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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 51 to 61]
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J. P. from South Dakota
(12/19/2010)
"not an easy BQ course" (about: 2010)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Since the TM bills itself as a fast BQ course, I'll start by saying the net 2200' downhill is very deceptive - anyone needing a 5-10 minute benefit of an easier course for a BQ will be disappointed. Average time for this year's race was 4:24 and many of the elite runners commented in the Tucson newspaper how difficult they thought the course was. As a northerner, the record heat was not beneficial, but the hills along the 3.5-mile Biosphere road stretch really take a toll later in the race. There's a huge downhill at the start but a person has to be at the front to prevent the massive congestion due to the narrow road - I chose to start over 5 minutes after the gun to avoid the mess. And the 1000' elevation drop from miles 14-24 is so gradual that it's almost like running on a flat surface. I struggled to a 3:54, which was 15 minutes slower than my first marathon. But with that said, everything else about the race is well organized. Volunteers were fabulous and the few spectators along the course were great - except for some clown at the 20M mark holding a sign that said, "You paid for this?" What a tool. Met some wonderful runners, including an old guy who started with me that had a fleece hat with horns that he vowed to wear the entire marathon. In summary, a great marathon to run in December - but not necessarily for a PR. | |
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C. V. from Los Altos, CA
(12/16/2010)
"Well run event." (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my first Tucson Marathon... ok, Arizona is now checked off the list of 50. :-) Pam Reed does a great job directing this smaller hometown race. I asked for an earlier start to accommodate my lack of heat tolerance (I am a burn survivor) and she let me start one hour early - much appreciated. The comments below me will tell you much more about the general route, starting in Oracle and finishing in Oro Valley. This year the route reverted to an earlier one, using the Biosphere II road as a short (two mile) up-and-back. Spectators: well, there aren't many prior to mile 19 or so (Oracle Junction on the highway) but they were enthusiastic. Plenty of aid stations, all well staffed. The hill at 24.5 stinks, but oh well. I had not thought about the sand at the finish line area until I read the comments below; I guess it did not bother me. The medal is nice - I think one of the better ones. The t-shirt this year was cotton, not a tech-t. Overall, though, this race is a good value and I have no major complaints. I have also run St. George and I think there are many similarities between these two events. St. George was the faster run for me, but not by much. | |
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K. M. from Phoenix, AZ
(12/15/2010)
"has all of the essentials" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Ran the half so can't speak to the full. Liked the downhill course except for the little hills near the finish. A real drag. Adequate support with fluids and aid stations. Few spectators due to nature of the course. Did run my best half in 2 years. Nice having the bus service from the hotel. Wave start could be more organized with corrals based on pace. Instead it was more of a "first come, first served" basis. Not many frills, but what you need. Cheap T-shirt; they need to go tech. Pleasantly surprised by the quality of the medal. | |
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B. R. from Southern California
(12/15/2010)
"Good Experience, But Room For Improvement" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Tucson Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I ran the marathon this year and in 2008 and the half-marathon in 2007 and 2009. After four years, my feedback pretty much remains the same. I will begin with the negative so I can finish on a positive note. NEGATIVES: Early-Morning Bus Ride To The Starting Line: Perhaps there is a logical reason that we have to be on the bus at 5:00 a.m. for a 7:30 marathon start. If there is, please explain it on the website because it does not make sense to me. I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, one of the guest hotels, and was told by the desk attendant to be on the bus at 5:00. I complied, but the bus did not leave until 5:30. The bus ride took less than 45 minutes, so I was stuck at the starting line for an hour and fifteen minutes. If I chose to catch the bus from the Ventana Medical parking lot, it would have been the same as the last bus left at 5:30. 