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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 61 to 71]
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D. F. from Boulder, CO
(1/29/2010)
"Still a good BQ, but..." (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I have read a lot of the comments, and I agree mostly. The top five negatives are summed as such: 1) The new course is slower than old one (according to this website, the Tucson Marathon went from a perennial top-five Boston qualifier to 29th in 2009 - a huge drop). 2) Accordingly, the first 8 miles are quite hilly, especially that out-in-back at Oracle, and if you haven't trained for the ups you will have spent too much when it comes time to enjoy the down between miles 8-22. 3) Somewhere along the course a runner pointed out flags furiously flapping in our direction; it was a brutal headwind - obviously not the fault of the race. 4). The first aid station was under-staffed and caused a back-up. 5). The sand finish. Seriously?! All that said, I BQ'd (3:18:30) and ran a PR without trouble. But I did so because I trained like mad and the race conditions came secondary to MY conditioning, which is the way it should be, right? 5 Positives: 1) Few but very enthusiastic spectators; you get back what you give - a smile or "whoo-hoo" as a runner returned big cheers. 2) Drop-dead gorgeous sunrise at start. 3) Downhill between 8-22 - NICE! 4) Small race, with an easy-to-navigate expo, bus pick-up, and nice finish amenities. 5) XOOD was a curious choice, and I know some runners hated it; but props to the race for going local, and as it didn't hurt my stomach, I thought it was a good choice. Don't need to return, as the pros and cons are about equal, and there a many more races to run. BUT I would recommend it to anyone wanting to run it for the first time. | |
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J. K. from Michigan
(1/21/2010)
"Choose CIM" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 If you're looking for a fast course at the end of the year, I would highly recommend choosing CIM. If Tucson started the race at the current 8-mile mark, then it would be an unbelievably fast course (and the half course is PR material). However, the first 8 miles are so brutal on the quads that they almost negate the effect of the downhill slope during the second half of the course. This was my 32nd marathon and I tried to prepare specifically for the severe downhill section, but I have to wonder if that's even possible to do. If you decide to run Tucson, just know that it really isn't "lightening fast" due to the effects of this section. I personally have no problem with a cotton race shirt; in fact, I typically prefer them. However, the design leaves a bit to be desired. Pictures of Pam Reed running the Badwater from the early 2000's show her wearing the exact same shirt. The design hasn't really been changed or updated since then. Really? In an attempt to keep this from becoming a really negative posting, I will refrain from delving into the nastiness of XOOD and how poor of a decision it was to have us finish in soft sand. On a more positive note, I was able to fly across the country for this race and spend less than $500 total for the trip. My friend and I stayed at the Best Western on Oracle for a bargain price of $65 and it was really nice. Oro Valley was easy to navigate as was finding the expo and bussing on race morning. The finish area was spread out and had lots of good food/drink. It was a fun little weekend for me and my friend, but honestly I won't be back. | |
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C. W. from southern california
(1/11/2010)
"Fast despite wind and hills" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This was one of the smaller races I have run. The medal was not up to par and neither was the t-shirt. The course was fast as advertised despite the very strong headwinds, rolling hills the first 8 miles, and big hill at 24.5 miles. My time was 3 minutes faster than my previous few marathons - and I qualified for Boston by 12 minutes. Any race will have its challenges - this is a marathon we are running, and it is not meant to be easy to complete or qualify for Boston. I do have a few suggestions for next years race: 1. Lights at the porta potties would be great - using a porta-potty in the dark as a woman is horrible!! Temporary lighting is a must. 2. The on-course energy drink is not readily available. I mistakingly took the XOOD at mile 16 and paid dearly - my stomach was horribly upset. 3. Finishing in sand was unforgivable. This is a must-change for next year - I thought this was a bad joke. The morning was cold and being allowed to sit in the bus was a nice plus prior to the race start. We stayed at the El Conquistador and the setting was beautiful. | |
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M. M. from NM
(1/11/2010)
"Please go back to the 2008 course" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Tucson Marathons
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my 3rd Tucson (I ran 2007 and 2008 too), and my slowest one. Of course the wind was a big factor, but in my opinion the early out-and-back was a bad idea. The old out-and-back at Biosphere was much faster. Tucson has been my end-of-the-year treat, where I could enjoy warmer temperature and a very good PR chance. I hope the course gets back to what it was in 2008, or I am not coming back. | |
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D. E. from Washington, D.C.
