Net downhill courses along the foothills of the Santa Catalina mountains run since 1969. The full Marathon, 50K & Marathon Relay start at Biosphere 2 near Oracle and run down past Catalina, through Oro Valley and finishing at Pima Community College Northwest Campus. The Half Marathon starts at Golder Ranch …
MORE
Net downhill courses along the foothills of the Santa Catalina mountains run since 1969. The full Marathon, 50K & Marathon Relay start at Biosphere 2 near Oracle and run down past Catalina, through Oro Valley and finishing at Pima Community College Northwest Campus.
The Half Marathon starts at Golder Ranch Fire Administration in Catalina and runs down through Oro Valley, join The Loop Bike Path next to the Cañada del Oro to the finish at Pima Community College.
Join for a beautiful winter weather and a fast downhill courses!
Marathon & Marathon Relay Courses
The marathon runners line up at the spectacular and storied Biosphere 2 near Oracle, AZ running on some rolling hills until the course reaches Oracle Road / SR 77. Traveling along the majestic Santa Catalina Mountains, through the quaint towns of Catalina and then down into Oro Valley, the course brings the runners along the Canada del Oro River Bike Path to the new finish at Pima Community College Northwest Campus. For those who do not want to tackle the longer distances, the Marathon Relay requires four runners, each running a proportionate leg of the marathon course. (50 Team Limit)
Half Marathon Course
The Half Marathon now starts at Golder Ranch Fire Administration Building (former finish) and follows the second half of the marathon course into Oro Valley and along The Loop bike path. Both the Full and Half Marathon events are USA Track & Field certified and all results are sent directly to Boston.
50K Ultra Course
The 50 kilometer course is now USATF Certified and follows the Marathon course with a new addition extending to Ted Walker Park and back on The Loop bike path.
LESS
Beautiful down-hill race
This race made me fall in love with Tucson. Amazing host hotel, beautiful weather and scenery, and very nice people. I was a pacer for Beast and paced the 4:40 … MORE
This race made me fall in love with Tucson. Amazing host hotel, beautiful weather and scenery, and very nice people. I was a pacer for Beast and paced the 4:40 group, but would love to come back and race this one.
Fast Course but Hot & Sunny
Buses to the start were a bit confusing. Pre-race instructions did say that there would be two different pick-up locations at the shopping mall, but in the dark with no … MORE
Buses to the start were a bit confusing. Pre-race instructions did say that there would be two different pick-up locations at the shopping mall, but in the dark with no signs so one person on my bus needed to be dropped off early because he got on the wrong bus. Pre-race instructions also did not say that the marathon/50k bus would take a full 30 minutes to arrive at the start. Since this is a desert race, the temperature increased about 25 degrees over the course of 5 hours, and there was no shade on course. The course itself is easy with some incline in the first mile and very slight downhill for the remainder of the course. The majority of the race is along one road that becomes more busy and loud the later in the day and closer we got to Tucson. The landscape did not change. There were few places for spectators, but they did a great job when they could. One aid station ran out of electrolytes. The finish did, thankfully, have shade and there were snacks (granola bars, chips, fruit) for finishers.
Hottest 12/14 on record!
The beginning of the race is uphill then it's downhill mostly the remainder of the course. It's meant to be a fast course, and it is! Today was just the … MORE
The beginning of the race is uphill then it’s downhill mostly the remainder of the course. It’s meant to be a fast course, and it is! Today was just the hottest 12/14 on record since 1928! The heat played a factor today. Great views, very isolated landscape.
Cool Fast Course
When its great you say it is great, when its not you suggest. I have done this race 20 +- times over the years , both races. So, packet pick … MORE
When its great you say it is great, when its not you suggest. I have done this race 20 +- times over the years , both races. So, packet pick up was a little irritating, had to go back three times, no clear direction from the volunteers. Parking and buses was confusing, they really need big good signage. Buseswere good and already warmed up. Start temps were 50+ degrees. The Fire station is a great start place for the 1/2 marathon. Aid stations are standard and fully staffed. Start and finish are well staffed, busing back to the parking is 100% on the money. The course is fast, no traffic issues, the only issue on the course is the bicycles. They should not be there. Results come in fast.
