Organization was okay until the race started 30 minutes late. The course was good. Seven of eight in our group that ran this event got sick and had/has signs of iodine poisoning. Our group has a total of 79 marathons and 50+ halves and none of us will be doing another Rock'n'Roll organized event.

Much better course this year!! Loved seeing the full marathon runners at the end, very inspiring!! Parking was much better this year and much more organized. Thanks

This is my 3rd time doing this race and they changed the course this year. They coordinated HORRIBLY for traffic. We sat in traffic for an hour on the freeway and moved about 10ft. There is only one exit to get across the river for parking. No one is going to make it to the start line for the start. They better change the course again r do something different about traffic. I used to love this race!

I was looking for a January marathon and Carlsbad was closed, so I chose Phoenix. I enjoyed my stay, but not the marathon. I have never run through so many strip malls and industrial centers in my life! There was absolutely nothing memorable about the full marathon course. I'm glad I had my music or I may not have survived it.
Rock and Roll is so geared toward the half marathon that I wonder why even bother with the full - just a way to make even more money.
There is nothing about this course that is worth the money. I will never run this again, even if it were the last marathon on the face of the earth. Thank goodness it's not!

The AZ RNR Marathon was good overall. However, for 2 to 3 times the price of other marathons, it does not offer that much more. I've run marathons for half the price that offered more and better course entertainment. That said, it was well organized and an overall good experience. My primary concern on the course was that a few water stops that had ice cubes in the Gatorade. VERY bad idea. I nearly choked on a piece of ice.

Great city. Great location. Festive atmosphere.

I love this marathon! I have run it twice, and both times were PR's! The weather is perfect for running; it starts cool, then gradually warms up by the end. It is so well organized, and there is more than enough support along the course! I have also run the half, and though fun, it is not half as scenic as the full.

This was my first half-marathon and it was a great experience. Considering the size of the pack, all was very well organized and coordinated. Cities of Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe did a great job. Volunteers were amazing. Spectators were a bit thin to start, but then filled up as I neared the finish line. They ran out of most of the food at the finish line (fruit was warm and a bit soggy), but there was plenty of water. Getting to the start line and leaving the event was easy. Port-a-potties aplenty. Weather was perfect!

This race was overpriced for what you got ($130 for marathon). The half marathon course was quite possibly the most unscenic route to run through Phoenix, with the exception of the Tempe Bridge around mile 11/12 up to the finish line. Finish line was far too crowded and no bag was provided to put food/drinks in. So runners were all corralled like sheep balancing all the food in their arms, often unsuccessfully, trying to weave through the serpentine line. It was not clear what and where the post-race non-music activities were (e.g. massages, etc.). I will not run P.F. Chang's Phoenix again. Not enough value. Ugly course, overcrowded without ample planning, and although I love Vertical Horizon, they turned out to be quite drab for a post-race celebration. Bummer. As a Phoenix resident, I would have liked to run a more fun race close to home.

I had to downgrade from the full- to half-marathon due to injuries and it is likely that the full course would be easier on the eyes. The stretch on the half course down McDowell (a large portion of the race) is just awful. Phoenix has nicer-looking areas with the same level of old-town authenticity.

Thank goodness they provided free wine and beer samples at the expo, otherwise, I'd feel even more gipped.

Overall, I had a great experience at this marathon.

This was my first time at the Arizona RNR Marathon. I came down from San Francisco since I've run most of my local marathons. I found the packet pickup at the EXPO to be easy and efficient, but the health side of the EXPO was PACKED with people.

The start was GREAT. Plenty of parking close by, well marked runner drop off and separate starts for full and half marathons make the corral start work better than most. I didn't use the shuttles from the finish to the start, so I can't comment. My wife and son drove me to that start, where we parked. I stayed warm in the car until about 15 minutes before the start, then we walked the 2 blocks to my corral where we kissed and hugged and I shed my outer layers.

The course runs through Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe. People comment/complain that the course is boring. Come on... this is an urban marathon. None of the urban marathons I've run have been beautiful and engaging for the entire route. On-course support is frequent and very good. The water stops were better than most. The volunteers didn't crowd the course, like often happens. I was surprised at the number of fans who were out. I especially liked the family that was playing music on their front lawn at 11.5 miles.

The finish area was CROWDED with folks meeting their runners. I don't normally have a problem with that, but I had some dehydration at the finish (3:26:22) and found the crowds overwhelming.

With all the R'n'R races, it's pretty much a corporate machine now - and that's not necessarily bad as a result. If they could just meld some hometown feel into each edition, it would be the ultimate experience.

Expo was big and Brooks has the lion's share. Packet pick-up was a breeze (but no longer allows others to pick up packets). Giveaway shirt was a nice tech shirt. Race started on time, and corrals worked fine. Pre-race village offered bananas, water, etc. but no coffee this year. Weather was perfect (48-58 with thin cloud cover; no wind). Bands were playing throughout. More fans on sidelines this year. Course remains flat but also remains boring. Never alone on the course; half does not interfere with full. Water stops were huge, friendly, and consistent - Cytomax first, water second (and thanks for using ice chips and water from your tanks and not the city or a garden hose). Finisher's medal was excellent. Finisher's food was lacking compared to previous years.

Just felt like a machine though. Efficiency and organization greatly appreciated, but it can be robotic and lifeless. Marathons are about people and camaraderie. The race delivered nicely, but almost zero charm and no local flavor thrown in. You could have run this course in any town and you wouldn't have known the difference. Too bad because Phoenix is friendly, clean, and has loads of beautiful places to see, so you don't get that feeling running this race.