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Marathon Details - The Sedona Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > AZ > Sedona > The Sedona Marathon

The Sedona Marathon

Northern Arizona Healthcare The Sedona Marathon & Half Marathon, 10K, 5K

Sedona, AZ USA

~~February 2, 2019~~ - CANCELLED

http://www.sedonamarathon.com

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Marathon Results

By Year:

2018 2017 2016 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 Top 3 Finishers

Race Details

USATF certified course, beautiful red rock vistas, city and forest roads. Elevations 4100-4500 feet. Asphalt, pavement, and dirt surfaces (50% dirt). Difficulty 5-7 of 10.

Contact Information

Name:	Jeffery Frost
Address:	2675 W. Hwy 89A, #451 Sedona, AZ 86336
Phone Number:	9280380-0633
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (45)

Course 4.4

Organization 3.7

Spectators 2.7

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Number of comments: 45 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 > ]

E. W. from Mississippi (2/9/2017) "Beautiful scenic and TOUGH!" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The Sedona Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my 34ths state and first time ever in Arizona (2 hour drive from Phoenix airport). I stayed in an AirBNB with a very nice lady near one of the shuttle stops. Small but well stocked packet pickup with friendly volunteers and every question answered. Pros: Race morning-Walked to the shuttle and got on within 10 minutes. Course: VERY HILLY! Beautiful scenery 100% of the race. Plenty of well stocked water stations and toilets along course. Plenty of message therapists and water at the finish. Cons: - 'Food' was for purchase from a whole foods tent. It would have been nice to have something other than water and bananas, cookies that was offered to runners (like a sandwich or pizza). - Course signage was small and several mile markers were either missing or had been removed (I was a pacer and was relying on MM signs!) - A section of the last mile was on the main highway and was NOT marked. Luckily it was an out&back course and I knew which way to go. The highway was very busy by that time so we had to run on the sidewalk. POLICE & VOLUNTEERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE! (As I was walking back post-race, I directed several runners where to go when they approached that intersection and then told a spectator to stand there and continue.) - SHUTTLES: The shuttles were supposed to run until 4pm. But post race it appeared only 1 bus was running. We got a ride from a local good Samaritan because we had been waiting for over 30 minutes. Overall I loved the race! Very hilly and this year it was pretty warm as well. WOULD I RETURN: Yes!
G. H. from Colorado (8/14/2016) "Challenging, Beautiful, Worth the trip!" (about: 2016) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 The Sedona Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The 2016 Sedona Marathon events were definitely improved - taking a chance to participate turned out to be well worth it. Its not a PR course, but probably the most gorgeous and gratifying I've ever run. Wonderful town, great organization, one for the bucket list!
a. r. from US (2/11/2015) "Not a good year for the Sedona marathoners" (about: 2015) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 This is my 5th year running the Sedona half marathon. Yet I feel I need to comment on the marathon, as I empathize with the full marathoners who were not given an alternative route due to the trail conditions..in fact I was shocked that the race committee had nothing prepared for them. I monitored the weather everyday from 10 days before race day and I am sure the committee did as well. As for the half marathon race itself, once again the volunteers were amazing and there was plenty of water and gatorade along the course. The scenery was breathtaking and the best part of the race. The weather was amazing - 45-50 degrees and no rain or wind! The start this year was very odd, no loudspeaker to announce the start. Past years it was a party atmosphere with music, the star spangled banner, and an announcer keeping tabs on the time. This year it was silent and everyone around me kept asking 'what is going on?' No mention of the marathon cancellation, and to top it off, I received a thank you email sent to all participants, and in reading the summary, the race director offers no comment or apology to the marathoners for this year's problem. Overall I enjoyed the race, but was disappointed at the organization's lack of effort to offer a solution to the marathoners. I am not sure I will be back next year.
