Buckeye Marathon
Buckeye, AZ
- Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, Kids Run
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
Join the annual Buckeye Marathon, Half, 10K, 5K, and 1 Mile Fun Run. Known for its downhill and fast course (marathoners will drop over 530 feet in elevation from the start to finish), the marathon route starts in the community of Sun City Festival before making its way around the … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Jan 10):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 65 | 61 | 56 | 66 | 74 |
| L (°F) | 38 | 43 | 29 | 45 | 43 |
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Be prepared for long stretches of quiet
This is an interesting marathon--I wouldn't recommend for first timers because you might have super long stretches of nothing, but at the same time it is pretty forgiving course-- just … MORE
This is an interesting marathon–I wouldn’t recommend for first timers because you might have super long stretches of nothing, but at the same time it is pretty forgiving course– just be prepared for dull moments or bring a friend. How they mail the shirts and bibs is super sweet– whole extra star just for that!
Beautiful Course
The packet pickup was pretty basic. No major expo or anything like that. The start and finish are not at the same place for the full. So if you don't … MORE
The packet pickup was pretty basic. No major expo or anything like that. The start and finish are not at the same place for the full. So if you don’t have anyone with you then you will have to take a shuttle to the start. We had a friend doing the half which was the full marathon finish. There is a short loop to start, then a very long straightaway along the same road. This can be very boring if you aren’t used to being alone and seeing the same view for miles. There is another small loop around mile 20 through a golf course subdivision. When you come off that loop you are headed to the airpot for the finish. They had a great setup with picnic tables and we got a free beer. There was not much happening when we finished since most of the post race stuff was starting to come to an end. Once thing I loved is that my friend and I we wearing jackets at the start. We gave them to a volunteer since we were only using them to stay warm. They took them to the finish for us. The weather was prefect for Arizona. It never got warm.
Nice downhill course, need to improve
The course is great for a great PR, but the organization needs more work. The venue to pick up the bib is too small and you have to wait and … MORE
The course is great for a great PR, but the organization needs more work. The venue to pick up the bib is too small and you have to wait and make a single line outside for almost 45 minutes. Another problem was that we were told there would be a shutter every 30 minutes to take you back to the start parking lot. We waited for almost 2 hours, and the shutter was only allowing 7 passages per ride (there were more than 40 people waiting for the bus). I do recommend you plan a taxi, Uber, or any paid transportation to get back to the start point.
So glad I did this
What a sleeper marathon for Arizona! Great smallish race. 200 marathoners. Point to point. Weather was perfect. Overall downhill course but so so boring. Aide stations and portajohns very plentiful … MORE
What a sleeper marathon for Arizona! Great smallish race. 200 marathoners. Point to point. Weather was perfect. Overall downhill course but so so boring. Aide stations and portajohns very plentiful every 2 miles. Friendly volunteers and great timing company I ran my fastest time in 10 yrs and actually BQ. This was not my initial intention but the course just lends itself to a super fast course I highly recommend giving this race a try on your course to 50 states!
Kickstart your year in the desert
The weather for this race was ideal—cool at the start and warming up to a comfortable temperature. There’s no shade since it’s out in the desert. Having the finish at … MORE
The weather for this race was ideal—cool at the start and warming up to a comfortable temperature. There’s no shade since it’s out in the desert. Having the finish at the municipal airport was nice, and the organizers did a nice job of making plenty of resources available. The only downside was having to wait a lot longer than ideal for a shuttle transport back to the marathon start. The shorter races used an out-and-back route so those runners did not have this issue.
Well run
I run a 5k with a friend in PHX every January. Last 2 years we did R&R. Buckeye was a nice change. The marathon is a BQ race, but the … MORE
I run a 5k with a friend in PHX every January. Last 2 years we did R&R. Buckeye was a nice change. The marathon is a BQ race, but the other distances are well attended; this was the 10th anniversary. It is at the Buckeye airport, so no traffic on the road course, lots of terrific volunteers, all the starts went off right on time. Chilly temp was perfect for a run. Pre & post race water (no plastic bottles) and clif bars, bananas, no waiting. The 5k course map showed a significant uphill/downhill elevation, but it was flat flat until about mile 1.3 when it went up a steep but very short maybe .15 mile, turn around and run back. Fun medal. It had a small hole in the bottom where you would hang your AG award. I came in 1st AG, but we did not stay for the awards as it would have been a 20-30 minute wait at least. My overall pace (per Garmin, not results) was 8.39 min/mile, but the course was short (I’m assuming the marathon was certified but I don’t think the 5k was). My Garmin said 2.89, a few other runners near me said theirs was 2.86, 2.93, etc. But the pace was what I had hoped to hit, so I’m happy. My running friend was 3AG, and I’m sad now that we didn’t stay as it would have been her first AG award! I recommend this race if you are in the PHX area and want to get out and have a nice run on a sunny/cold morning with no hassles, crowds, traffic or early morning wake up (5k start was 9:30).
