As with the last time I ran this race, it was by far the most well-organized race I've run. It is a big event, and everything reflects that from the … MORE
As with the last time I ran this race, it was by far the most well-organized race I’ve run. It is a big event, and everything reflects that from the race swag packet, to the directions and parking, to the expos before and day of.
The weather was again beautiful, as was the scenery running through Mesa. Strangely though, this time myself, and my son both ended up having some pretty bad knee pains that eventually become hip pains. Mine started around mile 5, his started sooner. This made at least half of the race not only more difficult than necessary, but actually quite painful to run.
I don’t know what caused it, but since then we have run other races of this distance and had no issues. So I can only assume it was either our gait that day, or this course puts a consistent pressure on the body that I had not trained for.
This definitely affected what was otherwise a positive experience for both of us.
One last other note: I didn’t use the bag check (which I should have). I had a cobra kai warm-up hoodie that I’d become quite attached to, as well as two brand new 3M knee braces I planned to wear. During the warm-up before the race, I realized this was not going to work. So I did what I could to hang onto these items, but eventually I started asking police and volunteers along the course how I could get them to the end of the race. I was instructed to leave them at a hydration station. I stopped and did so, confirming with the volunteers there that my items would get to the end of the race.
I was foolish and mistaken. My items are now lost, which represent at least $100 in gear. After a month or so of back and forth with the organizers, they finally told me these items cannot be found. We even waited after the race at the expo, tried to find the lost and found (which basically doesn’t exist), and eventually gave up after being told that I would have to wait until they unpacked the trailers after race day.
So that was another sour spot. I get that I could/should have used the bag check. However, whomever is telling volunteers that runners can leave their items at hydration stations is setting people up for disappointment and loss.
For the above reasons (the unexpected hip-down pain from this course), as well as my items getting lost; I’m not sure I’ll run this again next year.
Same Great Race This Year, But...
As with the last time I ran this race, it was by far the most well-organized race I've run. It is a big event, and everything reflects that from the … MORE
As with the last time I ran this race, it was by far the most well-organized race I’ve run. It is a big event, and everything reflects that from the race swag packet, to the directions and parking, to the expos before and day of.
The weather was again beautiful, as was the scenery running through Mesa. Strangely though, this time myself, and my son both ended up having some pretty bad knee pains that eventually become hip pains. Mine started around mile 5, his started sooner. This made at least half of the race not only more difficult than necessary, but actually quite painful to run.
I don’t know what caused it, but since then we have run other races of this distance and had no issues. So I can only assume it was either our gait that day, or this course puts a consistent pressure on the body that I had not trained for.
This definitely affected what was otherwise a positive experience for both of us.
One last other note: I didn’t use the bag check (which I should have). I had a cobra kai warm-up hoodie that I’d become quite attached to, as well as two brand new 3M knee braces I planned to wear. During the warm-up before the race, I realized this was not going to work. So I did what I could to hang onto these items, but eventually I started asking police and volunteers along the course how I could get them to the end of the race. I was instructed to leave them at a hydration station. I stopped and did so, confirming with the volunteers there that my items would get to the end of the race.
I was foolish and mistaken. My items are now lost, which represent at least $100 in gear. After a month or so of back and forth with the organizers, they finally told me these items cannot be found. We even waited after the race at the expo, tried to find the lost and found (which basically doesn’t exist), and eventually gave up after being told that I would have to wait until they unpacked the trailers after race day.
So that was another sour spot. I get that I could/should have used the bag check. However, whomever is telling volunteers that runners can leave their items at hydration stations is setting people up for disappointment and loss.
For the above reasons (the unexpected hip-down pain from this course), as well as my items getting lost; I’m not sure I’ll run this again next year.
Fast Flat, Sunrise Race, Good Production
I chose this race based on both the good reviews found here and the large # of people that I follow on social media posting about running this race and … MORE
I chose this race based on both the good reviews found here and the large # of people that I follow on social media posting about running this race and raving about the merits of the race. Having now run the race myself I think I made a great choice choosing the Mesa Marathon for state #16. An interesting thing about this race is how large the Marathon field is compared to the half marathon field. 2200 Marathon runners, 3200 half runners, 1200 10k runners. I think the fast flat course appeals to BQ chasers but I was still surprised that the # of participants at each distance was so similar.
