Cocodona 250
  • race history
  • storytelling
  • mining towns
  • trail routes

Keywords

  • Cocodona 250
  • history
  • running
  • mining
  • trails
  • storytelling

Sponsors

Sawyer, Janji, CS Coffee, Garage Grown Gear

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