The Gilbert Half Marathon, 10k & 5K are flat, fast courses in Arizona’s perfect fall running weather, and ALL courses are USATF Certified! The race start and finish is located at Gilbert’s newest hot spot for food, entertainment and more! Proceeds from the race go to the Shun the Sun …
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The Gilbert Half Marathon, 10k & 5K are flat, fast courses in Arizona’s perfect fall running weather, and ALL courses are USATF Certified! The race start and finish is located at Gilbert’s newest hot spot for food, entertainment and more! Proceeds from the race go to the Shun the Sun Foundation for the prevention and education of skin cancer.
Shun the Sun Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded by Dr. Gregory Allen to help fight continually rising skin cancer cases and deaths. Their mission is to do more than raise awareness: but also to spread accurate information about skin cancer causes, increase prevention by limiting overexposure to the sun, and most vitally: the importance of early detection!
The Gilbert Half Marathon is a passion of Dr. Allen’s to increase the reach of Shun the Sun’s goals and also to promote healthy lifestyles and activities. We use the proceeds from our races to educate about skin cancer, sponsor activities and events, donate sunblock to youth groups, and more.
Thank you for supporting these events and the ultimate goal of fighting skin cancer deaths – no human life should be lost to this preventable and detectable disease!
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Flat but tight passing
Wonderful weather for a race! Out and back with spurs onto dirt trails. Not much scenery but good spectator support. Fun local race. Technical t-shirt runs BIG! MORE
Wonderful weather for a race! Out and back with spurs onto dirt trails. Not much scenery but good spectator support. Fun local race. Technical t-shirt runs BIG!
Good FLAT race in Phoenix area
All in all, pretty good race. It is probably the flattest half I have ever run. Packet pickup was easy. No frills, no expo. Shirt, bib. Some coupons for the … MORE
All in all, pretty good race. It is probably the flattest half I have ever run.
Packet pickup was easy. No frills, no expo. Shirt, bib. Some coupons for the surrounding and finish line shops. The race does have an active Facebook page which I appreciate.
Race morning was smooth. They recommend parking a short distance (about a half mile) away and they have maps showing you where to park. It’s an easy walk in and when you leave, you are are no where close to the closed roads and race activities.
Race started at 7. It was around 52 degrees so the weather was great. But know that it’s Arizona, so it could definitely be warmer.
Most of the race is a closed course so traffic was never an issue (also why you want to make sure park away from it). Scenery is neighborhoods and churches and stuff. Gilbert is a clean nice city outside of Phoenix. You can see lots of mountains in the distance which is nice.
Most of the course is a plus sign. After leaving the start area, you run down about a mile and a half on a straight road. Hang a right onto a cement path for just over a mile. You then turn around and come back to the main road you started on, except you are now on a dirt path that runs parallel to the sidewalk path you headed out on. There’s only about 12-15 feet separation between the dirt trail and sidewalk trail so you get to see everyone behind you.
Hang a tight back on the road that’s still straight and run another 2.5 miles or so. There is a sidewalk trail to the left that heads out almost a mile before turning around and coming back to the road. This is a mix of cement and dirt running.
Once back on the road you’re now heading back. Shortly after mile 9 you hang a right, and run down that dirt trail until you do a u-turn and come back on the cement path until making that last turn back on the road. At this point you’re at about 11.4 miles and (aside from the last two little blocks in the shopping area) it’s a straight shot back to the finish.
There were plenty of water stops along the way, especially with all of the out and backs. You run by a lot of water stations twice. I saw a couple of porta-potties along the way but wasn’t really watching.
One small issue was we ran into the back of the 10k. I ran past a number of walkers and some back of the pack runners. But we had two lanes of road all to ourselves so it never really got crowded.
The medal is pretty cool (see photo). It is the same medal for all 5k, 10k, and half marathon finishers. I also liked the shirt- which I’m kind of picky about. Half of my race shirts are in a drawer waiting for the next quilt. But this one has been added to the ones I use for workouts.
I had to catch a flight so I didn’t stick around for the post race- but I know there was at least beer and ice cream, and you get coupons from packet pickup. No special local grub like some races do.
I’d run it again if I was in the Phoenix area.
