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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 91 to 101]
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c. n. from north america
(12/11/2008)
"LOTS of uphills at high altitude" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Tucson Marathons
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 NOT a Boston qualifier anymore. The course profile has not been updated for a reason: the new course would scare people away. I have qualified for Boston 7 times. A "really" tough course. The old course was flat and fast. Too bad they didn't let us know the true new profile; it would have saved several thousand dollars in travel for us. But fans were nice. | |
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D. F. from Sacramento, CA
(12/11/2008)
"Call a Waambulance for the Whiners" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 To those who complained about the difficulty of the course, this a marathon. They are difficult and unpredictable by nature. Who told you they were easy? Miles 2-4 and 10-14 are hilly and hard. Prepare for it. Course itself is stunning and the race is extremely well organized. Race shirt, medal and expo are appropriately suited for a small race. | |
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M. M. from Gilbert AZ
(12/10/2008)
"It's all about the course." (about: 2008)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 I've run the marathon here before, but ran the half marathon this year. My comments are general, so I think they relate. The Southern Arizona Roadrunners, who put this on previously, sold the event to Pam Reed, an accomplished ultramarathoner and former race director. The entry fee spiked this year, typical when a "for profit" company takes over. Look at Las Vegas. That's not necessarily a bad thing if there is value added. In this case, however, I felt the value didn't improve. I've never been an advocate of the Rock 'n' Roll events, thinking they were way overpriced; but I did Phoenix this year and I've never run a better organized event - and I received more than my money's worth. At Tucson, I actually paid more than for R 'n R. For the extra money, the "tech" shirt was cheap and skimpy, the medal was small, the expo was small and offered little of interest, and post-race refreshments consisted of some pretzels, cheap bulk cookies, hard candies... and the "main course"?? A bag of tortillas accompanied by an open jar of peanut butter with a plastic fork stuck in it. Now, I don't rate a race based on the medal or quality of the shirt, but we're talking $80.00 for a pre-entry for a half marathon 6 weeks in advance, and there should be a lot more value added where other races charge less and give so much more. I do take issue with the incredibly poor choice of a drop-off and bus pickup venue, which caused runners to sit in gridlock for up to an hour to travel less than two miles, followed by another half hour backup to travel a half-mile down a narrow road because buses could not navigate a turn around. I was a mile away from the bus pickup at 5:05 a.m. and did not get to the start line until 1 minute before the 7:00 a.m. start time. The porta-johns were conveniently a quarter-mile from the start line, and there were only about 15 of them for close to 2,000 people, and the lines were long. Given this disaster, which was entirely the fault of the organizers, one would have expected that the start would have been delayed. After getting out of the porta-john and stowing my warm-ups, I got to the start line more than 9 minutes after 7 only to find that there was no delay and all those runners who were fortunate to get to the start line without needing the pit stop, and those real fast folks who must have been limo'd in through some back way, were long gone. They can tell me that "well, it's chip-timed, so your time doesn't start until you cross the sensor," but a road race isn't running by yourself. That's a whole lot cheaper if you have a stopwatch. A race is about running with and competing against people of like abilities and using them to gauge your own pace and effort. I spent nearly the entire run either working my way around walkers and slower runners and avoiding faster runners flying by me. I didn't get this at Rock 'n' Roll and I didn't expect it here. The thing is, between the start and finish line, the organization was pretty decent, save for the lack of visible clocks at any mile marker, and the lack of any times being called out. Could they have anticipated the logistics debacle??? The course is a straight drop for the first half and a less severe net drop through mile 11. To consider this race the fastest you have ever run probably is true only in elapsed time, not effort; but for me, running faster at this distance at the age of 62 than I have in 9 years is a great mental boost, artificial as it is. I guess for those less serious about racing and looking for "bragging rights," this is perfect. For the reasons in this paragraph, I'll likely be back. But if I do, I'll make sure I find a back way to get to the start. | |
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P. B. from Minnesota
(12/10/2008)
"A very fast marathon course." (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This marathon is ideal for running a very fast time. The vertical drop could easily improve your time by 5 to 10 minutes, provided you are equipped to run downhill a lot. I recommend practice running downhill and doing quad strengthening exercises for at least 6 weeks before the race. It's just as important that you learn not to fight the downhills by braking, but run smoothly to maximize the advantage the vertical drop gives you. There is an uphill at mile 25, which is tough, and it would be nice to separate the marathon runners from the 1/2 runners at the finish line. | |
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C. K. from Tucson, AZ
(12/8/2008)
"Should not be your first!" (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
