Grand Canyon Half Marathon
Big Saddle, AZ
- Half Marathon
- Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
Per race website, this event is in “the vault.” *** The Grand Canyon Half Marathon is a trail race for all skill levels through the majestic Kaibab National Forest just outside the North entrance to Grand Canyon National Park! To celebrate the National Park’s 100 year Anniversary, runners will get … MORE
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Killer
Loved being in the north rim area. I would definitely return to run here again except for that particular course. Approximately mile 5 wall to climb had me questioning my … MORE
Loved being in the north rim area. I would definitely return to run here again except for that particular course. Approximately mile 5 wall to climb had me questioning my motivation for finishing and the punishment I was receiving just WALKING up it.
This run really did eat me alive!
Only Vacation races would somehow find a way to get views of the Grand Canyon without being able to be in the National Park. Yes you had to drive 30 … MORE
Only Vacation races would somehow find a way to get views of the Grand Canyon without being able to be in the National Park. Yes you had to drive 30 miles on a dirt road at the break of dawn but that made this run so special. The run had deadly up hills & was rocky, 1st time I have ever had to actually walk some of a half marathon. That being said the race production was on point & I had a blast.
stunning
Amazing views, you won't see many like this in any other half marathon. I love the vacation races, the stops are well stocked, the directions are easy to follow and … MORE
Amazing views, you won’t see many like this in any other half marathon. I love the vacation races, the stops are well stocked, the directions are easy to follow and the medals are the best. This was a tough course, I train only on roads that are paved, but I loved the scenery and the fun of the run!
Great Smaller Race
Challenging, mostly trail/service road. Very cold at start. Well organized. Cupless race so bring your own hydration. Very pretty but this is NOT in the Grand Canyon but in the … MORE
Challenging, mostly trail/service road. Very cold at start. Well organized. Cupless race so bring your own hydration. Very pretty but this is NOT in the Grand Canyon but in the national forest near it.
Excellent organization, muddy course
This race took place in May, which unbeknownst to most of my group, can bring about wintry conditions in the Grand Canyon. Thankfully, I had looked at the forecast and … MORE
This race took place in May, which unbeknownst to most of my group, can bring about wintry conditions in the Grand Canyon. Thankfully, I had looked at the forecast and packed appropriate clothing, but nothing could have prepared me for the mud run to come. Snow and rain had turned most of the course into a big, sloshy mud puddle. Now that the race has been moved to October, the probability of such an event is lower, but keep in mind the trail conditions may be difficult when wet.
Despite running a personal worst time, I left the race with a very positive impression. I was there to visit the national park and enjoy a trip with my friends, so the race itself was a small component of my vacation. The organizers did a fantastic job, and one in particular was incredibly friendly: he made conversation with me before the race, and picked me out of a crowd after I finished to ask how it went. From the expo to the post-race hike in the Grand Canyon, I had a wonderful time. Everyone had such a positive attitude, and it made me want to make Vacation Races a yearly event on my race calendar. I didn’t run for time, but I had the time of my life.
let it snow...let it go
medals were awesome. one for race and one for group finish! the course was an absolute mess which made it great for a newb like me :) stations were ok...if … MORE
medals were awesome. one for race and one for group finish! the course was an absolute mess which made it great for a newb like me 🙂 stations were ok…if I’d stopped. Love the group concept bc an amateur like me can feel successful on a rough course. It seems to drag on and up and down….repeat and repeat all the way to the finish…definitely not a race for road warriors…off roaders only!!!
Felt accomplished!
I had always wanted to be a runner so when I turned 50 I thought I better get started. I trained for 4 mo. Even though the day of the … MORE
I had always wanted to be a runner so when I turned 50 I thought I better get started. I trained for 4 mo. Even though the day of the run was cold, snowy, rainy and muddy I had a great time and felt very good about the whole experience. Everything was very well organized. My daughter and I plan to do one national park half every year until I’m 60 and then do a full. Excited to run the Lake Powell this year!
Grand Race, Crazy weather!
Great Race as always for VR. Very organized. Beautiful course. We just had the rare opportunity to run it in the rain sleet and snow. Very cold, very muddy... VERY … MORE
Great Race as always for VR. Very organized. Beautiful course.
We just had the rare opportunity to run it in the rain sleet and snow. Very cold, very muddy… VERY TOUGH… but the volunteers remained at their stations, the race went on, and everybody was happy and helpful (between shivers) Thank You VR, see you in Zion!!
Beautiful destination
The race was seamlessly operated, beautiful scenery, great snacks, drinks, and swag, good communication prior to the race, medals were beautiful, I was worried about it being a cupless race, … MORE
The race was seamlessly operated, beautiful scenery, great snacks, drinks, and swag, good communication prior to the race, medals were beautiful, I was worried about it being a cupless race, but it went perfectly.
My favorite race so far...