Fast course, not much to see
Smaller race but well marked, mix of road and dirt trail running, not much running room on parts of trails, no wave start so lots of passing throughout race, good … MORE
Smaller race but well marked, mix of road and dirt trail running, not much running room on parts of trails, no wave start so lots of passing throughout race, good crowd support, easy to park and get in/out
Fun Race Through A Beautiful City
It was a beautiful day for a race. The course was pretty well-marked. It is a mix of walking trails (some very smooth gravel), and pavement. Gilbert is a beautiful … MORE
It was a beautiful day for a race. The course was pretty well-marked. It is a mix of walking trails (some very smooth gravel), and pavement.
Gilbert is a beautiful city, and there was a lot of good energy all around. After the race there was a small expo with all of the usual trappings.
My only complaint:
Getting to the starting line from the parking was a little confusing for many (as a group we all kind of figured it out using the GPS and following others).
I didn’t run my best time, but it wasn’t because of the course. The same goes for how far I had to drive to get my packet the day before (and then again the day of: not their fault I don’t live anywhere near Gilbert).
Maybe it will get better next year
The race used to finish with the Gilbert Parade, but was changed to a new course this year. While some loved to finish in the parade, it took over an … MORE
The race used to finish with the Gilbert Parade, but was changed to a new course this year. While some loved to finish in the parade, it took over an hour to get out of the traffic to go home. The new location away from the parade is a huge improvement in my opinion (others would disagree). The course is flat, with pretty much normal city street scenery. The race is well organized with people posted at turn arounds, and other critical areas, emails with accurate information, and an announcer at the start/finish line. The water stops were barely adequate, there should be a couple more added in the last half of the race. At the conclusion of the race there is no fruit, goodies, treats. Nothing, except a water bottle that wasn’t even cold. The vendors/tents are located 1/4 mile away, hidden back in the middle of some buildings. One of the vendors had oranges or bananas, provided at the expense of the vendor, not the race. The shirt and medal are uncreative and the same every year, only the color and date on the shirt changes.
Electrifying Finish
The last quarter mile of the race leads into the Gilbert Parade. It was my first time running this half and I didn't expect the WHOLE town to come out … MORE
The last quarter mile of the race leads into the Gilbert Parade. It was my first time running this half and I didn’t expect the WHOLE town to come out to this shing-ding. The Gilbert Half has the most electrifying finish. The crowd gave me an extra boost of energy to finish with gusto. This race is very, very organized and runners are supported with enthusiasm from the first to the last mile. The starting line and finish are in two different locations. And they have buses loading runners back to their cars at the starting point and it was a smooth process. It’s definitely a must-do. The expo was a bit crowded but full of fun things to check out.
Easy course
Easy course; however, the race has 3:30 time limit. Faster runners enjoy finishing along side the Gilbert Days Parade Route in process. Race walkers (like me) finish along with street … MORE
Easy course; however, the race has 3:30 time limit. Faster runners enjoy finishing along side the Gilbert Days Parade Route in process. Race walkers (like me) finish along with street sweepers and clean up crews with a few onlooking crowd cheers. Recommend for anyone looking for easy course.
Loved the parade route finish!
Ran the 2018 Gilbert Half Marathon. Nice flat course that included some city streets and park areas. The race finished alongside the Gilbert Days parade which was very cool!! The … MORE
Ran the 2018 Gilbert Half Marathon. Nice flat course that included some city streets and park areas. The race finished alongside the Gilbert Days parade which was very cool!! The race was well organized and the finishers medal was impressive. My first race experience in Arizona was very enjoyable and the weather was absolutely perfect.
Really Fun!
The best part of this race was the finish. We ran through the Riparian Preserve and along the canal for the first 5+ miles. But then we emerged from the … MORE
The best part of this race was the finish. We ran through the Riparian Preserve and along the canal for the first 5+ miles. But then we emerged from the canal and turned south onto Gilbert Rd right into downtown and along side the parade! How fun is that? Spectators cheered us on, the marching band, horses! Really Fab! Extra fun for me as I was able to pull off 1st in age.
Spur of the Moment!
Decided to run this race at the last minute, since it practically goes through my backyard. It's a small race with a 'home town' feel. The highlight of the race … MORE
Decided to run this race at the last minute, since it practically goes through my backyard. It’s a small race with a ‘home town’ feel. The highlight of the race was the last 3/4 mile. You make a turn from the canal path onto Gilbert Road, and you are IN the Gilbert Days Parade! You run alongside floats and bands, with people lining the streets on both sides. Very cool – and very motivating at the end of the race!