Alannah Kittle's Staging Area

I really enjoyed this race. The elevation in Tuscon can be challenging for those coming from sea level, but it isn’t as bad as other races in this series. There were some hills but nothing was prolonged. The trail running half of the course was cool and provided relief from pounding the pavement; I don’t normally trail run like that but felt pretty cool weaving amongst all the cacti. The major con for the trail part of the course was that it could be narrow at times, which made passing people challenging (and frustrating if you were behind someone slow). I personally found the trail to be well marked and had no issues staying on course. February is the perfect time to visit Tuscon and Saguaro; the morning was cool but not freezing, and it wasn’t scorching hot by the time we finished. Old Tuscon where the race starts and ends is a great place to hang out for both runners and spectators.

The course feels almost all uphill, but the inclines are fairly gradual. It was freezing this year, but the warming tents helped. The course is on the main road leading up to the park, so there are no spectators–which was different but made watching the sun illuminate the canyons an almost peaceful experience. Aid stations are evenly spaced out, and there’s food and water/electrolytes provided. The view coming into the finish line is worth the climb.