J. J. from Durango, CO (2/4/2015) "Organization is lacking" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 Bad weather cancelled the 2015 marathon. The organizers had no back up plan. They didn't even have the marathoners run the half marathon twice. They offered no refund, but only a $15 credit to next year. Seriously, $15. Never mind that it cost me travel expenses, hotel, meals, etc. I understand bad weather is beyond anyone's control, but if you are going to plan a marathon at elevation in January, you should probably have a contingency plan in place in the event of bad weather. Other marathons do. I will be finding a different marathon for AZ. Sedona won't be getting any more of my money; they already kept the entry fee.
N. G. from AZ (2/2/2015) "Do not go to Sedona for this race" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 I do not recommend this race. It is not organized and very poor communication. I registered marathon and then they decided to change to half marathon the day before the race when I went to the expo for my bib. No refunds. So I just went back home disappointed and mad. Sedona is beautiful, but this race is terrible. I have run many marathons and never seen such a incompetent attempt to put on a race. I won't go back, even though Sedona is awesome.
R. M. from NY (1/31/2015) "Disappointing race for runners, okay for joggers" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 The Sedona Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 This race is so poorly organized, I am quite certain the race director(s) are not runners. I would not recommend this race to any marathon runner. It is okay for someone who just wants to jog the half to enjoy the scenery with no time goal. The course is tough, and that's okay, but the race organizers have no clue what they are doing. I was greeted at the packet pickup and simply told, 'you are running the half,' even though I had registered and paid for the full? No explanation provided, only, 'you need to talk to the race director and she is not here right now.' It turned out that due to rain the previous evening, there was concern about the mud on the full marathon course. Some runners suggested that the full marathon runners could simply do a double-loop of the half course, but that was met with some lame excuse about 'timing'?? Race organizers, please consider the following: (1) Have a contingency plan in place in the event of rainy weather - in this case the weather forecast was calling for rain all week - how did you not know this? (2) How about an earlier start time than 9:00 AM if timing and road closures are an issue? (3) The course is and out-and-back and faster runners on the way back had to 'dodge' the herd of runners still on the way out - why no instructions or cones set up to steer runner out of each other's way? (4) I understand 'no refund' policy, but when I pay and show up for the full, only to be told I cannot and instead I must run the half, then you should offer a refund instead of '$15 discount on next year's race' - that is really weak and unfair. So, in summary, the PROS: (1) course beauty; (2) tough course with hills; (3) nice folks at the aid stations; (4) friendly police/security at the intersections. The CONS: (1) Race organization; (2) Race planning; (3) Ability of race committee to make good decisions; (4) Inflexibility and lack of creative solutions by race director; (5) Lack of communication from race committee when full was canceled. Suggestion: Hire a knowledgeable race director with running experience. Rant over. And, by the way, I joined a group of runners who started running at 7:00 AM from our uptown Sedona hotel. We mapped out a 13.1 mile course around uptown and West Sedona that brought us to the start line at 9:05 AM - just in time to start with the half marathon, so, we were able to run an unofficial marathon on our own. Another group of marathoners finished the half race and then continued on for another loop of the half course to get their 26.2 miles in. '26.2 OR ELSE!'
C. K. from Olympia, Washington (2/4/2014) "Beautiful and difficult" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The Sedona Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 The best thing about this marathon was the scenery. The course is extremely difficult. It is very hilly and there is a very rough dirt road for half of the marathon. The volunteers were very good. There was plenty of water, Gatorade, etc, along the course. Unfortunately there were very few refreshments at the end (mini clif bars and some orange slices). Perhaps the half marathoners ate everything before all of us marathoners finished? The worst thing was that the announcements at the finish line stopped at about 4 hours! There were many of us that finished in over 4 hours. It was like we didn't even matter. And you couldn't tell where the finish line was. No cheering, nothing at the finish. Seems like the officials packed up and went home. I would not run this again for that reason. Sedona is gorgeous, however.