Great race, few hiccups
Tucson is a great place to have a race. Fun laid back town, with some interesting tourist sights. Didn’t love the race resort where buses pick up. Pricy, No EV … MORE
Tucson is a great place to have a race. Fun laid back town, with some interesting tourist sights. Didn’t love the race resort where buses pick up. Pricy, No EV charging, no complimentary late checkout. Bus pick up was organized. Bus ride up to the Biosphere II. Sufficient porta Johns. You can hang out inside the biosphere museum. Nice temperatures (although AZ sun can be fierce even in Dec). No gels or gummies. Some uphill at the start and then down or flat. No big party at the end. Friendly folks along the course.
Worth the trip!
A well organized race. Lots of well staffed water stops. Lots of police at every inresection directing traffic and keeping runners safe. If you like mountains, dessert, and cactus as … MORE
A well organized race. Lots of well staffed water stops. Lots of police at every inresection directing traffic and keeping runners safe. If you like mountains, dessert, and cactus as your scenery you will love this race. Big change in temperature from start to finish. 44 degrees at the start and 74 degrees at the finish. The Arizona sun made it feel even warmer. More than a few runners did not adjust to the temperature change and needed medical support. Buses to the start ran very smoothly. Plenty of snacks at the finish line. I personally prefer more of a post race party with music, beer, etc. The inluded race shirt was ok, but the colorful Tuscon marathon shirts for sale at the expo were a must buy. All in all, a fun, worthwhile trip for me. If you need an Arizona marathon. This is a good one.
Organizational excellence - no NB awards
I get anxious before races, I get performance anxiety before anything I am invested in and I train hard for this race so I really wanted to do my best. … MORE
I get anxious before races, I get performance anxiety before anything I am invested in and I train hard for this race so I really wanted to do my best. I trained for Chicago marathon this year but did not run because I got injured. This race was a consolation so I trained for Tucson Half Marathon with a different approach focused on strength with help from my really cool PT Daisuke. I ran less but did more intense workouts and did a lot of strength training. I was basically sick the day before with stomach issues, and exhaustion from anticipatory anxiety. There was not an expo just a well organized packet pick up, at a very picturesque resort, there was a steep hill down from the parking to the pickup location which got me worried because this is a downhill course, everything went smoothly.
We made our own pasta and arugula dinner, and went to bed at our usual time, the dinner settled my stomach and I could barely stay awake. I slept well and we woke up around 4am and I ate my usual pre race magic breakfast and a weak coffee because some of my gels have a lot of caffeine. I have been on decaf for a while which amplifies the effects of caffeine. We drove to the bus pickup, and there was plenty of parking and, even better there were porta potties at the bus pickup, which i used, this is a first for a race and I give the race organizers high marks for doing this. Buses were on time and being loaded and leaving. Bus was comfy and were at the start in less time then they had estimated when we had asked them how long the bus ride would be at the bib pickup.
The start area had a good amount of potties, also there was water, and other supplies, and fun music, and volunteers there keeping things organized and announcing stuff.
We danced to stay warm and warmup between using the potties again. Bag drop was a bit of a crowd at first because there was just one person taking the bags but they were obviously an athlete and the bags were flying.
All that great logistics meant I was at the start and feeling ready, with time to adjust myself, put my warm layers in the donation box and get my watch to connect to GPS. All in all this was one of the best pre race experiences I have had and I have run a ton of races big and small, I give them five stars for seamless pre race organization, transportation and logistics.
I was running the half, and the course was lovely, and not nearly as steep as I had worried. I know they changed it at the last minute to include less road and more bike path, but the first part is on the road, heading gently down was the best, with the mountains and morning sky fanning out around us, the conditions were pristine and there was this quiet awe at how lucky we all were to be there. The pictures really did not capture the desert light and palpable beauty.
