From race website: “This rotating event is now in the vault. We do not have future dates planned.”
The Saguaro Half Marathon is a stunning race with gorgeous views of the Tucson Mountains as you run through the Sonoran desert. The race starts and finishes at Old Tucson- an American movie studio and theme park area located west of Tucson, Arizona.
Run through the Sonoran desert on this beautiful trail outside of western Tucson. This course is a hybrid between road and trail, taking you through the secluded Tucson Mountain Park, just below the Saguaro NP West. The first mile takes you down Kinney Rd before you hop on the Golden Gate Trail through lush desert landscape. Return on the scenic McCain Loop and finish at Old Tucson Movie Studio where dozens of classic westerns were filmed.
This is a challenging course that is half road and half single track trail with some technical trail sections. There is also some elevation gain. The solitude and beauty the desert offers make it all worth it. The hybrid nature of the course provides varied views and the opportunity to venture off the beaten path.
We will start and end near Old Tucson. The first mile is on pavement, running down Kinney Rd. Runners will then hop onto the Golden Gate Trail. This trail is single track and very runnable. Watch out for the cacti! The first couple miles are a very mild and steady climb. At around mile 2 runners will cross Gates Pass Rd to hop onto Gates Pass Trail.
Runners will stay on this trail section for several miles. There is a nice little downhill from mile 2.5 to 4. But what goes down, must come up. There is a sudden climb from mile 4 to mile 5. The trail then has some nice rolling up and downs until mile 6. Gates pass connects to two other trails that eventually takes runners back to the road around mile 6.
Runners will run up Kinney Rd, past the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and then turn onto the uncrowded McCain Loop. Pay attention to the elevation profile as mile 6 to 12 on the road has some significant ups and downs.
Once you top out at mile 12, it is a nice little downhill heading south on Kinney Rd back to the finish line in the heart of Old Tucson.
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Get your groove before the trails
Beautiful and fun company who puts on scenic races. Pavement first 7 miles good. Room to run and safe. The trails on the other hand on first 2 miles had … MORE
Beautiful and fun company who puts on scenic races. Pavement first 7 miles good. Room to run and safe. The trails on the other hand on first 2 miles had “take you down ankle busters” with awaiting local prickly spectators. Not sure how many got thru this but they did. I slowed down and walked after not trusting my footing this far in the race to those rocks.
Great Race but TOUGH!
Tough course but Vacation Races always puts on a great event! Don't miss this one! It's worth trip! Scenery is beautiful and it's warm in February! MORE
Tough course but Vacation Races always puts on a great event! Don’t miss this one! It’s worth trip! Scenery is beautiful and it’s warm in February!
Overall my favorite Vacation Race
I have done this run 3 out of the 4 years this one has been around. It’s my favorite all around as it has it all. The scenery couldn’t be … MORE
I have done this run 3 out of the 4 years this one has been around. It’s my favorite all around as it has it all. The scenery couldn’t be better running on the trials & roads that might as well be inside the national park. The area is amazing with the beautiful mountains, perfect weather & plenty of places and things to do. The course is tough but not impossible, you got plenty of time to space out before you get on the trails. The swag this year was the best it’s been! I highly recommend this one for a nice challenge.
Worth the travel
The trail portion of this race was a little more difficult than I had expected. It was pretty rocky with some steep downhills. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous, but I … MORE
The trail portion of this race was a little more difficult than I had expected. It was pretty rocky with some steep downhills. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous, but I don’t think I was able to enjoy it fully because I had to be careful of my footing and watch where I was going on the trail. Despite this, I thought the trail was a good challenge and I did enjoy running partly on roads and partly on trails. The race was so organized and the volunteers were great. I visited from the Midwest and it was definitely worth the travel. Would run it again!
One of my favorite races!
I have done the Saguaro Half Marathon since its inception in 2021, and it is on my list of must-do races. The course has changed slightly from year to year, … MORE
I have done the Saguaro Half Marathon since its inception in 2021, and it is on my list of must-do races. The course has changed slightly from year to year, but always includes roughly half paved roads and half single track trails. The trail portion is challenging, as the trails are quite rocky That said, I have always run in my road shoes with no problems. I highly recommend!
Stunning scenery! Super fun race!