The organization and implementation of a "vacationraces.com" is beyond any race I've done. This course is on a dirt, fire road for about 11 of the 13 miles. When I … MORE
The organization and implementation of a “vacationraces.com” is beyond any race I’ve done.
This course is on a dirt, fire road for about 11 of the 13 miles. When I ran it in May 2016, it had been raining all night and was 32 degrees with snow at race start. The fire road was a mud road. It was challenging beyond anything I had run to that point. Finishing it felt like an amazing success. I’ve already registered to run it in 2017 although the race date has moved from May to October.
Best Race of my Life
As a Texan, waking up to snow on race morning was a bad omen. I won't lie, it was a challenging race. The snow caused the trail to turn muddy … MORE
As a Texan, waking up to snow on race morning was a bad omen. I won’t lie, it was a challenging race. The snow caused the trail to turn muddy and slippery. The goal quickly became finish and don’t fall. Despite all that, running through the pine Forrest as snow was collecting on the ground was magical. I felt like I was lost in a place only found in story books. It was one of the hardest races I have ever done, but also my favorite. I am hooked on these races now, and plan to run all of the races in the Vacation Races Series. I highly recommend this race!
Beautiful location, great experience!!
It gets cold at the Grand Canyon!!! I mean, I knew that, but I was unprepared for SNOW in MAY! Weather left the course muddy, which made it much more … MORE
It gets cold at the Grand Canyon!!! I mean, I knew that, but I was unprepared for SNOW in MAY! Weather left the course muddy, which made it much more difficult, and I ended up with a (relatively minor) injury at mile 10 which slowed me down, but without that the course would have run as expected. Beautiful location, great experience!
Little Bit Snowy But Great!
Although there was a surprise snow storm the day of the race, it was overall an incredible experience. The staff was well organized and made sure everyone understood the conditions … MORE
Although there was a surprise snow storm the day of the race, it was overall an incredible experience. The staff was well organized and made sure everyone understood the conditions and options for the race. They were friendly and kept everyone motivated. The volunteers who passed out water and snacks were also supportive and cheered us on. I would highly recommend doing this race or any race sponsored by Vacation Races.
Challenging but worth it.
It is a trail race for the most part. If you are a road runner, this might not be the race for you. I was not as prepared as I … MORE
It is a trail race for the most part. If you are a road runner, this might not be the race for you. I was not as prepared as I thought. Other than that, it was another successful fun race.
first time group fun
this was my first time running a race. I stopped once for pit stop but kept a comfortable (as much as could be expected) pace for the rest of the … MORE
this was my first time running a race. I stopped once for pit stop but kept a comfortable (as much as could be expected) pace for the rest of the race. It started snowing at the end of the race and my group decided not to do the challenge. In fact I only knew one person before the race from our group and then was sitting next to the other group members in the restaurant afterwards with no idea! until my fellow runner arrived and said we got 2nd place group!!! Great experience 🙂
This was a tough course!
The Grand Canyon Half was probably the toughest course I have run. I trained well this year, so I did well in this race. It was cold before the race … MORE
The Grand Canyon Half was probably the toughest course I have run. I trained well this year, so I did well in this race. It was cold before the race and actually snowed right after the race.
Great race!
Event well organized, easy to follow course markings. Signs to tell us to smile for photographer coming up--made for great pics. Finish line video. Went sightseeing in Grand Canyon the … MORE
Event well organized, easy to follow course markings. Signs to tell us to smile for photographer coming up–made for great pics. Finish line video. Went sightseeing in Grand Canyon the next day. Great vacation getaway weekend.
Loved it!!
Great medals, great people, very well organized! Vacation Races staff make this a safe race, have great support and volunteers, work with you if there are problems, I can't say … MORE
Great medals, great people, very well organized! Vacation Races staff make this a safe race, have great support and volunteers, work with you if there are problems, I can’t say enough how much I loved this race as well as the staff and volunteers of Vacation Races!
OUTSTANDING Trail Race!!!!!!
This was my first trail race of any kind so I did not know what to expect. What I got was a well organized event with a great staff and … MORE
This was my first trail race of any kind so I did not know what to expect. What I got was a well organized event with a great staff and wonderful volunteers. The morning started off very cold winding through the scenic tree lined course. The course was challenging and I found myself liking the change of pace from paved roads to dirt trails. Although you don’t get any views of the Grand Canyon I thought they did a great job with the course layout. This was my second Vacation Races event and once again another fantastic experience and to cross the finish line while being snowed on was PRICELESS!!!!!
The best half I've ever ran
This whole event is amazing. From the support staff to aid stations to the amazing views! I will run this race every single year until my body won't let me. … MORE
This whole event is amazing. From the support staff to aid stations to the amazing views! I will run this race every single year until my body won’t let me. This was one of my hardest races to run, but it kept me pushing myself to do better. I can’t wait until this year! I’m coming in under 2