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 …
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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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Beautiful but challenging
My one gripe with this race is how misleading the course elevation profile was. The graph made it look like most of the trail portion would be a steady downhill, … MORE
My one gripe with this race is how misleading the course elevation profile was. The graph made it look like most of the trail portion would be a steady downhill, but looking at it more closely, 1/3 of the graph actually represents like the last 2 miles only 🥴.
It was my first trail race ever. Road portion was hilly but a blast. Trail portion was a mixed bag. A lot of up and down hills, very narrow. I rolled my ankle and because it was so narrow people wouldn’t pass me so I had to keep running at pace and then unfortunately rolled that same ankle a second time and ended up with a pretty gnarly sprain. I finished reasonably fast and the scenery more than made up for the pain, but woof. When they say 4/5 difficulty, believe it.
Great scenery, great race!
This is my third time doing the Saguaro Half Marathon, and it gets better every year! The course includes both paved park roads and single track trails through the beautiful … MORE
This is my third time doing the Saguaro Half Marathon, and it gets better every year! The course includes both paved park roads and single track trails through the beautiful Sonoran desert, and is breathtakingly gorgeous. The paved portion has lots of rolling hills, and the trail portion is pretty rocky. There were ample aid stations, providing water, electrolyte drinks, energy gels, oranges, bananas, first aid, and portable toilets. Vacation Races is very responsive to participant feedback, tweaks the course every year to improve the experience, and their race guide is incredibly comprehensive and helpful.
Run among the cacti
I didn’t have the highest expectations for this race but it was way better than I could have imagined! The scenery was beautiful and we also had AMAZING weather that … MORE
I didn’t have the highest expectations for this race but it was way better than I could have imagined! The scenery was beautiful and we also had AMAZING weather that day.
The road portion was fairly easy, just mostly uphill from mile 3-5.5 or so. The trail was a little harder than I anticipated. What you can’t get from the elevation map is the smaller down/up dips through out the trail. They’re short but steep. It is single track trail but everyone was very considerate and stepped to the side to let people pass.
The new finish was SO GREAT!! Loved finishing in Old Tucson. They gave free entry to all spectators (just needed a wristband) and it was fun to run straight into the main area. One of the most unique finishes I’ve been a part of.
Highly recommend this race!
Beautiful but tough!
I love races put on by Vacation Races, and this one was no different! Communication and race production is awesome! And the courses are usually great! This course was great … MORE
I love races put on by Vacation Races, and this one was no different! Communication and race production is awesome! And the courses are usually great! This course was great but tough-lots of elevation in the first 6.5 miles and then the trail was fairly technical for a non-trail runner. The course was beautiful, though! Running through saguaro country! And I loved the finish in Old Tucson! That was awesome! And my two-year old had so much fun running around the finish area! I wound up grabbing 2nd in my age group, so the extra medal was nice!
Great weekend - start to finish!
The race was in an accessible location from a main airport. Surrounded by great park adventures - the race expo was well organized and the race day experience was great. … MORE
The race was in an accessible location from a main airport. Surrounded by great park adventures – the race expo was well organized and the race day experience was great. I raced as well as volunteered. I was impressed with the race start and finish line set up as well as the aid stations. Everything was well organized. Difficult race for me personally but I loved it. Highly recommend.
Challenging but Fun
This is my second time running this course and it was much improved over last year. It is a fun way to run among the saguaros, but be ready for … MORE
This is my second time running this course and it was much improved over last year. It is a fun way to run among the saguaros, but be ready for hills hills hills! The first two miles are fairly even and just stunning as you watch the sun rise. Miles 3-7 are through rolling hills including 2 big hills. Then you jump off the road and onto the trails with lots of running up and down ravines. Think of it as a trail run and it is super fun! There are a couple narrow sections on the path but they did a great job widening the path from last year. I am a huge fan of Vacation Races. They make the entire day so much fun! I appreciate how many aid stations they have. There are aid stations every 2 miles with water, gnarly, and gels! So thankful. I don’t know how people run with less aid stations. The race crosses the finish line at Old Tucson and it was so fun to be running around a western set with cowboys walking around.
I highly recommend but train on hills.
Beautiful but technically challenging!
Another great half marathon from Vacation Races! This was our first time visiting Tucson and Saguaro National Park. The race production was smooth! From the race guide emailed out ahead … MORE
Another great half marathon from Vacation Races! This was our first time visiting Tucson and Saguaro National Park. The race production was smooth! From the race guide emailed out ahead of time and packet pickup the day before, to the course aid stations and finish line, it was a great time! The first 7 miles are on pavement, but there are many hills. Once you hit mile 7, you are all on trail, and this is where it can be technically challenging. Many people chose to walk this section of the trail, but for those of us who wanted to run a bit, it was hard to pass since the trail was so narrow. Lots of rocks so you had to keep your eye on the trail. Cactus on both sides so also had to be careful not to hit those! But the scenery was amazing! Race started just as the sun rose and we had perfect weather – 47 degrees to start, warming up to the low 60’s at the finish. Aid stations were placed about every 2 miles and since this is a cup-free event, you had to bring your own hydration or pull out your re-useable cup for Gnarly or water. Finish line ended in Old Tucson, which was an old movie studio. So much fun! Medals and t-shirts were fantastic (as always with Vacation Races). Would definitely recommend this race to anyone!
