Chokecherry Scramble draws 139 racers as motocross returns to San Juan County

The Chokecherry Scramble brought 139 racers to Glade Run Recreation Area and turned a spring motocross weekend into a clear sign that San Juan County still has real appetite for organized off-road riding. The second-year event added about 40 riders across classes and age groups, a jump that matters as much for what it says about the local scene as for the finish order.

Held March 28-29 in Farmington, the Chokecherry Scramble II was part of the 2026 Desert Championship Race Series and drew riders into a venue that the Farmington Area Visitors Bureau says offers 25 miles of diverse terrain. Food vendors and treats for kids helped make it feel less like a one-off race day and more like a family gathering built around motos, helmets and dust. Avery Hightower called it an amazing event and said the race was teaching organizers valuable lessons for the future.

That future is what makes the turnout important. The Glade Runners Motorcycle Club, founded by Hightower in fall 2024, was created to advocate for designation and preservation of motorized singletrack and to promote community and competitive events. The Scramble fit that mission neatly: it showed that local clubs are not just staging races, they are trying to build a lasting off-road culture with room for youth riders, sanctioned events and a stronger base of support.

Glade Run gives them plenty to work with. The Bureau of Land Management says the recreation area covers 19,000 acres of sandy arroyos, slick rock and rolling terrain. Recreation.gov says the northern three-quarters are managed for limited trail use, while 3,800 acres on the south end are open OHV ground. It also lists about 42 miles of marked trails for motorized trail bike and mountain bike riders in the limited-use area. For a region where off-roading has been part of the landscape for more than 40 years, that kind of infrastructure helps explain why a race like this can draw both serious competitors and families looking for a place to spend the weekend.

The New Mexico Race Collective, which runs hare scrambles, hare and hounds, enduros and grand prix events statewide, had the Chokecherry Scramble listed on its 2025 and 2026 results pages, giving the event a growing place in the regional race calendar. In San Juan County, that growing list matters. A strong turnout at Glade Run is evidence that motocross here is functioning as a community hub, and not just another result sheet.