It was on the cool side around 40, or so, so I was very glad I had warm layers. But I did not feel cold, and there was basically no wind, which I had noticed is a thing in Tucson while I was there. I lost myself in the ease and vistas of first part of the Half, the big gently downward rolling road with wide open mountains and rosy morning skies just made it like a dream.
I hit my stride and it was great to have no mentally demanding course challenges. There was regular water and electrolyte drink well spaced. I carry my own nutrition so I hit up the water and they handed it out like pros and always with cheers and good vibes.
It seemed like about a third of the way or less the course went off onto a bike path, which had a lot of ups and downs and twists and turns as well as going under roads which meant there were several abrupt hilly bits where i ran under/over a bridge, there were also some tight turns and corners. Thankfully, whenever there were ambiguous corners there were always volunteers cheerfully keeping us on track. I was running alone a lot so it was great to not have to second guess where I was going when I came to a fork. Running on the bike path was much flatter and more challenging of a run than down the undulating road, and for me it was mentally quite tiring, my pace fell off and I had to work to stay focused, not being able to see far ahead and no longer feeling the downhill even though it actually is threw me off my game. At several spots there were groups of spectators cheering, even though there was some space between me and other runners they made a point of cheering enthusiastically for each runner, someone yelled “you are beautiful” to me, and that made my day. I got a cramp in my stomachs and lost myself focus so I misjudged the last few miles and held back thinking I had seen that the finish had several sharp turns on the course map, but after the first turn off the bike path I could see the finish line right up ahead, and I had a LOT left in the tank, which was a bummer, I surged tot he finish wishing I had pushed harder in the last 3 miles.
The finish area was well done. I was immediately handed a water, they get another gold star for that, I can’t tell you how many races have water all throughout the course and leave you thirsty at the end. They also had a long line of chairs after where they give you your finisher medal. So I sat there and loosened my shoe laces. They had bagels, oranges, bananas, cookies and lots of other snacks. I came in 35th overall and I exceeded my goal of 1:24 so I was trying to celebrate that, but given how I felt at the end like I left this untapped well of speed and so much left over in the end I knew that I could have run the whole race much harder, but I tried to be okay with my effort. They had age group awards but nothing for the nonbinary division. I went to the awards table and asked about nonbinary awards, they acted surprised and were very charming and said they would look into it, but it hardly seems like an oversight to have a table full of awards for every age group and not even have a coaster for the entire category of nonbinary athletes.
All in all the Tucson Half Marathon is one of the most enjoyable and well put together race experiences I have ever had. I highly recommend it. If the race organizers read this please consider that having a nonbinary division does not mean that then you can just treat us like we are invisible. We train and compete just like everyone else and we deserve equal treatment.
Got my BQ!
As advertised, great course to run when wanting to go for a BQ. The course had some moderate uphill first few miles but after that was mostly slight decline all … MORE
As advertised, great course to run when wanting to go for a BQ. The course had some moderate uphill first few miles but after that was mostly slight decline all the way down to the finish line. There were a few spots towards end of race as you ran under overpasses that had some uphill but luckily for short distances. Great volunteers throughout course with water and Gatorade and some fruit at stops towards end. No goo on course but luckily ran quick enough that I had enough to take me to the finish. You run parts along main thruway but runners have a good running space between cones and edge of road. Great support by police with traffic control. Expo was very basic with not a lot of vendors and a quick pass through. Shuttle bus for hotel guests was super convenient and nice buses to relax on the ride out. Absolutely recommend if you are looking for a faster course with nice scenery and great weather in December
Fast, fun and well organized
This is a well organized and fun race with perfect weather and a fast downhill course! If you like road races and are looking to PR this is the race … MORE
This is a well organized and fun race with perfect weather and a fast downhill course! If you like road races and are looking to PR this is the race for you. This race is just big enough so you’re not alone without being huge. The communication from start to finish is great and the shuttles to the start line are well organized.
