The Mesa Marathon is the premier race in Arizona. Runners receive the race experience and perks of a major marathon as well as the personalized service and local flavor of your favorite hometown race. Race day is all about the runner, from industry-leading shirts and medals to unmatched course support …
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The Mesa Marathon is the premier race in Arizona. Runners receive the race experience and perks of a major marathon as well as the personalized service and local flavor of your favorite hometown race. Race day is all about the runner, from industry-leading shirts and medals to unmatched course support and the best finish experience to be found.
The smooth downhill courses through breathtaking scenery offer the perfect opportunity for a BQ or PR. With a marathon, half marathon, 10K, and free Kids 1K, there is something for everyone at this Arizona favorite.
The Mesa Marathon has a beautiful race course that begins below the large white Phoenix sign painted on Usery Mountain. Marathon runners will experience nearly 1,000 feet of net elevation loss in this fast Boston Qualifier. The race has thousands of parking spots available around the finish at the Mesa Riverview shopping complex. Marathon runners will enjoy the diverse scenery from cactus desert to spectacular views of the Phoenix Valley from N. Usery Pass Rd.
The Half Marathon has a beautiful race course that begins on the corner of McDowell and Ogden near WAXIE. The course descends down to the Mesa Riverview shopping complex. Half marathon runners will experience nearly 200 feet of net elevation loss in this gentle downhill route that is great for a first time half marathon. Half Marathon runners will enjoy the diverse scenery from the desert vistas down to the beautiful citrus groves.
Due to the possibility of cold temperatures at the start lines, all runners will receive a heat blanket and a pair of gloves in their race bags. Gloves may be disposed of in the start venue or at any aid station along the course, but heat blankets must be removed prior crossing the start line. Additionally, outdoor heaters will be provided at the Marathon and Half Marathon start lines.
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Fast course: not ugly but not gorgeous e
Mostly downhill. Busses to the start were pretty smooth. Gear drop confused a bunch of people. I ended up trying to direct people to the correct truck. Too many people … MORE
Mostly downhill. Busses to the start were pretty smooth. Gear drop confused a bunch of people. I ended up trying to direct people to the correct truck. Too many people were trying to drop bags less than 10 minutes before the start. Not the organizers fault but it def stressed a lot of folks out.
The gloves they gave out were kinda cheap; mine had a huge hole/defect. But they did keep my hands warm enough. Aid stations were all well stocked and spread out perfectly.
Not a fan of the red tshirt but it’s no better or worse than others I’ve gotten. One of the best photo ops was blocked off if you had already left the staging area; you couldn’t get back to it without walking a half a mile around the barriers. I was too tired to walk that far so it was a BIG disappointment to miss it. And they made the marathon runners walk THE FARTHEST to get to the gear check. Poor design. Make the 5ks-half marathoners walk after the fact. It felt like torture getting OUT of the race after
Prickly Review: Not Enough Cacti
I am going to preface this recap by acknowledging there are mixed reviews about the Mesa Half Marathon overall, especially when it came to the logistics and parking situation this … MORE
I am going to preface this recap by acknowledging there are mixed reviews about the Mesa Half Marathon overall, especially when it came to the logistics and parking situation this year (February 8, 2025). There were no buses to the start offered for half marathon participants — only marathoners — however, those of us who are members of the 50 States Half Marathon Club were fortunate that our Club President and fearless leader chartered buses for us and took all the stress out of the equation. Aside from the less than ideal logistics for many participants who had to endure the bumper-to-bumper morning traffic and a nightmare parking situation, many runners disliked the course as it was not scenic at all and was advertised as flat and downhill, but it was not entirely. Net downhill, yes, but not pancake-flat.
These complaints, while extremely valid, are not necessarily my own, as I personally was not affected by the parking debacle — nor did the gradual inclines throughout the course really impact my finish time. My chief complaint was I did not like running alongside traffic for most of the race, and it got quite claustrophobic at times with vehicles barreling past us on the right and the elite marathoners stampeding past on the left when the marathoners (who were bussed farther out to start) caught up to us as the courses converged. Now for the positives: the crowd support, post-race festivities, and aid stations didn’t disappoint!
Our charter bus was scheduled to pick us up near the entrance of the hotel, and those of us who elected to be on the second departing bus (there were a total of 2 buses to choose from) were due to check in at 4:50 A.M. to ensure we made it to the start on time with anticipated traffic.
