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Tucson Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Tucson Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.8 
Organization 3.7 
Spectators 2.3
Number of comments: 233 [displaying comments 111 to 121]
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M. M. from Santa Fe, NM
(12/6/2007)
"Small event, fast and beautiful course" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I loved this race and I got my first BQ here. The pasta party was very entertaining. Being allowed to wait on the buses at the start line was also very convenient. I also had the feeling that the last miles were uphill. But except a tiny hill at mile 24.2, the elevation profile I extracted from my Garmin shows that the course was all downhill from the half-marathon point. The long slow uphill feeling at the end was just an illusion due to a milder (but still negative) incline. | |
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C. B. from Minnesota
(12/6/2007)
"Not a fast course" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Tucson Marathons
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 The course has changed significantly and this information was not available to runners from out of the area. Between mile 10 and 14, where they made the course change, it was up and down, which was not expected and disappointing. This event should not be advertised as fast and downhill anymore; it has changed a lot! No indications at the park to get the shuttle bus; we drove up (20 minutes) just to realize that the parking lot was full and drove back to the medical center park where we could have parked in the first place, if there were indications. Then we needed to walk up again to catch the bus. One hour of time wasted. Plenty of hydration stations. Good food at the finish line. My friend was second in her category, so she got a plaque. We needed to search for it and finally we found a lady distributing these awards. If you were able to find her and understand what she was doing, then you would get your award. Very poor award management. Done with Tucson... even though I was planning to run it every year.... | |
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Bob Kroeger from Cincinnati, Ohio
(12/6/2007)
"Disappointing, despite the five-star scenery" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 I run a marathon a month and I ran this race because I had some friends in the area and wanted to experience Tucson. I had read negative reports on past years, but thought that the race director would have improved the situation. Wrong. Even though I qualified for Boston, I would not run this again unless there were major improvements, despite the fact that I would enjoy seeing my friends and this lovely town again. It reminded me of the Grandfather Mountain Marathon - one that limits its entries and shortchanges the runners in almost every way. I would bet that both race directors have trouble getting enough money from sponsors and so they scrimp on amenities for runners. The opposite would be Akron (that also charges a $70 entry fee) that gives a technical long-sleeved Axiom shirt, a one year's subscription to Running Times, gels every six miles, an impressive 5 mm medal, a sack of post-race food, and a free pair of Brooks running shoes to those who finish. That race director knows how to raise sponsorship dollars and he caters to the average Joe runner. So, how could this race improve? 1. Either lower the race fee to $40 to correspond to the dinky cotton t-shirt or give a quality technical shirt to match the entry fee. 2. Give gels at three or four stations 3. Have aid stations every mile (luckily it was a cool day this year, but Chicago should be a lesson to all race directors to have water every mile). 4. Change the route to a flatter section of town. The many side-hill cambers damage the joints and the declines make your quads sore for days. 5. Change the route to start and finish at the same location, preferably one with plenty of parking. This would eliminate the cost of all the buses and the hassle of getting up two hours early, only to wait in the bus 90 minutes at the start. There is ample outstanding scenery in the foothills where the roads are fairly flat. 6. Get rid of the unknown race drink. By mistake, I took it once and almost threw up. Stick with Gatorade or some other standard drink. 7. Again, lower the race fee to correspond with the level of the food or increase the quality of the food to match the race fee. 8. Some music would have helped. Surely there are plenty of bands in the Tucson area that would love to participate on a pro bono basis. 9. Spend a little more money to make the marathon medal different from the relay and the half-marathon. This doesn't really bother me, but I know that some were upset. Also the stick figure on the medal, Kokopelli, a lovely representation of local Southwestern Indian lore, is probably unknown to most of the runners. A little blurb about this wonderful legend on the website would have helped. 10. Publicize this race. Very few knew and even fewer turned out to cheer. There were more fans in Wynne, Arkansas, population of 8,600, where I ran last month. My guess is that nothing will change in this race, but, if it does, the marathon would attract many more runners. The volunteers were cheery and the sparse fans were nice. The Best Western on Oracle Road was outstanding: a five-star breakfast, complementary happy hour, and late checkout. | |
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M. W. from St. George
(12/6/2007)
"Need to update elevation map!!!" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Tucson should be advertised as the race that used to be fast!! I agree with others that the old course is a lot better. I don't have a problem with changing the course as long as you advertise it in such a manner. It's still a very fun race and pretty well run. Tucson was great to visit, but I was surprised at the lack of local support or even locals knowledge of the event. Sorry to say this, but if you're looking for a fast and accurate course, that's very, very well run, look no further than St. George. | |
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J. T. from Bishop, CA
(12/6/2007)