Beautiful Course!
Vacation Races does an exceptional job of organizing and hosting running events in the most beautiful places and this was no exception. The desert landscape was even more beautiful than … MORE
Vacation Races does an exceptional job of organizing and hosting running events in the most beautiful places and this was no exception. The desert landscape was even more beautiful than I anticipated. Trail shoes were the right choice for the course and pre-race communications were helpful for setting course difficulty expectations. Race medals, shirts, etc, were awesome and the race personnel/volunteers were friendly and helpful.
Run and Visit Saguaro National Park
Everything from packet pick up to the finish line ran smoothly. Aid stations had everything needed. Race swag was great plus they have many additional options for purchase including a … MORE
Everything from packet pick up to the finish line ran smoothly. Aid stations had everything needed. Race swag was great plus they have many additional options for purchase including a shirt with everyone’s names on the back. The course itself was a bit challenging with uphill portions on the road and rugged trail but it was well marked and had photographers in several spots. Overall I had a ton of fun and a great trip to Arizona.
First Time with Vacation Races!
This was my 3rd half marathon and my 1st experience with Vacation Races! I had a great time and would definitely do another race through Vacation Races again. The Saguaro … MORE
This was my 3rd half marathon and my 1st experience with Vacation Races! I had a great time and would definitely do another race through Vacation Races again. The Saguaro Half was beautiful and super challenging with the loose rock trails. I’m grateful for the dreamy 50 degree temps to get the race started. I loved the aid stations and the during every mile, the host of the race would come on my race joy and talk about interesting facts about the desert! I learned a ton. This was race well organized and very communicative the whole way through. It was gift to be so connected to my self and nature during this run. I also loved the zero-waste mindset and land acknowledgment that Vacation races provided.
Thrilled by the improvements from 2022
I had a nice race in 2022, but there were a few issues like the med team being unprepared and too many falls on the technical portion. This year VR … MORE
I had a nice race in 2022, but there were a few issues like the med team being unprepared and too many falls on the technical portion. This year VR clearly took all the feedback given and seriously turned this into a 5 star race. The Old Tucson finish was unique and so much fun (petting baby goats at the finish?!) Also the swag from VR is always great.
My first chip-timed half
Beautiful scenery on a challenging route, well-organized and wonderfully supported race with frequent aid stations with water, electrolytes, sometimes oranges, and portapotties. I really like the no disposable cups policy. … MORE
Beautiful scenery on a challenging route, well-organized and wonderfully supported race with frequent aid stations with water, electrolytes, sometimes oranges, and portapotties. I really like the no disposable cups policy. Crossed the finish line in tears and was so grateful for chocolate milk and a box of recovery snacks to try. Everyone I talked to was really friendly, whether they were other racers or race organizers. I will definitely do more VR races!
What an amazing National Park
What a fantastic race , the scenery is spectacular , this is not an easy course , lots of uphill and the single track is tough. The aid stations were … MORE
What a fantastic race , the scenery is spectacular , this is not an easy course , lots of uphill and the single track is tough. The aid stations were fully stocked with happy volunteers
Beautiful & Challenging
I love Vacation Races so I wanted to do one of their races for Arizona. I chose this specific race over the other vacation races in Arizona due to its … MORE
I love Vacation Races so I wanted to do one of their races for Arizona. I chose this specific race over the other vacation races in Arizona due to its convenient location. Most vacation races are in remote areas which can be expensive and time-consuming to travel to but this one is in Tucson and very easy to get to. Vacation Races emails a pre-race packet that has absolutely everything you need. There were some road closures for the race so definitely make sure you read the packet before driving there. I arrived in Tucson Thursday and picked up my packet Friday. I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express which was about 15 to 20 minutes from the race start. Packet pick-up and the race start/finish is in Old Tucson. There were volunteers directing packet pick-up parking and it went smoothly. You get a very nice tech shirt along with bib. You can also pick up your reusable hydroflask for aid stations and there are booths to buy other race merch along with a few vendors. Race day morning was easy. It sounds like they listened to feedback from last year and parking was very organized and easy. I had absolutely no issues getting into and out of the venue and there were volunteers directing you exactly where to park. The only minor issue which is not a complaint about the actual race production is that I was having one of those mornings where I kept forgetting things and arrived a little later than I was planning and did have to park a bit away from the start so if you want to park close to the start arrive early. Start was organized with pacers. There were a couple thousand runners and no specific waves. I just hung out near the back since I knew this would be a tough race and was planning to take it slow and enjoy the scenery and avoid injury. This is a very tough race. This year vacation races did a good job advertising how challenging it is. I don’t mind challenging races if I am warned ahead of time, the scenery is great and there is a long time limit so the difficulty did not bother me. I know in the first couple