Also something unique was that you can actually sit down inside the Biosphere 2 before the race starts to relax and prepare instead of being cold outside for an hour.
Also it’s not really that cold to me coming from Colorado but I know 40s are cold to some.
The aid stations are perfectly spaced out even though there aren’t really any big crowds along the route. I think it’s because you’re running along the side of the road for 90% of the race. I was good with that and the road was solid but others might want more.
The medals were killer and I loved the host hotel and shuttles.
This was my first ultra, but the course was so fast my splits were amazing and it was my third fastest marathon time. I’d also recommend this to anyone thinking of doing more than a marathon because of the generous 8-hour time limit. Also don’t let the downhill course fool you because there are a few little uphills. They’re not that bad and are actually kind of fun between the big downhills. Just know that going in
Seriously Well Done Race Today
I have been running this race for 31 years, Best job ever today, Good aid stations, well organized, good busses, great new course, now point to point and no loops, … MORE
I have been running this race for 31 years, Best job ever today, Good aid stations, well organized, good busses, great new course, now point to point and no loops, Marathon and 1/2 finishes together. Separate start locations. Same time starts. Weather was perfect again.
Generous Cut Off
Pros: Can double with Hoover Dam and/or Quad Keyah to knock out multiple states, mainly downhill, pacers provided, 7 hour cut off with quite a few walkers/pack of the back … MORE
Pros: Can double with Hoover Dam and/or Quad Keyah to knock out multiple states, mainly downhill, pacers provided, 7 hour cut off with quite a few walkers/pack of the back runners, race photos, shuttle to and from parking
Cons: Direct sun for a good chunk of the race with no shade
Great “one-way” race.
Great scenery and mostly downhill, but love races that are not an out and back. Shuttle to the start (and you can wait in the bus to stay warm) and … MORE
Great scenery and mostly downhill, but love races that are not an out and back. Shuttle to the start (and you can wait in the bus to stay warm) and shuttle back to the car. Great people working the race. Many water stops. Great race all around.
Great production and scenic start
The first 8 miles are beautiful. On the side of a highway but still beautiful. The production was seamless with the warm shuttles and air stations throughout. Basically zero swag … MORE
The first 8 miles are beautiful. On the side of a highway but still beautiful. The production was seamless with the warm shuttles and air stations throughout.
Basically zero swag to mention and no energy gels at the aid station but enjoyed it and will do it again next year.
Just another run
This race on an organization level has improved over last year. Busses and staff were perfect. The course is rather boring for me. Maybe for out of town folks it … MORE
This race on an organization level has improved over last year. Busses and staff were perfect. The course is rather boring for me. Maybe for out of town folks it would be better. Finish area was perfect, well done, staff had it together for sure. The Medal was very plan Jane. We have so much here, Big horn sheep, mountain lions, Owls, hawks, bobcats and 16 mountain ranges that surround us. It looks to me that with a little effort a super cool medal could be made.
Good Net Down Marathon
A fine marathon for anyone already living in the area. Net down without being aggressively down the whole time, great weather, organized well enough, mostly along one highway but cool … MORE
A fine marathon for anyone already living in the area. Net down without being aggressively down the whole time, great weather, organized well enough, mostly along one highway but cool mountain views.
Had a great time
This was a great race, well organized, good course, perfect weather. I would recommend to anyone looking to do a race in December. I convinced my wife to run the … MORE
This was a great race, well organized, good course, perfect weather. I would recommend to anyone looking to do a race in December. I convinced my wife to run the half marathon while I ran the full, we both had a great time. Course did not have any gels at the numerous water stations so we just packed our own, great downhill course, tougher finish but not too bad. Drop bag was great and pickup was easy. Lots of great places to stay around Oro Valley we really enjoyed our time in the area.