"I hate to be negative but...!" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 Tucson Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 I have run this marathon 4 or 5 times and it seems to need some sprucing up. Before I do the negatives, there were some really good things. The aid station volunteers were great. I missed grabbing water at one critical point and one of the volunteers went back, got some water, and ran back to me with water as I continued running! Thank you!! The guy with the van playing music got me uphill at mile 12-13, no doubt, and the taiko drums were the best. Sorry, now the bad news: As others have commented, there were some good hills this year; this is certainly not the fastest course. Try Logan, UT for that. The pre-race dinner is in definite need of help. It's not cheap, but we were offered not much more then a plate of pasta and salad with bottled dressing.... Where's the dessert? And as other mentioned, the post-race food is also lacking. At least others got peanut butter; the jar was empty when I got in. Some nice person from Clif Bars handed me a bag of Clif Blocks and that was about it. How about a little music or something a little festive at the end? Maybe the race director is tired, and with right. It's a very hard job, and for the most part, this marathon is well put together. Ah, but heaven is in the details and that where it seems to be lacking these days. | |
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T. B. from Milwaukee, WI
(12/5/2007)
"First time.... Eh, whatever." (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 First marathon. The lack of spectators was nice. It was like training. But the elevation chart is misleading. It shows a "steady decline." But there are some wicked ups and downs from miles 10-14. But they were manageable. Well stocked and facilitated aid stations. Great volunteers working them! Thanks! | |
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D. D. from Florida
(12/4/2007)
"Great, beautiful race!" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I LOVED this marathon. You cannot get a more beautiful, scenic course. The transportation, course, start/finish areas, and water stations were all very well organized. The declines and few inclines did not bother me, and I actually find that easier on the muscles than the continuous motion of a flat course. Loved the small-town feel of the race, and everyone was very nice to all the runners. I would have preferred a long-sleeve t-shirt and better food (like hot soup) at the finish line, but the course is the most important thing, so I have nothing to complain about! | |
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Rob Klein from Aurora, Colorado
(12/4/2007)
"Cretainly not an All-Downhill Course" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was not a totally downhill marathon, like many of us thought coming in. A competitor from Ohio named Keith told me at the starting line about the changes for this year's course, and it somewhat frightened me! I then understood that it was changed from last year to include some uphill sections. The website and graphics that I saw must have been from last year. I mostly agree with the comments of Rich Johnson (see Rich's comments below). A young lady I met named Danielle was hoping for a PR coming into this race, and the hills wiped out that possibility for her. That was unfortunate, and there are, no doubt, others with similar experiences. The course of this marathon never actually got to Tucson. It started way up north, then had a stretch of several miles to the east, and then back to Oracle Road - the main drag - and ended north of Ono, as I remember. That is fine, because there were less high traffic intersections to cross. Had I understood that coming in, I would not likely have stayed in downtown Tucson. It makes sense to try to find affordable accommodations somewhat close to the finish line. Also, this is the first marathon I have been at that actually created a traffic jam en route to the initial bus stop/parking area. Police/law enforcement support during the race was well done. The fluid/refreshment stations were adequately spaced and were staffed with friendly folks. They used a beverage called "Comp" instead of Gatorade, and I did not like it as well - and honestly, I did not feel as replenished and refreshed as with Gatorade. The Clif Shots and snacks were a big hit, as usual. (At the end, the Clif representatives invited me to take several extra sample bars. That was cool.) Spectators were not as abundant, as at some similar-sized events that I have participated in. But it was still great having as many folks cheering us on as we did. The weather started out cool, but warmed to a perfect marathon temperature. Overall, I am still glad I ran in this marathon. There are a few refinements that could help for next year's race, like making certain everyone knows the elevation issues coming in. But Pam Reed still did a great job planning and executing this marathon, and making sure everyone had rides. There was plenty of fruit, wraps with peanut butter/honey, and beverages at the finish line. Lastly, I highly recommend Pam's book on her distance running experiences. | |
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R. S. from New York
(12/4/2007)
"No complaints" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I consider this to be my "first" marathon - I ran Chicago but they stopped the race at Mile 17. I did not mind the lack of spectators. The water stations were well stocked, and the volunteers were enthusiastic and supportive as I hobbled in to complete the course in under 6 hours. I was not aware of the killer climb between Mile 10 and 12, and the parking situation was iffy, but overall I had a great time - and thanks to Tucson, I can say now say that I have completed a marathon. | |
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L. K. from San Diego, CA
(12/4/2007)
"Still scenic, but slower" (about: 2007)
50+ previous marathons
| 6+ Tucson Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 I've done Tucson 7 times since 1997. The best course is to start in Oracle and finish at the Hilton. Every change they have tried makes the course slower, and this was the worst yet. I talked 3 friends into doing Tucson instead of CIM and I feel awful! The organization is top-notch, and the scenery is gorgeous, but if you want a PR or a Boston qualifier, do St. George! |
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