Things got very hairy as our bus merged onto the exit ramp of Highway 202 — while on the exit ramp, we watched in surprise as runners exited vehicles in droves and started walking up the ramp as traffic was at a complete standstill. Several impatient vehicles drove onto the grass median and attempted to squeeze onto the ramp to cut others off, and police motorcycles with lights flashing quickly did their best to put a stop to the exit ramp bogarts.
The intent was to line up in the start chute around 6:00 A.M. for a 6:30 A.M. race start. The race announcer made the call to delay the race start by 15 minutes, acknowledging how terrible the parking situation was and that Highway 202 was still backed up. Once we finally crossed the timing mat, two enormous cold sparklers were lit off on either side — an impressive way to start us off. The weather for this race couldn’t have been more perfect at a balmy 51° F with 58% humidity and 4 mph wind. By mid-afternoon as finishers crossed the finish line and made their way to the finish festival, it was around 73° F.
I decided to stop for a porta-potty break around mile 4. The porta-potty situation at the aid stations was super efficient, probably the most efficient out of any larger race I’ve participated in so far. I was literally in and out of the bathroom in 30 seconds, and my break did not negatively impact my finish time
As mentioned before, the scenery was rather bland and residential, and the only cacti in sight were a single row of smaller ones planted in front of someone’s fence as we ran past a house. I was pleased with myself for getting my wild cactus sighting fix the previous afternoon at the Desert Botanical Garden, because I otherwise would have been extremely disappointed if I didn’t see a single cactus the entire trip.
After collecting my medal, a banana, and a can of water in the finish chute, I made my way to the finisher’s festival. I collected a popsicle, took photos, and enjoyed the music before heading into the hotel for a shower. I thanked myself for booking my room at the host hotel, and got to watch finishers cross the finish line directly under my window two stories below. This is an overall 4-shoe review because the experience was made great with the support of the 50 States Half Marathon Club solving what would otherwise be a logistical issue for me, and I believe the finish festival and expo were both quite well organized. I had to deduct one shoe for the sparse scenery and chaotic race start.
Meh course - good tech
I signed up for this race as part of the 50 state group. This race has always offered transportation to the start line for all distances however, strangely they stopped … MORE
I signed up for this race as part of the 50 state group. This race has always offered transportation to the start line for all distances however, strangely they stopped this year offering transportation for the half marathon. All of the other distances they offered buses. That was a complete miss on their part. Thankfully my 50 state group provided buses to get us to the start line. I stayed at the host hotel, which is conveniently located right at the finish line. The race started about 15 minutes late because of the incredible traffic getting to the start line. I talked to people last year who didn’t make it because of the traffic. That has to be fixed. The course itself was just kind of blah. There was nothing scenic about it. They also had you running down the middle of the road with traffic on both sides. I found that extremely disconcerting. I heard a lot of complaints from other runners as well. I will say I thought the expo was well done. I also liked the tech, the Bluetooth race timing, the AI results review and the free photographs. If you need Arizona, this is one way to do it, but I wish I had signed up for a lost Dutchman. I do like a scenic race.
“Recovery Race”
I needed a race to get out of the cold weather of SD and redeem my last race in IL last fall. This race was well organized, executed, with great … MORE
I needed a race to get out of the cold weather of SD and redeem my last race in IL last fall. This race was well organized, executed, with great post race fuel. The expo had a lot to offer runners even down to a booth with Girl Scout cookies! The area prior to the race supplied to my surprise heaters to stay warm by awaiting the beginning of the race. The roads were well patrolled and wide with all the runners participating. There was an area though mile 8-9 that got a little congested. The weather was perfect 50s.
February in AZ is hot
Very well organized race. It may be tricky logistics-wise as this is a Saturday race with an early start and an earlier bus shuttling to the start line so if … MORE
Very well organized race.
It may be tricky logistics-wise as this is a Saturday race with an early start and an earlier bus shuttling to the start line so if you are traveling from out of town, you’ll probably have a very short night.
Otherwise, this race is really in two parts: ~10 miles with a strong downhill (and a small uphill around mile 6) and beautiful landscapes, and then ~15 miles of flat and boring. Of course the sun comes up when you reach that point and it feels HOT, even in February. The start line was full of porta-potties which sometimes is an issue on the starting line.
I wanted my wife to be able to track me quickly so I downloaded the app and started it on the start line, and it was the best idea I’ve had that day. As expected, it provides tracking (even though the mesa website was apparently down most of the race due to high traffic), but it also provides pace information at every mile, information about upcoming aid stations (“aid station in a quarter mile with restrooms, water and gatorade. Next one in 2 miles”), race tips (“that hill will be over in half a mile”), and -first time I’ve experienced that- tourist tips: I was able to learn about the Saguaros, the canals, the history and economics of the area….