Steve Hughes from Arkansas (2/4/2014) "Not for average marathoners" (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 The Sedona Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 This was my 4th finish of the 50 states and, except for the scenery, maybe wish I had finished at the Desert Classic, which was run the same day in Phoenix. Communication with 'info' at the Sedona Chamber of Commerce was with a different person every time and nobody knew what the others had said. This event is 5k, 10k and half marathon races with a marathon apparently thrown in as an afterthought. The aid stations were enthusiastic, but the small 'rinse your mouth out at the dentist's office' minimally-filled cups were bad. Every runner I saw the last two hours was fighting leg cramps. The organizers also committed the unforgivablethe finish area was being dismantled with the course open for another 1.5 hours. When I finished at 5:25, there was no food, the medical tent was empty, no one appeared in charge and the only water was being poured from a jug into 'rinse your mouth' cups. The participant's medal was very good, but the age group awards were identical, unengraved, light, generic, off-the-shelf, toy store quality medals that were picked up the next day from a pile on a table at a local running store. If the Sedona Chamber of Commerce knew what it was doing, it would be embarrassed to give them as 'awards'; they are throwaways. I like Sedona and everyone connected with the race is very friendly, but the Sedona Marathon is an AVOID marathon.
A. D. from Chicago, IL (2/3/2014) "Beautiful Views, Tough Course" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The Sedona Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Pros: "Extremely scenic marathon "Good water stops, each had gel, oranges, bananas, Gatorade, water, and first aid stuff "Day of pocket pick-up "Great weather in 2014 start in high 30s, end in 50s "Lots of bars/restaurants close to the finish line *Good traffic control Cons: "Very challenging course "Same medal and T-shirt for all distances (5k- - really???) "Wind can be a factor in some places "Lonely at times, not many full marathoners All in all, I'm glad I picked Sedona as my AZ race and not Rock'n'Roll event. It was unique and well organized.
W. O. from Arizona (2/3/2014) "My favorite marathon" (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 The Sedona Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I cannot recommend this marathon more highly for someone who is looking for a smaller event in a beautiful setting. Do not run this marathon if your goal is running a Boston qualifier, or if you don't like hills, or if you expect throngs of fans lining the course - there are plenty of others - hundreds - that can provide that experience. Do consider running here is you enjoy gorgeous Arizona red rock scenery, beautiful winter Arizona weather with clear blue skies and high temps of maybe 50, gorgeous piñon/juniper forest, and friendly, happy, enthusiastic volunteers. The marathon is run out and back and is very hilly. My gps indicated a total of 1900 feet of elevation gain over the whole course. Take a look at the elevation profile before you sign up - I personally enjoy the challenge of running all the hills, so it was wonderful for me. Approximately half of the marathon is run on pavement, and the second half is on a somewhat rocky dirt road. It is slightly easier to run on the pavement, as you don't have to watch your footing, but I found the dirt surface to be easy on my joints and had no trouble avoiding the rocks. The overall surface was smooth and there were no big ruts or washboards present. There is very little traffic, and what little there is on the road was moving very slowly and all the drivers and occupants were waving - very very friendly. There are aid stations along the whole course with enthusiastic, cheering, costumed volunteers. Wonderful, happy atmosphere. In addition, there are a lot of spotters sitting along the whole course, keeping an eye on everyone. Very very well supported run. There was gatorade, water and usually snacks, energy gels at most of the tables. The race starts at 9 am, which seemed a bit late, but turned out to be fine - Sedona is at over 4000 feet of elevation, and prior to 9, it was very chilly - I was glad they let it warm up a little in the sunlight before we started out. I was able to shed lavers right before the start and felt great in just shorts and a tee shirt after a couple of miles. The only negative I can think of is that there was not much food at the end - water was being handed out, small Clif bars, and apples and orange slices. There was actually more food at most of the aid stations, but I didn't want to eat it during the race. Would have been nice to have some bananas. Not really a big deal, though - I had a great lunch afterwards. I will be signing up to run this one again next year. My favorite run.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 > ]