EXPO/PACKET PICK UP:
I was quite impressed with the EXPO for this race. I have run quite a few races of similar sizes and this was one of the more complete and impressive EXPOS. It was held in a baseball stadium, I was told that this was the first year for this. The stadium was Sloan park which is the spring training home of the Chicago Cubs and also serves as the home stadium for their Rookie league affiliate. The expo was held the day before the race with a 9hr pickup window. Parking at the stadium was more than plentiful and we parked close and walked straight inside. The first thing you did was pick up your bib, the volunteers appeared to High School Army Jr. ROTC cadets who while slightly slow were extremely polite and helpful. After my friend and I picked up our bibs we were directed around the concourse towards the expo proper. The first thing you did was cross over a timing matt which let you verify that your bib timer was working properly because it displayed your name, race distance, and home town on a monitor. Next you were greeted by several big signature boards (something I have usually only seen at major marathons). They had 8 boards to sign concerning where you came from, who you are running for, what music you listen to while running etc. Next there was a giant wall with every runners name printed on it where people were coloring their name or doing something similar. There was then a large Mesa Marathon gear sale area followed by at least 30-40 different vendors which lined the concourse from home plate to center field. At the end of the expo they had a large wooden 13.1 and 26.2 that people were using to take pictures. Just a well done expo all around.
Parking/Access: Parking at the same baseball stadium that held the expo was more than plentiful…once you got into the lot. The buses to the start run from 4-5:15 am. They specifically state on their website to get to the parking lot no later than 4:30. We got there at 4:30 and the lines to get in were very long and had me stressing that we would miss the bus. In the end we got parked about 4:50 and made it to the line to get onto one of the plentiful buses minutes later. I strongly advise you to use their advised route to get to the start area and then get to the parking lot early. You can always stay in your car a while instead of getting in line for the start area, save yourself the stress of not getting there last minute. Point to Point races where you have to take a bus always add some stress to a start.
T-Shirts/SWAG: The medal for this race was really nice, it is well made and sturdy and has the race logo surrounded by cacti and Arizona’s state bird. The color of the medal changed depending on the race, Gold for marathon, Silver for half, Bronze for 10k. The medal had what I always hope for in a race medal, it looked good and it had elements to it that were unique and represent the state I ran the race in, I was happy all around in that regard. The ribbon for the medal this year also gets high marks from me. (See attached Photo). The shirt this year was a tech shirt that was very well made and soft. The color this year, I guess has a southwest brown and red type theme but I’d say it is the only thing keeping me from giving the SWAG 5/5 shoes. (See attached photo). I generally wear the race shirt during the race and I did so during this race as well and found it quite comfortable. I also need to make a quick comment on the race bib, it was a bit oddly sized, more a square than a rectangle but I really liked how every bib was personalized with the name of your choice but it also included a blurb at the top that said “4th Mesa Marathon” or equivalent to denote how many times a person had run the race. A nice personal touch.
Aid Stations: The aid stations were well stocked and plentiful. There were 8 aid stations on the half course and 14 on the full. That might be the most aid stations I have had during a half marathon. Every single aid station had water and Gatorade. 3 aid stations had Gu for the half, every aid station had bathrooms and medical attendants. There were also a few aid stations with Bio-Freeze, Fruit and frozen treats. I didn’t hear anything about supplies running out at any time during the race. I was near the front so I was never really in a group, but the number of volunteers was more than enough. My friend who finished in 2:10 around the highest volume times said there there were some real slow downs at aid station as volunteers were filling and handing out cups as fast as they could pour them but I think that was just some bad luck/timing at early aid stations for him and I really have a hard time criticizing volunteers. The volunteers were really clear about who had water or Gatorade. If I could make one critique it would be to have a few more garbage cans 100 yards after the stations so you could have time to finish your drink before trying to toss your cup.
Course Scenery/Elevation Difficulty: The course for the half starts in and around some industrial office park area on the outskirts of town. Not very scenic but very spacious. But it really wouldn’t matter if it was pretty because the race starts at 6:30am and it is completely black outside so you couldn’t see anything anyways. I found plenty of room to warm up. They had a very long start chute with large spacing between pace groups. The course is basically flat. It drops about 100 ft over the course of 13 miles so you don’t really notice it one way or another. The half marathon course isn’t very scenic, although for the first hour it will be too dark to notice. You mostly run through light commercial and residential areas. They have lots of cones protecting the course with lots of police helping to direct traffic so I never felt as though I was running near traffic. Once the sun was up I got a brief sunrise view of the mountains around mile 9. My understanding is that the marathon course starts higher up into the valley and is more a downhill during the first half with some really great sunrise views of the area.
Weather: 48 degrees at the start area which is pretty standard for February.