(1/9/2010)
"odd course, great volunteers, t-shirt not so much" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 The course is overrated, the volunteers not. The first 8 miles are up and down through Oracle, where the people were great; then it's a long downhill into the wind on a state highway, and an odd finish through a residential area. The area is beautiful, but the course is some distance from the mountains, and spectators are not allowed until mile 18. Runners have to bus to the start two to two and a half hours before the race. The t-shirt is not a keeper. | |
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g. c. from harbor city, california
(12/31/2009)
"Less than expected... not just due to the wind..." (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I wanted to break 3:00:00 and failed. I will blame some of this on the nasty headwind over the last 15+ miles. I probably wouldn't have made it anyway, given my conditioning, but I had a shot. I ran 3:09+. I vow to do better in the future. This was my first Tucson. The expo was small but fine and I got my stuff in short order. The buses from the pick-up and ride to the start were excellent and efficient. Nice to be able to sit on board, in warmth, waiting before the start. Sadly I hacked up my right leg accidentally about 10 minutes before the start when an off-route cactus got me. Be careful out there! Crowds alongside the route were thin but enthusiastic. Overall this event attempts to emulate St. George, but is not as fast. But it's nice, respectably fast. It is a big downhill - almost 2,000 feet. The first few miles roll a lot, but are mostly downhill. There was an out-and-back from about miles 4 to 8, which roll for a bit followed by a big downhill to a turnaround, and then back up, reversing the route. Yes, this out-and-back really sucked. This race won't be reputed as a "fast" course as long as that section is included. From mile 8 for about the next 10 the course was beautiful; downhill and fast. Excellent. There was a bad uphill through a non-scenic area at about 24.5 that I'm sure could have been eliminated with a change to the route earlier on. The *sand* finish was completely wrong. Horrible. Race organizers, please fire whoever came up with that idea. I won't be back next year if the route description includes a finish at that same place, or that same 4-to-8 mile out-and-back. Ms. Reed, are you listening? | |
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G. C. from Los Angeles, CA.
(12/28/2009)
"Not so fast, unless they fix it...." (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 For 2009: OK, the headwind was bad (no, BAD!) over the second half, and there's nothing the organizers could do about that. Granted. And I wish I had fewer pounds to carry, and fewer years under my belt. But beyond that, I have complaints and I hope that the organizers listen if they want to maintain the reputation of Tucson as a FAST marathon. First, the out-and-back down-and-up between 4.5 and 8.5 has got to be eliminated. Horrible. There has to be some other way to make the mileage right. Maybe change the route back to finish at El Conquistador (even with the uphill finish, it's less nasty than what we had to deal with this year). Maybe something else you who live in the area can come up with. Second: **SAND** AT THE FINISH??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? What was up with that? Can't you afford to rent some astroturf or rugs or something? ARRGH!!! Flames dying down now... some things were good. The cushy (not school!) buses to the start were great, and being able to stay on board for awhile was welcome in the cold. On-course volunteers were great. The course itself was very scenic. Spectators are few but enthusiastic. -Gary | |
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J. O. from Mass, USA
(12/21/2009)
"Fun race, though a bit pricey" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I really liked the course. It is definitely mostly a gentle downhill. The wind was killer this year but that is not a fault of the race. Things needing fixing: The t-shirt was advertised as a tech shirt - which it was not. Too many races (not just marathons) are skimping and being really deceptive about this. It was a pricey marathon for what you get. The organization was weak and really needs work. My wife, not a runner, ended up volunteering to help with the bus loading! The information booth was frequently unstaffed Saturday at registration. Things done right: Plenty of water and XOOD (who really were helpful with the booth they ran before the race) and Carb BOOM on the course plus the Twizzlers at the end were just a great boost late in the race. The people manning the water stops were great and really got into cheering for us. This is a small marathon, so it was nice to see the spectators who turned out. The backdrop was fantastic. Mt. Lemon was awesome to watch. The course itself is great, definitely a fast course - I did not get a PR, but that was due to the wind. As has been mentioned before, staying in the buses at the start was a really nice gesture and enabled a lot of us to stay warm until the start. JPO | |
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j. m. from Colorado
(12/20/2009)
"Tough course, but why did you change it?" (about: 2009)
50+ previous marathons
| 4-5 Tucson Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 Why change it if it's not broken? The mile-long hill some place around 6-9 miles was brutal and too long on the downhill/uphill climb. | |
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E. W. from Denver, Colorado
(12/18/2009)
"A Fast Course but..." (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Overall, I got what I expected: a few hills in the first 8 miles, a fast downhill section and a tough hill at mile 24. The only unexpected part of the race was the strong headwind that saw the 3-minute cushion I had on a PR slowly evaporate over the last 6-7 miles. I agree with those who have commented about the shirt and medal. I do not race for the bling, but I paid almost as much to register for this race as I paid for Paris: the cotton t-shirt will soon shrink and the ribbon on the medal was already coming unstitched when they gave it to me. Still, I think I will run this again next year and hope that the weather cooperates. |
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