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E. W. from Mississippi (2/9/2017) "Beautiful scenic and TOUGH!" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The Sedona Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my 34ths state and first time ever in Arizona (2 hour drive from Phoenix airport). I stayed in an AirBNB with a very nice lady near one of the shuttle stops. Small but well stocked packet pickup with friendly volunteers and every question answered. Pros: Race morning-Walked to the shuttle and got on within 10 minutes. Course: VERY HILLY! Beautiful scenery 100% of the race. Plenty of well stocked water stations and toilets along course. Plenty of message therapists and water at the finish. Cons: - 'Food' was for purchase from a whole foods tent. It would have been nice to have something other than water and bananas, cookies that was offered to runners (like a sandwich or pizza). - Course signage was small and several mile markers were either missing or had been removed (I was a pacer and was relying on MM signs!) - A section of the last mile was on the main highway and was NOT marked. Luckily it was an out&back course and I knew which way to go. The highway was very busy by that time so we had to run on the sidewalk. POLICE & VOLUNTEERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE! (As I was walking back post-race, I directed several runners where to go when they approached that intersection and then told a spectator to stand there and continue.) - SHUTTLES: The shuttles were supposed to run until 4pm. But post race it appeared only 1 bus was running. We got a ride from a local good Samaritan because we had been waiting for over 30 minutes. Overall I loved the race! Very hilly and this year it was pretty warm as well. WOULD I RETURN: Yes!
G. H. from Colorado (8/14/2016) "Challenging, Beautiful, Worth the trip!" (about: 2016) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 The Sedona Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The 2016 Sedona Marathon events were definitely improved - taking a chance to participate turned out to be well worth it. Its not a PR course, but probably the most gorgeous and gratifying I've ever run. Wonderful town, great organization, one for the bucket list!
a. r. from US (2/11/2015) "Not a good year for the Sedona marathoners" (about: 2015) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 This is my 5th year running the Sedona half marathon. Yet I feel I need to comment on the marathon, as I empathize with the full marathoners who were not given an alternative route due to the trail conditions..in fact I was shocked that the race committee had nothing prepared for them. I monitored the weather everyday from 10 days before race day and I am sure the committee did as well. As for the half marathon race itself, once again the volunteers were amazing and there was plenty of water and gatorade along the course. The scenery was breathtaking and the best part of the race. The weather was amazing - 45-50 degrees and no rain or wind! The start this year was very odd, no loudspeaker to announce the start. Past years it was a party atmosphere with music, the star spangled banner, and an announcer keeping tabs on the time. This year it was silent and everyone around me kept asking 'what is going on?' No mention of the marathon cancellation, and to top it off, I received a thank you email sent to all participants, and in reading the summary, the race director offers no comment or apology to the marathoners for this year's problem. Overall I enjoyed the race, but was disappointed at the organization's lack of effort to offer a solution to the marathoners. I am not sure I will be back next year.
J. J. from Durango, CO (2/4/2015) "Organization is lacking" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 Bad weather cancelled the 2015 marathon. The organizers had no back up plan. They didn't even have the marathoners run the half marathon twice. They offered no refund, but only a $15 credit to next year. Seriously, $15. Never mind that it cost me travel expenses, hotel, meals, etc. I understand bad weather is beyond anyone's control, but if you are going to plan a marathon at elevation in January, you should probably have a contingency plan in place in the event of bad weather. Other marathons do. I will be finding a different marathon for AZ. Sedona won't be getting any more of my money; they already kept the entry fee.
N. G. from AZ (2/2/2015) "Do not go to Sedona for this race" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 I do not recommend this race. It is not organized and very poor communication. I registered marathon and then they decided to change to half marathon the day before the race when I went to the expo for my bib. No refunds. So I just went back home disappointed and mad. Sedona is beautiful, but this race is terrible. I have run many marathons and never seen such a incompetent attempt to put on a race. I won't go back, even though Sedona is awesome.
R. M. from NY (1/31/2015) "Disappointing race for runners, okay for joggers" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 The Sedona Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 This race is so poorly organized, I am quite certain the race director(s) are not runners. I would not recommend this race to any marathon runner. It is okay for someone who just wants to jog the half to enjoy the scenery with no time goal. The course is tough, and that's okay, but the race organizers have no clue what they are doing. I was greeted at the packet pickup and simply told, 'you are running the half,' even though I had registered and paid for the full? No explanation provided, only, 'you need to talk to the race director and she is not here right now.' It turned out that due to rain the previous evening, there was concern about the mud on the full marathon course. Some runners suggested that the full marathon runners could simply do a double-loop of the half course, but that was met with some lame excuse about 'timing'?? Race organizers, please consider the following: (1) Have a contingency plan in place in the event of rainy weather - in this case the weather forecast was calling for rain all week - how did you not know this? (2) How about an earlier start time than 9:00 AM if timing and road closures are an issue? (3) The course is and out-and-back and faster runners on the way back had to 'dodge' the herd of runners still on the way out - why no instructions or cones set up to steer runner out of each other's way? (4) I understand 'no refund' policy, but when I pay and show up for the full, only to be told I cannot and instead I must run the half, then you should offer a refund instead of '$15 discount on next year's race' - that is really weak and unfair. So, in summary, the PROS: (1) course beauty; (2) tough course with hills; (3) nice folks at the aid stations; (4) friendly police/security at the intersections. The CONS: (1) Race organization; (2) Race planning; (3) Ability of race committee to make good decisions; (4) Inflexibility and lack of creative solutions by race director; (5) Lack of communication from race committee when full was canceled. Suggestion: Hire a knowledgeable race director with running experience. Rant over. And, by the way, I joined a group of runners who started running at 7:00 AM from our uptown Sedona hotel. We mapped out a 13.1 mile course around uptown and West Sedona that brought us to the start line at 9:05 AM - just in time to start with the half marathon, so, we were able to run an unofficial marathon on our own. Another group of marathoners finished the half race and then continued on for another loop of the half course to get their 26.2 miles in. '26.2 OR ELSE!'