I’m from up north so I found this to be perfect start weather that wasn’t really cold. If you were cold at the start every expo bag provided a pair of throw away gloves and a foil blanket. They also had a ton of tall propane heater towers that people were standing around. The one time I went up to them I had several rows of people in front of me and I was plenty warm. I’m not sure how the people in front of me didn’t cook. If you are a slow marathoner you might find some issues with the heat around the 5+ hour mark as temperatures by then were approaching 70 but you can’t really do much better than those temperatures in a state this far south in the desert.
Race Management: This Race was very well run, especially so for a medium to large-ish race. I found their website to be the best source of info, they also email you a few bits of advice. Other things to compliment this race on: They had age group awards as well as prize money for top performers. This race attracts elite athletes and has an elite start. I was able to say a passing hello to Molly Seidel, aka the 2021 Tokyo Olympics Marathon Bronze Medalist. Distance running and track and field fans would notice that there were 4 2021 Olympians in the field, very cool to share a course with. They had plenty of busses to take people to the start areas, there was a line to get on but I found it to move very quickly. They had port-o-potties at the finish to use before the bus and at the start, the lines seemed a bit long but moved quickly so I think they had the numbers correct especially if you moved past where they dropped people off from the bus I would say that had at least 100 bathrooms at the start. The start area had a bag check truck by the start line that was open until nearly the starting gun (the website said 6:00am it would close but it was definitely open later).
I know some people complained about it being cold at the start but it was perfect PR weather and they had tons of heat lamps that people to stand around. They had pace setters from 1:30-2:20 in ten minute intervals. For the full because this is very much advertised as a BQ course they had a pace group for every single male and female BQ age group then 3-4 other pace groups for the back of the pack people (Yes, they had 14 different pace groups). They also gave a special BQ luggage bag tag to anyone who got a BQ. The finish had plenty of the usual finish line fare (bagels, water, electrolytes, oranges, granola bars, chips, fruit cups and ice cream). Your race bib also included a ticket for the beer garden at the finish. The finish area also included several vendors, lots of photo ops, a PR bell, a place where instead of just entering your race bib # to see your finish time they gave you a print out of your finish time and place on a nice race logo card stock. There was also a concert happening on the large stage they had set up. They have 6 timing mats set up along the half marathon course which is a lot for a race of that distance but meant lots of stats for looking at your results page in terms of pace and time. They also have free race Photos which they post on their website which I always love. My only critiques: their race app for tracking people is utter trash, don’t even bother with it, eventually I gave up and signed up for text message tracking for my friend but by that time he was 4 minutes from finishing. They could use a little more traffic and parking help before the race but if I had shown up when they told me to it would have been zero stress. Finally they could help themselves at aid stations with garbage cans further from the aid stations and some more pre staged water cups especially during peak runner waves.
Overall I would say this race is a fantastic way to check Arizona off your 50 state list. You won’t find many races that are run better with so many amenities. Also if you are going to run in Arizona this is 100% the time of year to do it and with Mesa being right by the Phoenix airport hotels so getting there was really easy. I highly recommend this race.
Nice, flat PR course
Well organized mega race. Starts early (6:30 am) so you beat the heat. Flat and fast. Nice destination race. Usually cool at the start (52 degrees this year), and was … MORE
Well organized mega race. Starts early (6:30 am) so you beat the heat. Flat and fast. Nice destination race. Usually cool at the start (52 degrees this year), and was still in the low 60’s at finish.
Start was a mess but otherwise good
The half marathon start seemed borderline abandoned. There were no race crew to be found except two volunteers at the bag drop (which moved at least once) The announcer could … MORE
The half marathon start seemed borderline abandoned. There were no race crew to be found except two volunteers at the bag drop (which moved at least once) The announcer could only be heard at the start line. The folks lined up at the 2:10 hr pace mark couldn’t hear anything, no volunteers to pass on instructions or anything. The course itself was well marked and the finish area was well laid out. The app did not work for me, but spectators were able to track me.
Easy and flat course
Overall an easy, flat course encompassing Mesa's variety of residential areas. The course is exceptionally well supported by Mesa's police and city services. This year (2023), the course was changed … MORE
Overall an easy, flat course encompassing Mesa’s variety of residential areas. The course is exceptionally well supported by Mesa’s police and city services. This year (2023), the course was changed slightly and bus pickup and the finish line were in a new location, Sloan Park. Production aspect that could be improved on is parking and bus organization. Also hope they improve the half’s start line wait time (after bus drop off). Waiting 1-2 hours to start is a long time in the dark and cold.