Flat but Boring
This race was the location of the annual meet up for the 50 States Half Marathon Club which is why I chose to come all the way to Arizona for … MORE
This race was the location of the annual meet up for the 50 States Half Marathon Club which is why I chose to come all the way to Arizona for it. It looked like logistics for the weekend would be really easy if you look at the instructions from 2024. Mesa is next to Phoenix so very easy to fly to. The host hotel for our meetup was right at the finish line and in 2024 the packet pick up was near the hotel and there were shuttles from the hotel to the start for half marathoners. This was great as club members wouldn’t need to rent a car and easy logistics were one reason this race was picked for our meetup. However throughout the year changes kept being made complicating things. One change was the expo was now a few miles away at the convention center so we had to rent a car, walk a few miles or car pool. I ended up renting a car as I decided to do a 5K Sunday and took a few other runners to the expo. The expo though was nice, efficient and had a nice tech shirt and a few other items in the swag bag. The most complicated change being this year half marathoners were not going to have a shuttle from the finish to the start but were instead instructed to park at the start and take a shuttle back at the end. This would be such a pain. Luckily our club director chartered a bus for low fee for us. The bus took two trips. I took the early bus at 4am. I had to get up super early which was annoying but other than waiting a while at the start my race morning went very smooth but that was not the case for most other people. I knew some runners not staying at the host hotel who parked at the start and they said it was the worst traffic getting into a race for any race they’ve done. This needs to be changed. I heard they said more people drove than usual which is probably because you couldn’t take a shuttle from the host hotel so more people rented cars than previously. They need to fix this. One thing they should definitely do is provide a shuttle from the host hotel to the start line at least for people staying at the hotel so those people don’t have to rent cars or charter a bus. The start area was set up well. There were lots of porta potties and some heaters. I actually thought the weather was lovely and avoided the heaters as they were making me sweat and I didn’t want to lose water and electrolytes before the race. It was annoying waiting about 2 hours but I had lots of running friends at the start so time passed quickly. The most annoying part was they delayed the start 15 minutes due to the traffic mess. The race normally starts at 6:30. This was particularly annoying as there was going to be beautiful running weather the first hour and then get progressively hotter while it never got miserably hot I really would have preferred 15 minutes in cooler weather. Given the start and pre race was such a s&!t show I thought the race would be terrible but once we crossed the start line production for the race was excellent and it was as well produced as any race I’ve done especially for a race with about 10,000 participants total and multiple distances. How the course works is it is point to point with a different start for the full marathon, half marathon and 10K. The best part about this is all races have the same time limit so this means a really long 6.5 hour time limit for the half. Unfortunately I slipped on ice and fell hard on my back on Monday before the race and wasn’t sure how I would be feeling but knew I could complete 13.1 miles in 6.5 hours. I have mixed feelings on the course. The pros are it is all on closed roads and it is flat. It is technically net downhill but it is mostly just flat. I actually thought it was a little too flat for me but if you like flat it could be a really fast race. My Garmin recorded 20 feet of elevation gain. This makes it the flattest half I’ve ever done. The weather is also likely to be nice and today was pretty beautiful though it got a bit hotter than ideal at the end (though nothing like the heat & humidity of Miami). The downside of the course is it is sooo boring. It is really disappointing scenery especially for Arizona. It is just along a boring suburban main road with houses, business complexes and gas stations. It also all looks the same. I also did Saguaro half in AZ which was one of those most scenic half marathons I’ve done which made this scenery extra disappointing. Production as I said was excellent. There were timing mats, mile markers and lots of aid stations and porta potties on course. Aid stations had water and Gatorade and at least one had Gu. There was also someone giving out mini crumbl cookies which was fun. I also loved they had biofeeeze stations. At one point my back was killing me and I stopped and applied biofreeze and it did the trick to get me to the finish line. It was also really easy to follow and you couldn’t get lose. Spectator support was pretty sparse as the course wasn’t set up well for spectators but it’s a big race so there are lots of runners to cheer you on. One production aspect I think that could be adjusted is eventually the very fast marathoners caught up with us back of packers especially since the half was delayed. This made some of the later aid stations a little chaotic as the fast marathoners are going as quick as possible while I’m using the aid stations to take a walking break and give my back a rest. I’m sure the fast half marathoners also encountered this with 10K walkers. Perhaps have aid stations on both sides of the street with a sign for slower runners to one side and faster runners to the other side. This is pretty minor and did not ruin the race at all and overall aid stations were much more efficient than in Miami. I obviously had a slow race with my back. My goal was to try to finish under 3:15 since that was my time limit for my next race and I just managed to do that. It wasn’t a great finishing time but I was happy enough with it given my injury. The finish line is nice and right at the hotel. I really like the medal. It is in the shape of Arizona so a great 50 state medal. There is a nice finish festival. It had decent food but it was mostly snacks. The creamie popsicles things tasted very good in the heat. I didn’t stay long as my back was killing me and I wanted to go back to the hotel to rest and apply the biofreeze sample that was in the the swag bag. Overall I thought this race was pretty good. If they could fix they parking and pre race logistics production would be excellent. The course was boring but flat. This would not be my first choice for Arizona and I definitely preferred Saguaro even if it was much tougher than this. This wouldn’t be my first choice for 50 staters as I’d recommend a more scenic race such as Saguaro for AZ (I’ve also heard Sedona and Lost Dutchman are very scenic) unless flat and fast is your main criteria for picking a race then pick this one. However if I were local or lived a few hours away I would definitely do this race again but probably won’t travel all the way from New England for this race again.