7:00 Half-Marathon Start & 7:30 Marathon Start: Why does the marathon start after the half-marathon? Can't they both start at the same time, or can't the marathon start at 7:00 and the half-marathon start at 7:30? The temperature was beginning to warm up quite a bit by the time I finished the marathon. It would have been much cooler if we had started 30 minutes earlier. Inconsistent Pace Group Leader: I lined up behind the 3:15 pace group leader, and when the gun went off, he took off. At the 10-mile mark, I was about 50 seconds under 3:15 pace, yet the 3:15 pace group leader was 45 seconds ahead of me. Aid Station Issues: For the most part, the aid stations were adequately staffed and well stocked. One exception was the aid station at the 11.2-mile mark. It was understaffed and understocked. Course Changes: I will not complain too much about the course changes except to say that I wish the course would have been the exact same as 2008 instead of part of the 2008 course and part of the 2009 course. Specifically, I preferred running behind the Bash's grocery store instead of the hills during mile 25. POSITIVES: The Course: With the exception of the comment above, I enjoyed the course. Although there were hills from miles 2-4 and 11-13, as well as in mile 25, the course was mostly downhill and fast (go to the website and review the course profile). Three days after the marathon, my quads are still sore as my legs took a pounding. Make sure to train on some downhills before you run it in 2011. The Expo: For a medium-sized marathon, the expo was good. On the vendor side, there was a lot to choose from. The volunteers working at the expo were very helpful. Spectators Along The Course: There were not a lot of spectators, but those that were out supported the runners. They were enthusiastic and encouraging and probably helped many a struggling runner. Finish Area: Some runners complain about the 100-yard or so finish on dirt, but I like it. It is different, unique and IT IS THE DESERT. Nice touch to set itself apart from other marathons. Recovery Area: The recovery area is pretty open and there are a lot of goodies and drinks to choose from. I was very satisfied. It was much better than I have seen at larger marathons where the entry fees are much higher. There were free massages to those who needed and/or wanted them. Drop Bags: The drop-bag process went very smoothly both before and after the marathon. It takes organization to get it right, and they did get it right. Good job. You wouldn't believe some of the disasters that I have seen at other marathons. T-Shirts and Medals: I very much liked them both. I guess I am just a throwback to the old days, but I am perfectly content with a t-shirt, not a tech-shirt. The t-shirt design was similar to those in the past, but the colors were fabulous. The medals were a nice step up from those distributed in the past. The colors on the also fabulous. Race Director: Pam did a good job, as usual, in putting together a quality marathon. There is always room for improvement and Pam certainly listens to the feedback she receives and she makes positive changes too (the 2010 course was better than the 2009 course). OVERALL RECOMMENDATION: The Tucson Marathon is a great marathon that everyone should experience at least once. I will run it again at some point in the future. | |
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L. D. from Miami Beach, FL
(12/15/2010)
"Great Destination, Average Course" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 I am trying to run 10 full marathons in 2010, so Tucson seemed like a great choice to get in marathon number 9. I've never been to the desert and wanted to combine hiking and beautiful scenery with my marathon. The website suggested the marathon would be down a mountain in a park-like setting, including scenic vistas and a run by the biosphere. Sounded great! We stayed at the Hilton El Conquistador, which is a nice enough resort hotel with a great view of the mountains. The shuttle bus to the start was a nice bus, and although it left at an ungodly 5 a.m., we were able to stay on the bus (with a bathroom) instead of outside. I stayed on the bus until 7:25, dropped my bag off and started running. The course starts in the Coronado National Forest but leaves it in the first two miles. Most of the run is on Oracle Road, which is a main road that runs from Tucson to the Northern suburbs of Tucson. The biosphere road turned around about a half-mile from the biosphere so you could only see it from a distance. The race started at 7:30 a.m. and by 8:30 the weather and sun were blazing - like running in a kiln. Really no spectators but there were water stops every mile with great support and the water even had ice in it (thank you). Though the race elevation chart looks like the race is a steady downhill, there are plenty of rolling hills that make it challenging. All in all, a good challenge but sort of less than I anticipated. I would ask Pam Reed the race director to find a more scenic course - in fact out of all of Tucson, Oracle Road is one of the least scenic! And start the race at 6:00 like the races here in South Florida - give marathoners an extra hour to run before the sun comes up. I would rather start out in throwaway clothes and ditch them on the way than finish that late in the day. On another note, the national parks of Tucson (Saguaro, Coronado, Sabino Canyon, etc.) are amazing and they make this a worthy trip for a marathon. I will be back next year but to try the Mt. Lemmon Marathon up the mountain (22 of the 26 miles uphill). | |
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D. E. from Santa Clara, CA
(12/14/2010)