This is a super fun and beautiful race! Highly recommend. Staff and volunteers were very kind and helpful. Aid stations were spaced out well. Race shirt and medals were very … MORE
This is a super fun and beautiful race! Highly recommend. Staff and volunteers were very kind and helpful. Aid stations were spaced out well. Race shirt and medals were very nice quality. Course was well marked and so much fun to run. Especially liked the trail sections. I’ll definitely be back next year!
Hybrid road and trail run
I really enjoyed this race. The elevation in Tuscon can be challenging for those coming from sea level, but it isn't as bad as other races in this series. There … MORE
I really enjoyed this race. The elevation in Tuscon can be challenging for those coming from sea level, but it isn’t as bad as other races in this series. There were some hills but nothing was prolonged. The trail running half of the course was cool and provided relief from pounding the pavement; I don’t normally trail run like that but felt pretty cool weaving amongst all the cacti. The major con for the trail part of the course was that it could be narrow at times, which made passing people challenging (and frustrating if you were behind someone slow). I personally found the trail to be well marked and had no issues staying on course. February is the perfect time to visit Tuscon and Saguaro; the morning was cool but not freezing, and it wasn’t scorching hot by the time we finished. Old Tuscon where the race starts and ends is a great place to hang out for both runners and spectators.
Beautiful scenery but 7 miles of asphalt
Watching the sunrise over the mountains behind the saguaros of the southwest desert was the perfect way to start the race. The first seven miles were on asphalt, which wasn't … MORE
Watching the sunrise over the mountains behind the saguaros of the southwest desert was the perfect way to start the race. The first seven miles were on asphalt, which wasn’t desirable, but the trails for the remaining miles made up for it. The finishing medals are beautifully large. Hiking around the National Park afterward and seeing all the other runners was a great way to feel community and talk to different people.
Tough course, great production!
This course is no joke! The first seven miles are on paved roads and have some rollers with two steep hills. The last ~six miles of the course are on … MORE
This course is no joke! The first seven miles are on paved roads and have some rollers with two steep hills. The last ~six miles of the course are on fairly technical trails. It was a fun course overall that keeps you guessing and “locked in”! No room for letting your mind wander or getting bored here! I would highly recommend this race (or any Vacation Races race). I’m a BOP runner recovering from injury and just squeaked in under the time limit. It’s a tough course for a slower runner, but doable!
Beautiful but challenging course!
Course was absolutely beautiful from start to finish! Be sure to train for hills. It felt like it was uphill the entire way, lol. This was my 3rd Vacation Race … MORE
Course was absolutely beautiful from start to finish! Be sure to train for hills. It felt like it was uphill the entire way, lol. This was my 3rd Vacation Race and as always, VR does an excellent job of organizing every aspect of the event.
Parking was easy, communication was effective, and the course was marked effectively. Post-race refreshments were good, as they give each runner a box full of snacks. As always, VR gives out really nice medals! I think the t-shirt could be a bit better for a half marathon. Perhaps a long-sleeved tee or light jacket would be a nice premium!
Well run, scenic, and incredibly fun!
This was my first vacation race event, and I had an incredible time! Even starting at packet pickup the day before the race, there were tons of things to do … MORE
This was my first vacation race event, and I had an incredible time! Even starting at packet pickup the day before the race, there were tons of things to do and info to pickup along the way.
The race itself was great – a mixture of hilly roads / gravel trails made for a varied and DIFFICULT first time half marathon! The views along the way were incredible – just what you need to keep your mind off the pain. The aid stations were well spaced and well stocked, and the finish line area was a great way to end the day!
The race shirt & medal are very high quality as well. Overall I would definitely recommend this race!
Wonderful First 1/2!
I do not have much organized race experience and this was my first half marathon. Everything about the event was efficient, clear, and well organized. Info about the race from … MORE
I do not have much organized race experience and this was my first half marathon. Everything about the event was efficient, clear, and well organized. Info about the race from signing up to picking up your bib was very easy for this newbie to understand. Everyone was helpful answering my questions and making sure i got to the start line ready to go. And of course the location was gorgeous!
SO much fun!
This race was very challenging but so rewarding! The last 7 miles are on narrow, windy, sand trails through Saguaro. It was BEAUTIFUL and the weather could not have been MORE
This race was very challenging but so rewarding! The last 7 miles are on narrow, windy, sand trails through Saguaro. It was BEAUTIFUL and the weather could not have been better.