C. K. from Olympia, Washington (2/4/2014) "Beautiful and difficult" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The Sedona Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 The best thing about this marathon was the scenery. The course is extremely difficult. It is very hilly and there is a very rough dirt road for half of the marathon. The volunteers were very good. There was plenty of water, Gatorade, etc, along the course. Unfortunately there were very few refreshments at the end (mini clif bars and some orange slices). Perhaps the half marathoners ate everything before all of us marathoners finished? The worst thing was that the announcements at the finish line stopped at about 4 hours! There were many of us that finished in over 4 hours. It was like we didn't even matter. And you couldn't tell where the finish line was. No cheering, nothing at the finish. Seems like the officials packed up and went home. I would not run this again for that reason. Sedona is gorgeous, however.
Steve Hughes from Arkansas (2/4/2014) "Not for average marathoners" (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 The Sedona Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 This was my 4th finish of the 50 states and, except for the scenery, maybe wish I had finished at the Desert Classic, which was run the same day in Phoenix. Communication with 'info' at the Sedona Chamber of Commerce was with a different person every time and nobody knew what the others had said. This event is 5k, 10k and half marathon races with a marathon apparently thrown in as an afterthought. The aid stations were enthusiastic, but the small 'rinse your mouth out at the dentist's office' minimally-filled cups were bad. Every runner I saw the last two hours was fighting leg cramps. The organizers also committed the unforgivablethe finish area was being dismantled with the course open for another 1.5 hours. When I finished at 5:25, there was no food, the medical tent was empty, no one appeared in charge and the only water was being poured from a jug into 'rinse your mouth' cups. The participant's medal was very good, but the age group awards were identical, unengraved, light, generic, off-the-shelf, toy store quality medals that were picked up the next day from a pile on a table at a local running store. If the Sedona Chamber of Commerce knew what it was doing, it would be embarrassed to give them as 'awards'; they are throwaways. I like Sedona and everyone connected with the race is very friendly, but the Sedona Marathon is an AVOID marathon.
A. D. from Chicago, IL (2/3/2014) "Beautiful Views, Tough Course" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The Sedona Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Pros: "Extremely scenic marathon "Good water stops, each had gel, oranges, bananas, Gatorade, water, and first aid stuff "Day of pocket pick-up "Great weather in 2014 start in high 30s, end in 50s "Lots of bars/restaurants close to the finish line *Good traffic control Cons: "Very challenging course "Same medal and T-shirt for all distances (5k- - really???) "Wind can be a factor in some places "Lonely at times, not many full marathoners All in all, I'm glad I picked Sedona as my AZ race and not Rock'n'Roll event. It was unique and well organized.
W. O. from Arizona (2/3/2014) "My favorite marathon" (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 The Sedona Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I cannot recommend this marathon more highly for someone who is looking for a smaller event in a beautiful setting. Do not run this marathon if your goal is running a Boston qualifier, or if you don't like hills, or if you expect throngs of fans lining the course - there are plenty of others - hundreds - that can provide that experience. Do consider running here is you enjoy gorgeous Arizona red rock scenery, beautiful winter Arizona weather with clear blue skies and high temps of maybe 50, gorgeous piñon/juniper forest, and friendly, happy, enthusiastic volunteers. The marathon is run out and back and is very hilly. My gps indicated a total of 1900 feet of elevation gain over the whole course. Take a look at the elevation profile before you sign up - I personally enjoy the challenge of running all the hills, so it was wonderful for me. Approximately half of the marathon is run on pavement, and the second half is on a somewhat rocky dirt road. It is slightly easier to run on the pavement, as you don't have to watch your footing, but I found the dirt surface to be easy on my joints and had no trouble avoiding the rocks. The overall surface was smooth and there were no big ruts or washboards present. There is very little traffic, and what little there is on the road was moving very slowly and all the drivers and occupants were waving - very very friendly. There are aid stations along the whole course with enthusiastic, cheering, costumed volunteers. Wonderful, happy atmosphere. In addition, there are a lot of spotters sitting along the whole course, keeping an eye on everyone. Very very well supported run. There was gatorade, water and usually snacks, energy gels at most of the tables. The race starts at 9 am, which seemed a bit late, but turned out to be fine - Sedona is at over 4000 feet of elevation, and prior to 9, it was very chilly - I was glad they let it warm up a little in the sunlight before we started out. I was able to shed lavers right before the start and felt great in just shorts and a tee shirt after a couple of miles. The only negative I can think of is that there was not much food at the end - water was being handed out, small Clif bars, and apples and orange slices. There was actually more food at most of the aid stations, but I didn't want to eat it during the race. Would have been nice to have some bananas. Not really a big deal, though - I had a great lunch afterwards. I will be signing up to run this one again next year. My favorite run.

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Marathon Details - The Sedona Marathon