Great PR Course Top Notch Production
The course is great. It is very fast. Miles 0-4 all downhill. You can bank sometime here that you will need later but don’t go out too fast. Mile 5 … MORE
The course is great. It is very fast. Miles 0-4 all downhill. You can bank sometime here that you will need later but don’t go out too fast. Mile 5 is all up hill. I lost about 25 seconds from my average pace here. Mile 6 starts uphill but then pivots downhill toward the end. The rest of the course is flat or subtly downhill. There is some nice downhill around mile 23,24,or 25. I can’t exactly remember. I suggest you stay in a hotel near Sloan Park/Riverview Park. I drove from an hotel about 10 miles out and there was a lot of congestion. It took me over 50 minutes to get to the parking area and I followed their advice of not taking highway 202. This is the fastest course I’ve run. It was even faster than CIM and that is a wonderful marathon course.
Very Well Organized, Fun Race
This is a very fast-paced course. It feels mostly slight downhill and is all road. It is by far the biggest, and most well-organized race I've run. The expo the … MORE
This is a very fast-paced course. It feels mostly slight downhill and is all road.
It is by far the biggest, and most well-organized race I’ve run. The expo the day before and day of is pretty huge. The day of the race, there is no question of where to go or how to get there. The volunteers were very good, and the course was well-stocked.
Mesa Marathon anniversary race
Great, easy, flat and quick course for half marathoners. Full marathoners get to enjoy premium city/valley views as the course winds itself down into the city. The race production was … MORE
Great, easy, flat and quick course for half marathoners. Full marathoners get to enjoy premium city/valley views as the course winds itself down into the city. The race production was among the best I experienced and the 10th anniversary swag was bountiful and top notch. The race directors went above my expectations. Local police, fire and the community gave full support securing the course from uninvited drivers. The volunteers were not only supportive but great cheerleaders. This is a good race for those visiting the valley in the spring. For locals, its a great race stay in shape.
Perfect February race
Gorgeous for the 1st 10 miles or so, the desert is amazing. The rest of the views are kinda blah, but the course is flat and fast. It was SO … MORE
Gorgeous for the 1st 10 miles or so, the desert is amazing. The rest of the views are kinda blah, but the course is flat and fast. It was SO WELL SUPPORTED. That was the best part. Coming from the PNW, I required way more water than Phoenix desert air had to offer, so fortunately the many, many aid stations helped me out. While I HATED training in the cold rainy winter of my state, it was a dream to race in warm, sunny Arizona. I most definitely will come for this race again!
Love this course
This is probably my most favorite course. Fast downhill first half (other than a hill from mile 4-6). And then gradual downhill in second half. This was my second time … MORE
This is probably my most favorite course. Fast downhill first half (other than a hill from mile 4-6). And then gradual downhill in second half. This was my second time running it (2020 and 2022).
Pros For 2022:
Well organized expo
Liked staying on the busses at the start
Fireworks at the start
Fast course
Cons for 2022:
Too hot during second half of race (nothing can be done about the weather, I just wished it was cooler this year)
I’m definitely planning to do this one again!
Must Do Event!
You can’t beat the weather in Phoenix and this event is one of the most well organized event I’ve ever been a part of. 10 years and counting! Oh.. I … MORE
You can’t beat the weather in Phoenix and this event is one of the most well organized event I’ve ever been a part of. 10 years and counting!
Oh.. I run this event without training at all. Have traditionally ran the full, this was my first half. Equally as enjoyable!
Solid, fast point to point race!
Great race - just be prepared to get up early to get to the finish, park ate take a bus to the start. It was colder than I expected (I … MORE
Great race – just be prepared to get up early to get to the finish, park ate take a bus to the start. It was colder than I expected (I am from out of town) and a long wait until the start, but they had loads of heat lamps at the start to keep us warm until the start.
Fast fun course
Well organized nice course with great cheering support. Organizers add funny signs along the way to keep you entertained. Great for PR and BQ and for those simply looking to … MORE
Well organized nice course with great cheering support. Organizers add funny signs along the way to keep you entertained. Great for PR and BQ and for those simply looking to have an enjoyable fun experience.
Best Organized Race
This race is well organized. Communication is great. From sign up to packet pick up to the actual race. Great pre and post race experience. The course is fantastic. When … MORE
This race is well organized. Communication is great. From sign up to packet pick up to the actual race. Great pre and post race experience. The course is fantastic. When running with the app on it gives you a little tour of the city and gives you encouragement along the way. The aid stations are great and spaced perfectly. I will be doing this run annually as long as I am able to. One thing I wish was on offer is a VIP experience like the other race that takes place in Tempe in January.