Gorgeous scenery
Gorgeous scenery. More uphill than I had anticipated, long gradual uphills. Trail portion was very technical, not a lot of areas conducive for safe passing so just be mindful and … MORE
Gorgeous scenery. More uphill than I had anticipated, long gradual uphills. Trail portion was very technical, not a lot of areas conducive for safe passing so just be mindful and vocal of your fellow runners. It was a well put on race, the announcer was awesome!!! The raffle was a fun element! Enjoyed the awards ceremony. The medals were wonderful! I would definitely recommend this race. You do need to be mindful of the trails for many reasons. It is tough to mark a trail like that, but I felt that they really tried to mark it well. Overall a very enjoyable experience and was beautiful! This race was a great way to start off my destination wedding day!
Tough race but the scenery is worth it
What a well run race!!! Packet pick up was a breeze. The expo was not overwhelming. And the race start corral was great. The give aways were a real nice … MORE
What a well run race!!! Packet pick up was a breeze. The expo was not overwhelming. And the race start corral was great. The give aways were a real nice touch. I wish I would have gotten there earlier for some of the better prizes. The start line snacks and drink were great too.
The race start itself was a little crowded but as long as you lined up where you expected the finish you were fine. The road part of the race was tougher than anticipated. The climb from 3 to 5 was tough.
Once I got on the trail, it was great. Little tough underfoot and some of the spots were purely single track but for the most part you had plenty of places to pass if needed.
The finish was great. Plenty of snacks and hydration.
The one and only disappointing part were the pacers. I had never run this race before and was pretty unsure what my time would be and I lined up at 2 hours. I was running faster than that pace and the pacer was so far in front of me that I could not see them before the 7 mile mark and I finished at 1:59. Some one that was running in the 1:50 group told me that the pacer said we are going to shoot for 1:40. But that really is something that the race director really has little control over once the race starts.
Cool location; difficult course
Race is most difficult because of the trails and, at times, bottlenecks created because they are narrow with many people going through. If running for time, this can add to … MORE
Race is most difficult because of the trails and, at times, bottlenecks created because they are narrow with many people going through. If running for time, this can add to frustration but if running with friends, it tends to be fine.
Tough and worth it
There weren't many aid/water stations likely becasue of the terrian. Beautiful scenery. First 7 miles were paved and hills, last 6 were rocky, sandy, and ... you guessed it ... … MORE
There weren’t many aid/water stations likely becasue of the terrian. Beautiful scenery. First 7 miles were paved and hills, last 6 were rocky, sandy, and … you guessed it … hilly. This race kicked my butt – I walked which I haven’t had to do before. Still loved the over all everything!!!
Gritty grind through the desert
Loved the road/trail mix. Back half is all trail. At times narrow and rocky with a good amount of dips and climbs. Not conducive to finding a steady pace or … MORE
Loved the road/trail mix. Back half is all trail. At times narrow and rocky with a good amount of dips and climbs. Not conducive to finding a steady pace or zoning out. Felt great to accomplish this unique and challenging course. I would not recommend to anyone who’s not familiar with trail running. Can’t beat February weather in Tucson! Seeing the sun rise over the mountains, lighting up the foothills and saguaro forest is the perfect distraction during the ascent miles 4-7. I estimate 10-15min slower than my road race time.
Beautiful course
Beautiful race and sunrise start! Course wasn’t too challenging, more the desert weather I wasn’t used to. Single track was wider than expected. Make sure to stay hydrated! The sun … MORE
Beautiful race and sunrise start! Course wasn’t too challenging, more the desert weather I wasn’t used to. Single track was wider than expected. Make sure to stay hydrated! The sun Beating down, dry heat and elevation higher than I normally train did take a bit out of me. Overall I’d totally do it again
Gorgeous desert scenery, great event!
Yet another fine event from Vacation Races. This race was my 10th different location completed with them. Great desert scenery and beautiful weather. Approx 7.5 miles of paved desert roads, … MORE
Yet another fine event from Vacation Races. This race was my 10th different location completed with them. Great desert scenery and beautiful weather. Approx 7.5 miles of paved desert roads, then the rest trails. A good mix, some rolling hills, challenging parts on the trails. Overall a fun varied mix of terrain, all with great views. Nice finish area. Easy access and parking. A little congested at the start, as everybody starts together in one wave. But after a mile or so it thinned out well. Close to the National Park and many other hiking trails. And not far from downtown Tucson also. Great event!