Lackluster Course and Bottlenecks
I'm local and this was my second running of the half marathon. The planning and fanfare are very professional, on par with a major race. But I won't run this … MORE
I’m local and this was my second running of the half marathon. The planning and fanfare are very professional, on par with a major race. But I won’t run this one again unless there are changes – there are far better local half marathons I’ve run like the Lost Dutchman and Rock ‘n Roll AZ. For some reason the pre-race parking has always been a cluster. This year the parking seemed more sensible, near the start – but the exit for parking was so backed up for miles that it was an extra 50 minutes of sitting in standstill traffic which was a bit stressful since it cut into my pre-race cushion (it’s important to note I was on track to arrive earlier than the race organizer recommended). I saw people running on the shoulder toward the start and I felt bad for what drove them to do that – it’s not how you want to start a race. The biggest issue I have with this race is that the course is SUPER boring…simply blah. Personally I like a scenic course and Arizona has great scenery! But there were no mountain views or cacti in the half marathon, just long roads and beige neighborhoods. I suppose people come for the downhill aspect but it’s imperceptible in the half marathon. Clearly the first half of the marathon is the redeeming draw and I wonder if the organizers would ever make that first half the primary course for all distances?
Great organized race
This was my 18th marathon and this was one of the most organized races i have seen. In addition, the largest and best expo I have experienced. Loved the start … MORE
This was my 18th marathon and this was one of the most organized races i have seen. In addition, the largest and best expo I have experienced. Loved the start of the race up in the mountains and wish it would have lasted more than the first 4 miles. The later part of the race got a little boring as you are mostly running the streets of Mesa. Overall great experience.
Traffic/parking was major issue
Race was fine but there were major issues with parking for the half the morning of the race, which caused a delayed start. We flew in from out of town … MORE
Race was fine but there were major issues with parking for the half the morning of the race, which caused a delayed start. We flew in from out of town and didn’t know the area, and had trouble getting from the race sponsored hotel to the start because of all the road closures. More info on this would have helped. When we finally figured out the route, there was a VERY long barely moving line to get off the highway to the race parking. our group commented that they needed police to direct traffic. The interesting thing was that there were many police and event coordinators in the parking lot, but not at the exit where there was the bottle neck. After finally parking, there is about half a mile walk to the start. The coordinators delayed the start because of the traffic issues, which apparently happens with this race. The course was very easy and flat, but very boring. Expo was good, race finish was fine, no line for the free beer. The fuel stations were great, consistent with plenty of volunteers and fuel (Gu with and without caffeine). Not too many spectators until the end.
I wouldn’t recommend travelling for this one, but if you are looking for flat marathon this will fit the bill. Just plan to arrive very early to park.
Everything was good.Time delay
Everything is good. Great man water stops. My only issue is they delay the start til 645. Already did a pre-run when i found out. Plus, then it was really, … MORE
Everything is good. Great man water stops. My only issue is they delay the start til 645. Already did a pre-run when i found out. Plus, then it was really, really hot in the end. Reading other reviews, apparently, they delay the start often.