"Very nice race and very good organization" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Positive: * Nice course; pretty scenic. The uphills between miles 1-4 were a little longer than expected considering that they are not shown at all on the course profile, but it wasn't too bad. * Great organization. The race director and her team clearly knows what they're doing. The bus setup, including the possibility to wait in the bus up until the start, was very good. * Great volunteers. Very easy to get drinks at the aid stations, and all volunteers were very supportive. Negatives: * Do the buses have to leave from the hotels already at 5 a.m.? It was a pretty long wait at the start (albeit inside a comfortable bus). * Finishing on sand. Not a big fan... * XOOD. Although I brought my own drink, I tried some XOOD right before the end of the race to see what it was like. Not really a big fan of protein-loaded sports drinks, and I understand why some people complained about upset stomachs. Other observations (mostly outside the race organizers' control): * Although the race is mostly downhill, the hills at miles 1-4, 1-12 and at mile 24 will affect your time. Go too fast at the start, and you'll pay for it later. * A little toasty at the end (up to 80 degrees when a slowpoke like me finished). Perhaps the marathon could start at 7 a.m. instead of 7:30? It was bright enough to start at 7 a.m., in my opinion. * A lot of people bonked hard! Checking the splits, I finished with people who were up to 30 minutes ahead of me at mile 19. Considering how slow I "ran" (i.e., walked a lot) at the end, these people must have had a miserable experience. Why can't people pace themselves? * If you're a lowlander like me, the altitude will affect you! * If you're from out of town and plan to drive in Tucson, be careful! The older population seems to have a pretty weak understanding of how traffic lights work.... | |
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M. G. from Arizona
(12/14/2010)
"Has improved but be warned: it is not all downhill" (about: 2010)
50+ previous marathons
| 4-5 Tucson Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 What has improved: the expo is easy and more vendors are there. Finally - a new medal! It looks good. Post-race area abundant with food and drink. What needs work: buses to the start got lost again; really??? Heaters and porta-let lines all in the same area with cars trying to go through there; really??? Post-race shuttles back to parking lots completely inefficient. About the downhill course: it does go downhill for most of itbut you must adequately prepare (physically and mentally) for the Biosphere loop at about Mile 9 or so and the nasty uphill at Mile 24 or so. The course is not 100% downhill - just know that now so you're not surprised race morning. Water stops were well-manned and the XOOD actually works well; but they should use different cups for each and serve the XOOD first, water second. Mile markers easy to see but there are no clocks on the course. Weather was great this year and there was a nice tailwind all the way in. You're never lonely out there - enough fellow runners to keep you company. Expect almost no spectators and quiet, desert landscape to your left and cars whooshing by on your right. | |
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D. S. from Red Lodge, Montana
(12/13/2010)
"Great strides made in 2010 (over 2009)" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 Tucson Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I ran the full marathon (for the 4th time) in 2009 and was critical in some of my comments after that race. This year I ran the HALF for the first time. So I can't speak to this year's full, but I can say that my experience with race organization and execution this year was far better than last year. More specifically, the transportation logistics (buses both to and from the course) were immensely improved, in timing, frequency, clear signage, and directions. The gear bag pick-up was excellent, as in the past. The post-race feed was perhaps the best I've seen anywhere: great variety, quality, accessibility, even creativity. The only small hitch I'd note, which applies only to the half, is the somewhat sloppy "wave" start used this year; I'd have liked to see this organized perhaps in order of bus arrival or bib number. Otherwise, I say, "Great job, Pam! You clearly listened to past remarks and found solutions." I'll be back. | |
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R. G. from Strathmore, AB, Canada
(8/25/2010)
"Nice Race - NOT Easy" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 Because this race is held at high elevation, it is a difficult to start off. Although the race IS mostly downhill, I found that the significant headwinds for more than 2/3's of the race (2009) MORE than outweighed the benefit of the downhill. I understand that they are reverting to an older (faster) route for 2010. Buses were good (but made for a very early start). The point-to-point route was nice (if you like rugged desert landscapes). Crowds (no fault of the organizers) were non-existent. | |
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R. M. from Canada
(4/28/2010)
"Bring back the '08 course, or even better the '06 " (about: 2009)
50+ previous marathons
| 6+ Tucson Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 This is my sixth consecutive year at Tucson and the last 3 course changes keep making it slower. I would gladly pay an extra $15 to finish at the Hilton. The temperature and humidity are reliable and fantastic, and this course could rival St George, UT in speed and beauty without the bother of a lottery, overpriced hotels, and iffy weather. |
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