First Marathon a Success
I couldn't be happier with my first marathon experience! The scenery was beautiful in the first part of the race running as the sun rose into the valley. The volunteers … MORE
I couldn’t be happier with my first marathon experience! The scenery was beautiful in the first part of the race running as the sun rose into the valley. The volunteers were amazing, cheering you on as you went. Appreciated the aid stations throughout the race. My favorite part was the neighborhood that has signs cheering you on throughout the entire mile. It was a good first experience.
Fun, fast race
No big hills l, great expo, lots of aid stations on the course with great volunteers. This was my 9th year. I have ran the full and half. Beautiful view … MORE
No big hills l, great expo, lots of aid stations on the course with great volunteers. This was my 9th year. I have ran the full and half. Beautiful view on both
Mesa 2022
I ran the full marathon. It’s a good race. The expo is really small, but organized. The race started at 6:30 am. The buses drop runners off at the starting … MORE
I ran the full marathon. It’s a good race. The expo is really small, but organized. The race started at 6:30 am. The buses drop runners off at the starting line about 5:00-5:30 am. It gets hot in Mesa, even in February. It would be nice to start the race 30 minutes earlier to avoid some of the sunshine during the later miles. There were plenty of restrooms at the drop off in 2022. There were restrooms and water stops at least every two miles beginning around mile 3. The race scenery is nice at the beginning and not as much in the last half of the race. There is quite a bit of downhill running the first half of the race and then it’s fairly flat the second half. This race doesn’t really run through neighborhoods so it can get pretty quiet out there. The timing system used for the 2022 race had glitches, both in the overall times for some runners and the tracking system. The finish line area is large and the race bibs come with a beer ticket. Water was handed to runners as soon as they cross the line, but couldn’t be found as soon as they moved through the corrals. Hopefully, the finish line area is better stocked throughout the area next time.
Super organized! So fun! No lines at for
Take time the day before to visit booths! Fun photo booths, swag and boot legs. Lots of people on hand after race for stretching and massages. MORE
Take time the day before to visit booths! Fun photo booths, swag and boot legs. Lots of people on hand after race for stretching and massages.
Probably My Favorite (and I've ran alot)
I didn't come away with any negatives from this race. The atmosphere was top notch, scenery beautiful, organized and easy to switch my distance last minute. I thought the swag … MORE
I didn’t come away with any negatives from this race. The atmosphere was top notch, scenery beautiful, organized and easy to switch my distance last minute. I thought the swag bag had some useful items, which is rare, usually just a lot of marketing. Pizza, beer and ice cream after I finished, what’s not to love?
Mid Size Race w Major Production Feels!
This race has to be the best run mid-sized race (2000+ marathoners) in the country and it is FAST! Expo is efficient and I was quite impressed by the marketing … MORE
This race has to be the best run mid-sized race (2000+ marathoners) in the country and it is FAST! Expo is efficient and I was quite impressed by the marketing and swag – just a cool logo! Parking is a bit disorganized in the AM so get there early, but bus ride up was easy, plus the heat lamps at the start were such a nice touch because it was cold. Portapotties were plentiful and cool fireworks show at the start.
Course for the Marathon is ideal for a PR. Nice gradual downhill first half (100-200 foot declines per mile) with one two mile hill climb at mile 4. It gradually flattens out after mile 13 or so, and also I appreciated the long strait aways – helped me focus in the mid part of the race. First part is beautiful desert but it’s a bit dark to see then run through suburban houses – the community also came out and support the runners as well! Aide stations were plentiful every 2 miles or so. I really want to run this again because I cramped bad mile 23 (it was a record high for the weekend) because I know I would have broken 3 hours and PRed!
Personally I liked this much better than a Revel downhill race, because the downhills were straight and gradual enough to save on your effort/fuel and gave you a speed boost but didn’t feel like absolute hell on your quads; wasn’t aggressive. It was an Awesome race! My only complaint was the hot weather, but sadly in 2022 we just had a bad heat wave because I love winter training and thrive in the cold, which is why I chose this early winter marathon to compete. Medals were super cool in 2022 as well! Finish line was well stocked with goodies pizza beer and ice cream all complimentary for runners and a shuttle back to your car was nice, but going up the bus steps after the race was probably harder than the race it self 🤣
I initially planned this a one and done but I think I’ll be back from Vegas next year to run again. Sub 3 is calling my name on this fast course!