Great Race
Mesa is an early morning for runners. With the race starting at 6:30 am, but being a bus to start you need to be at the bus barn by at … MORE
Mesa is an early morning for runners. With the race starting at 6:30 am, but being a bus to start you need to be at the bus barn by at least 5:15. I had to hit the road 4:00. We thought we would be there by 4:30 easily, but surprisingly, getting 10,000 runners (full and half marathon distances combined) on buses caused a bit of congestion. Everything worked out despite me having a moment of panic “oh god, what if the bus leaves without me?”
That was followed by a 30-ish minute bus ride up into the mountains.
The marathon starts in the dark, right as sunrise is happening, so you get some great views of the desert for the first 6-8 miles. After that, they take you around residential Mesa, where there is lots of cactus and orange/lemon trees in people’s yards. Oh and also pools 🙂
You finish at the Cubs spring training facility (same place as bus takeoff) It’s a nice finish. The last mile or so there is good spectator support.
This is a great AZ race. Lots of runners!
good option for an AZ full
Well organized race! The first half is a good downhill through desert/suburbs with a brief incline from mile 4-5.5 but otherwise favorable with good course support. Once you get into … MORE
Well organized race!
The first half is a good downhill through desert/suburbs with a brief incline from mile 4-5.5 but otherwise favorable with good course support. Once you get into the city in the second half, it’s mostly flat. Bring sunscreen as there’s little shade but the aid stations have it if you forget. post race music and vending was nice in the park. lastly, the app they use was better than most with good points of interest along the course. I normally use my own tracking but switched mine off in favor of theirs not long into the race.
Well-organized, great swag/free photos
Did my first 10K at the Mesa Marathon and I'm impressed with how smoothly everything went from parking to taking the shuttle to dropping off/picking up your belongings before/after the … MORE
Did my first 10K at the Mesa Marathon and I’m impressed with how smoothly everything went from parking to taking the shuttle to dropping off/picking up your belongings before/after the race. The photos they took during the race were high quality and free to download. Minimum traffic as well. The 10K course was flat with a slight downhill at the end. The weather was perfect as well this year so I’m very grateful for this wonderful experience!
Revenge of the marathon course
Basically every marathon I've run has a much prettier half marathon course, and the second half of the marathon is a scrubby afterthought. Not this one! We started the marathon … MORE
Basically every marathon I’ve run has a much prettier half marathon course, and the second half of the marathon is a scrubby afterthought. Not this one! We started the marathon in a breathtaking canyon, and the half marathoners had to run in the dry tar-and-sand city.
Expo parking is tight at the Mesa Convention center, but it’s a great touch that some of the vendors are outside, in the beautiful afternoon weather.
Curiously, they load participants into school buses at the Riverview shopping center. There should be ample parking, but remember, the buses stop at 5:15am. They drive you 40 minutes on the highway and dump you on top of a desert hill in the darkness. Heating lamps and cacti are everywhere, a DJ is inconveniently placed far behind the start line, and you start in darkness.
True, the first 20 miles are mostly downhill, interrupted by brief flat roads. The first three miles are down the desert hill, racing past saguaros and mesquite trees. 4-8 are in desert-hill adjacent outskirts where rich people live, it’s really cool. Mile 9 was one runner’s highlight, where almost 50 race signs were planted in a row in the median.
The sun finally kicked in around mile 10, and after that neighborhood, it turned into mediocre cracked Mesa roads. We never ran east, so never ran into the sun, but ran south a fair amount, so bring your sunglasses and sunscreen your neck. (I did neither and got cooked)
At the finish, a nice after race party with plenty of food, a concert stage, and of course beer. I wish they could make the Mesa portion of the race more exciting, but the desert portion was so memorable.