years they didn’t rate it as difficult as it was on the website and it surprised a few runners but I was prepared. The first about 7.5 miles are on road. This part isn’t super challenging but there are some steeper hills and it is not the easiest road course. Weather was beautiful and so was the scenery. The entire course was lined with cacti and southwestern scenery. They also had about half the road coned off for runners so there was plenty of space to find you pace and spread out which made the trail less congested. My plan (which is the best race strategy for this race) was to bank time by pushing myself harder on the road and taking the trail easier so I wore road shoes planning to run most of the road and walk most of the trail. This is a good back of the pack strategy. The final 5.5 miles are trail. The trail section is rather technical in places. We were spread out enough I didn’t have many issues with passing people. A few portions are very narrow with lots of rocks and cacti to avoid but there was always a wider section you could pass someone soon after. There were a few more runnable sections. There wasn’t any major hills on the trail. If you had good trail training and good trail shoes it would be pretty runnable. I have been overcoming injury and focusing more on getting my road speed back before working on trail running and the last thing I wanted was another injury so I did a lot of hiking this part. I had banked enough time that there was no way I would be over 4 hours even with just hiking. The trail section is also beautiful. I think this was the second most scenic half I’ve done after Grand Teton. There were also plenty of aid stations which was great since it got a little hot on the trail though never uncomfortably or dangerously hot. The aid stations are cupless with jugs of water and gnarly electrolyte also in jugs. For these races I always carry a handheld water bottle for water and use the hydroflask for electrolyte drink. There were Honey stingers gels at most if not all aid stations along with fruit at some. All aid stations also had porta potties. The finish line was at Old Tucson which is the old movie studio that is now a theme park. It was one of the best finishing venues I’ve seen. A really cool place to end and take post race photos. Plus you got to enjoy Old Tucson. The best part is they had a petting zoo so I got to pet some goats and a pig since I love farm animals. At the finish line you get your medal. Vacation races have some of the best medals along with a box of snacks. My finishing time was exactly what I expected. It was not great but given the difficulty of the course I felt it was pretty good and I wasn’t much slower than last week and this was a much harder race. Overall this was an excellent race. It was one of my favorite half marathons. As long as you don’t mind a challenge I would definitely recommend this race for Arizona or just in general if you are looking for a fun race-cation. I would actually love to come back after I finish my 50 states as I would love to do the race again and have more time to explore Tucson and Southern Arizona.
Great race, beautiful scenery,
Combination of road and trail race, can’t get bored running this race since scenery is so beautiful, race started on time, well organized, definitely recommending to anyone who likes running … MORE
Combination of road and trail race, can’t get bored running this race since scenery is so beautiful, race started on time, well organized, definitely recommending to anyone who likes running
What an experience!
Loved it! The course was challenging, but the abundance of aid stations made my run great. The volunteers were awesome! Vacation Races has great organization and is always on point. … MORE
Loved it! The course was challenging, but the abundance of aid stations made my run great. The volunteers were awesome! Vacation Races has great organization and is always on point. Highly recommend.
Quad Killer
Great destination race, expo was easy and Vacation Races does a fantastic job communicating all the information clearly, even how to remove cacti. The first seven miles was on rolling … MORE
Great destination race, expo was easy and Vacation Races does a fantastic job communicating all the information clearly, even how to remove cacti.
The first seven miles was on rolling hilly road, nothing too steep or long but constant. The next six miles was on similar rolling hills but it was on rocky sandy trail. The finish line was special being able to finish inside “Old Tucson” a movie set and amusement Park.
Great weather, nice scenery and spectacular event!
Time was slower due to lack of training, rolling hills and rocky terrain.
Hills, hills and hills!
Definitely an incline most of the way with beautiful mountains and saguaros all around. Running from and to Old Tucson was very cool. Trail portion is technical and rocky! All … MORE
Definitely an incline most of the way with beautiful mountains and saguaros all around. Running from and to Old Tucson was very cool. Trail portion is technical and rocky! All in all a great but tough course.
Incredible scenery; superb production
Fantastic, scenic race course through the desert! First 7 miles have some long hills. Trail segment is hilly and rocky, especially the first 1.5 miles. Tough trail course — but … MORE
Fantastic, scenic race course through the desert! First 7 miles have some long hills. Trail segment is hilly and rocky, especially the first 1.5 miles. Tough trail course — but I’m not an experienced trail runner! Very well organized and produced event!
Rugged Race through the Desert
The trail portion is very difficult. Loose sand and rocks on top of hard pack, lined by cactus. The down hills are to short to help with the up hills. … MORE
The trail portion is very difficult. Loose sand and rocks on top of hard pack, lined by cactus. The down hills are to short to help with the up hills. The Road portion helped make up for this, except it was first! Not for the faint of heart but very very worth it! After all growth happens outside your comfort zone.