Easy out and back
If you are running the half marathon then you start at the airport and finish there as well. All road and well placed aid stations. There is a good post … MORE
If you are running the half marathon then you start at the airport and finish there as well. All road and well placed aid stations. There is a good post race party with lots of food trucks to sample from. Bring money as the post race food trucks are not included in the race entry.
Flat Desert Roadrunner Marathon
The Buckeye Marathon itself is a point-to-point race. Runners park their cars and start at a local baseball field complex to the north, and then run south through a community … MORE
The Buckeye Marathon itself is a point-to-point race. Runners park their cars and start at a local baseball field complex to the north, and then run south through a community and then along a long stretch of highway road ultimately finishing at an airfield by some large airplane hangars. I remember one review I read of the race compared the course to a “road runner cartoon”. Having never been in a desert area, I was looking forward to a new terrain experience for my latest marathon.
The weather was calling for perfect race conditions that day with a high in the mid to upper 50s and sunny. That morning it was pretty chilly waiting around at the start, but luckily I had brought some light pants and jacket which I was able to wear and then stuff in my hydration pack before the race. There was also a beautiful sunrise that I was able to take in while waiting around as well. As this was a small race with around 200 marathon runners, the amount of port-o-pots at the start were not that many (so if you plan on running this race, be sure to get in the bathroom line earlier rather than later).
For this marathon the first three miles running through the surrounding community were slightly uphill, but then the rest of the race was flat or down hill. Since we ran along a desert stretch of highway, there was not much to look at other than a random cactus or two that you would pass. In fact it was odd…even though the course was flat, I read about and experienced first-hand desert hypnosis. This was the feeling of the course seeming like it was going slightly uphill due to the curvature of the earth, even though it was flat.
Obviously this course did not have much runner support aside from those at the aid stations which were every 2-3 miles. However those helping out at the aide stops were very nice, friendly, and encouraging. As usual I supplied my own fuel via hydration pack and energy gels, so I didn’t have to depend on the supplied snacks.
The post-race celebration wasn’t anything spectacular (standard fare of bananas and granola bars), but is always appreciated. I took a few pictures with my family and we headed back to our rental car to begin our drive back towards Los Angeles to catch a flight home the next day…but not before I got one last picture with a cactus!
Read my full race report with photos and much more detail at https://runningriddles.com/races/2020-buckeye-marathon-in-arizona/.
Good to get back at it
I've been very lazy for a long time. My last half marathon was June 2018. This is a "local" race for me, even though it's an hour a way. The … MORE
I’ve been very lazy for a long time. My last half marathon was June 2018. This is a “local” race for me, even though it’s an hour a way. The half marathon started and finished at the airport. Lots of vendors there and good pre and post race activities. The run is mostly flat. Slight incline going out, but the back is mostly down hill and pretty solid decline the final 4 miles. It’s from the airport out through the desert and turns around in a subdivision. One lane was blocked but there were cars on the road so be aware. Every station has water and Gatorade. One of the girls when filled up my water bottle. Police had the roads well controlled and turns were well marked. Not very scenic but you should finish in a good time. I had an idea in mind having not ran a half in a long time and I did better than expected. I didn’t buy the shirt but the swag bag was nice – including a cow bell. It was nice seeing some other 50 staters out there.
Downhill Desert Highway
This was a small race that seemed to attract runners from all over. Despite having fewer than 150 finishers they did provide pacers. The course has a steady downhill grade. … MORE
This was a small race that seemed to attract runners from all over. Despite having fewer than 150 finishers they did provide pacers. The course has a steady downhill grade. Because of desert hypnosis you will sometimes feel like you are running uphill when you really aren’t. The course isn’t exciting but it is a good place to set a PR with its gentle downhill slope. The course is mainly on a highway but there were no issues with cars. It just got a bit boring looking at the desert for hours. It is Arizona in December which gets warm and dry once the sun comes up. Drink way more water and Gatorade than you think you need. I could have done much better had I known that. It is also a Boston qualifier for those capable of that. There wasn’t much crowd support to the point that I saw the same spectators 3 times and recognized them. You ride a bus back to the start line after completing the race. And you are riding for almost the full distance as the course is nearly a straight shot down the highway. The town of Buckeye generally has no idea that there is even a marathon in their town. At a restaurant bar the night before I mentioned to locals that I was running the Buckeye marathon the next day. None of them knew about it, but they also asked me if it was a 5 mile marathon. I met a lot of great people at the race and the race shirt is my new favorite running shirt.