| 2 Tucson Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 This is a great race for people who have experienced their first "big" marathon. I was glad my first marathon was in San Diego. If this is your first race, you may be disappointed. The organization is not stellar, and that might not help your pre-race jitters. My bus got lost this year on the way to the start! The course is downhill and will give you a great chance to PR. I have run this race 2 times and improved my time at both races. Keep in mind that there are a few hills (rolling hills for the first 3 miles and one steep hill around mile 11) and the course flattens out around mile 24. The aid stations are well stocked and there are plenty of them. However, my idea of well stocked means water, sports drink and gels! As for spectators, well, there are none! There is no big crowd or fanfare at the finish line, but, is that really why you run? My only complaint would be the ridiculous time you have to be on the buses to get to the start. Unless you get dropped off, plan on waiting around for at least 1-2 hours before the race starts! In summary, if you are looking for a big crowd, lots of amenities at the finish and many spectators, this is not your race. If you want to attempt a PR or have the accomplishment of running 26.2 miles, than give this race a try! | |
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s. d. from Canada
(12/8/2008)
"A ski hill? Not quite... and other advice" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Lets face it - every race has its own unique strategic challenge. Sure, this one is significantly (net) downhill, but that's coupled with some significant hills at 10-14 miles. Keep in mind that they might not be "too" onerous, given the pretty easy ride you have had until that point. However, beware: you still NEED to hill train. There are some longer inclines over half a mile-long in later stages, with the finishing 1.5 miles being a tough stretch, offering more nasty inclines/bumps that add to any desperation you might feel as you try to sneak in a BQ in the dying minutes of the race. I enjoyed the open desert scenery, but let's get to what counts: raving kudos for event planning who actually contracted tour bus transportation to the start, complete with on-board toilet! No shivering in the cold - just sit and relax on board until the start. A++++! For those not staying at the sponsor hotels, it can be burdensome/time consuming getting to the bus pickup point in the mornin'. So, stay at a sponsor hotel and save your sanity. Getting up at 4:00 a.m. for a 5:00 pickup outside of the hotel door is early enough. Beware: sponsor hotels enjoy bagging (considerable) extra money for late checkouts - it is extremely tough to get back and showered before noon, unless you fall into the elite runner category. Shouldn't a sponsor hotel extend checkout for no cost at least until 2 p.m.? As always... thank you, volunteers! | |
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D. K. from Phoenix, Arizona
(12/8/2008)
"Fast, fast, fast course" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I LOVED this race! This was the first time I've run Tucson, but my 16th marathon overall. My three big impressions of the race: 1. It's very, very fast. Yes, the Biosphere Road stretch (miles 10-14 or so) is admittedly not so fast, but the rest of the race more than makes up - it is an absolute launching pad. The race was so fast that I finished in the top 10 overall (something I've never done before at any marathon). I've read comments from people complaining the race is "no longer fast," that it's "false advertising," and similar sentiments. I simply don't understand these comments - I've run all over the country (including Boston, NYC, etc.), and I'd like to know what marathons these people think are faster than Tucson (even with the hills on miles 10-14). Maybe St. George and a few others?? 2. It's a gorgeous desert course: I live in Phoenix, and living in the Southwest, you get spoiled by the scenery. But the landscape during the Tucson Marathon is amazing, even for a jaded Phoenician.... 3. The weather is perfect: It was in the 40s-50s during the race, with NO wind, no humidity, and cloud cover. Best weather I've ever had for a marathon. Overall, it's a great, relatively small marathon (a little over 1000 runners). The ONLY negative comment I have is that towards the end of the race, I had to navigate around a lot of people who were walking the half-marathon (which starts a half-hour earlier than the marathon but shares the same course (the second-half of the marathon course)). Most people who saw me cheered and got out of the way, but some felt that they were just as entitled to the road as I was, and forced me to go around them (even if they had 4-5 people walking side-by-side). As most of you know, moving laterally 23 miles into a marathon is not the most fun thing in the world. Oh well, I guess you can't expect walkers to understand proper running etiquette. Plus, it's a problem that's not easily solvable, and probably only affects a small number of runners. (And, it's not like they had a 5K finishing at the same time and on the same road as the marathon (*cough*, San Francisco).) At any rate, this is a very well-organized race and one I'm sure I'll do again (if only to lower my newly-set PR). :) | |
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Kamran Talattof from Tucson
(9/30/2008)
"Easy, downhill, fast, and friendly" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Tucson Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 If you are looking for a fast, gradually-downhill marathon with no big crowd hemming you in, the Tucson Marathon is your race. I have run many races that are said to be fast and downhill; however, none compare to the Tucson Holoalua Marathon. The race starts in the town of Oracle and ends in the Tucson area. | |
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R. M. from Canada
(7/29/2008)
"Bring back the old course ending at Hilton" (about: 2007)
50+ previous marathons
| 4-5 Tucson Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I ran this one from 2004 to 2007, and the 2007 course was definitely the slowest (but still faster than any other I have ever run - especially when you factor in the very dependable perfect temperature/humidity). The organization is excellent, and promptly returned my emergency phone call when I missed my plane on Saturday. I have no other complaints. A marathon is about the course and weather, period! Those whiners complaining about crowds, food, music, and T shirts should go to a rock concert, a good restaurant and Target instead. Bring back the old course, Pam! | |
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E. R. from Phoenix, AZ
(6/26/2008)
"Quit complaining" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Tucson Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 For everyone complaining about how they slowed the race down and it isn't a "fast" course anymore, it has the 3rd highest percentage of Boston qualifiers (excluding Boston itself), with almost a 1/3 of the finishers qualifying. Let's focus on real issues, like t-shirts or medals. Come on, people: get real. You should be doing this for the sheer accomplishment, not for the biggest medal. |
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