Couldn't ask for better weather
I stayed at the host hotel which is where the race ended . This year there was no bus for half marathon to the start of race. They will need … MORE
I stayed at the host hotel which is where the race ended . This year there was no bus for half marathon to the start of race. They will need to rethink this! 50 states hired a bus to take us to the start. Had the 4:00 am bus so we were long before the race started. . They had lots os space heaters – the kind you see in outdoor restaurants to keep you warm. They had gear check so you could check your jackets and coffee mugs. They had plenty of port a pots at the start of the race and through the race. They get an A+ on this . The Dj that kept us entertained was full of enthusiasm and energy. I was disappointed on the lack of pacers. Last pacer for the half was 2:20 . Did they forget about half the folks running half marathons and spending money are ones who love running but don’t have youth or genes to run under 2:30. Plenty of water and gaterade and gu. Another high for this. No change of getting lost and wide roads to run on. My high was short beer line and four chooses which is why I took this picture of me I front of beer sign. Nice after race band. The course was flat, the weather great, and good race to run. Host hotel had pasta buffet the night before which was great. Book the hotel early as it was sold out. I think between marathon. Half marathon, and 10k there were 10,000 running
Great race with some hiccups
Mesa is a great race for checking off Arizona. Easy packet pick up and great sweatshirts we purchased. Plenty of parking on race morning. The hiccups followed after this - … MORE
Mesa is a great race for checking off Arizona. Easy packet pick up and great sweatshirts we purchased. Plenty of parking on race morning. The hiccups followed after this – there were some unclear lines to get on buses (not clear on which race distance belonged where) and we had to wait nearly an hour in the rain. Once we were bussed to the start, they delayed the race 30 minutes. There were some heat lamps, and I’m sure it’s not common for it to be cold and rainy for this race, but still. Then they started the race before the 30 minute delay! Kind of confusing and chaotic. The course was great with a subtle downhill. Scenery nothing really to write home about – great to visit Phoenix, Sedona and the Grand Canyon after!
Very organized race!
This race was extremely organized. The expo was easy to navigate to and I also liked that there was a coach who offered tips for the course. On race day, … MORE
This race was extremely organized. The expo was easy to navigate to and I also liked that there was a coach who offered tips for the course.
On race day, there were plenty of shuttles so I did not have to wait. We were also allowed to stay in the shuttle because it was raining.
Our race was delayed because it was raining. Good thing they offered heaters that we could stay under to keep warm. The course itself was a gradual downhill with plenty of aid stations. This course is fast and I was able to obtain my BQ on this course. I would recommend this race to anyone looking to run a fast and organized course.
Okaayyy... wouldn't travel for this
Organization for parking was atrocious. It was a total mess. The race started late due to the inefficiencies of the parking situation. Thought I was going to miss the race, … MORE
Organization for parking was atrocious. It was a total mess. The race started late due to the inefficiencies of the parking situation. Thought I was going to miss the race, and was at the parking corrall 2 hours prior to start time. My gear check was ‘lost.’ Someone else found it, thankfully. The ‘scenery’ of Mesa was not good. In fact some areas felt a little scary. The burger at the finish was nonexistent, the line was so long there was no way I’d ever wait in it. For an established race, it sure felt as though total newbies were holding the reigns. I left thankful for the gift of running and ability to move my body. I wouldn’t repeat this race, I certainly wouldn’t travel for it. This was half marathon number 51 for me, so I have been around the block and the country with racing experience.
Underwhelmed for all the hype - boring
I went into this race with such high hopes but sadly disappointed. It was pretty expensive to fly into Phoenix and the hotels were outrageous. There were not nearly enough … MORE
I went into this race with such high hopes but sadly disappointed. It was pretty expensive to fly into Phoenix and the hotels were outrageous. There were not nearly enough supporting hotels with special rates available for so many runners coming to Mesa. The expo was sad with very few vendors or merch to purchase. There were many options of extra shirts to purchase for the race itself. The race shirt was great although I had to pay five dollars extra for long sleeves. The location of the expo was also the finish area. In order to get a secured spot on the bus to the race start – we had to be at the pickup at 4:00 am. That’s so hard because no one feels normal at that time of the morning in the complete dark in a strange place with freezing weather. Also, it didn’t help that it was pouring rain – (which I totally understand was out of their control). At the top of the Half course – there were plenty of bathrooms and a few heaters – but not nearly enough to accommodate the number of runners. The course was net downhill elevation but having done Mt. Charleston – this downhill was not noticeable. The worst part for me was how BORING the course was. Running down the main road of Mesa for 13.1 miles with basically nothing to see. The temps were in the low 40’s the entire time and with being wet also made for a pretty miserable race for back of the pack runners like me. There were plenty of water stops and bathroom. No course support but plenty of volunteers. Photographers were also pretty good. I was too miserable to participate in the after party and the parking lot was total chaos. I’m sad that I chose this for Arizona – should have done the Rock n Roll or Saguaro.
super fast course
This is a super fast course and great for a BQ. You do have to train for a sustained downhill start because it’s a real quad burner. I flew down … MORE
This is a super fast course and great for a BQ. You do have to train for a sustained downhill start because it’s a real quad burner. I flew down the first 4 miles and banked time . My legs were not trained for that so by mile 19 my quads got tight and my pace slowed. Luckily They never cramped and I got a BQ. Overall a great event. It does start super early and traffic can get bad if you show up late.