This is a good race - it's inexpensive, not crowded and in perfect weather. The course was a bit hillier than I had expected, so my time was slower. The packet pickup was easy and the race started quietly. If you need cheering spectators to run a marathon, don't do this one. If you're fine with a long solo run, then this is for you. All aid stations had both water and Gatorade, and two of them had gel. Refreshments and shirt were both good. A good winter race for anyone in Arizona over Super Bowl weekend.

This is a surprisingly nice marathon, given the small size (with 77 finishers this year). The race is out and back along the shoulder of a nice highway with little traffic, and the shoulder was coned the whole way - no issues with traffic. There was only one intersection and it had a cop directing what little traffic there was. I did the early start along with about 15 others. I'd recommend a headlight for the first hour if you start early because it is quite dark, but the footing on the shoulder was not a problem even in the dark.

With the out-and-back and getting passed by faster runners once they made up my head start, it felt like you were always around others, despite the small numbers. And since it was small, I think the runners felt more community, and everyone spoke as they went by. The leader said, "Good job" when he passed me both ways, and I said the same to him.

I only saw one porta-can along the route - at mile 9 and mile 17.2 on the return. I saw a couple of people duck in the bushes, so maybe adding one more would have helped.

The course is virtually all uphill or downhill, with about 8 of the last 9 down. The hills are mostly gradual, but there were a couple of tough sections, including from mile 14 to 16.5. While the course is not flat, I wouldn't rate it as difficult. It was very sunny and the cactus gives no shade, so wear plenty of sunscreen (and sunglasses for the second half).

The medal is simple but nice enough, and you get a short-sleeve tech shirt. There were ample aid stations and you need them in the desert dryness - I carried fluids and refilled my bottle a couple of times. No spectators but the scenery was nice with cactus and mountain views. There was food and drink at the finish along with helpful volunteers to take your chip and hand you a medal.

This is a small race put on by runners who know what you need. They provide that and nothing more, which is actually exceeding my expectations for a small race! Great job!

My first low-key marathon, and it was great. Although I was disappointed with my time, you can really set a personal best on this course. I believe the elevation change was about 300 feet. It has a really straight course, and this year there were around 75 people running the full marathon.

Don't be fooled by the lack of participants - this is a great race! There were no bathrooms on the course, which would be an issue to some. There are also no spectators for the majority of it, but the volunteers and other runners were very friendly! There was no finishers medal, which was disappointing... and I didn't get an award for winning my division. A record time was reward enough for me, though. This race is definitely one to consider. =]

Note that in '08, Phoenix gets the Super Bowl and it just happens to coincide with this race, so if you want to combine football and running, this is the race for you!

I can just echo my comments from 2 years ago, in '05. The course is a now shortened - instead of running out 13.1 miles and back, you go out about 6.5 and back twice. This is an improvement, as you get to canvass the course once and can plan how to handle the last 13 miles. It's a gradual incline, for the most part, out, and of course more down on the way back. Very nice. When you get to the 13.1-mile mark, you are back at the start - the relay is 4 out-and-backs of 5 miles, and then the last person runs 3.1 out and back. That means the start line is fairly busy, so you have to watch for the marathon turn-around amidst the people, but it's not a problem - if the race gets bigger, it is something to keep in mind.

Again, very well organized - starts on time without boring speeches or bad music - super friendly and supportive volunteers, fantastic weather, colorful shirt, and lots of food at the end, including noodle soup, which is such a wonderful touch.

If you don't need 10,000 other runners and a huge crowd to run a marathon, then this is the perfect race. The race started on time at 7 a.m. with a half marathon and relay marathon as well. Water stations every two miles and they had Gatorade at each station, plus gel at one of the stations. This is a no-frills race. Nice run through the desert and it was an out-and-back route, run twice. At the finish line there were enough food and beverages for everyone (which doesn't happen at all races), and the finisher's medal was nice and simple. Highly recommend this race and you can't beat the $40 entry fee.

This is a good out-and-back course, combined with perfect marathon weather. The lack of spectators may bother some, but it is not unlike a normal long run in that respect. This is definitely a "classic" race, and worthy of the name.

This year was a little sparse with only 46 finishers. You are definitely likely to run some miles alone, as the field really spreads out after the half-marathoners turn around. The out-and-back course was very good, with water tables every 2 miles. It was run on the broad shoulder of a divided highway with little traffic. Support was excellent, and the recovery area was well stocked.

This is a well-run race, definitely worthy of consideration for a winter road marathon.

Do not let the number of entrants fool you as this was a good race. Apparently a competing Arizona running club changed their marathon date to the same weekend as the Desert Classic.

This race is an out-and-back course over fairly flat terrain on the shoulder of a sparsely traveled road. The shoulder is barely bermed, so no hip or knee issues.

I never thought someone could cone 13 miles of road but these volunteers did! Aid was plentiful and spaced out every two miles. Gatorade, water and Power Gel were available. They could have provided some vaseline, especially at the later aid stations, but that is a minor point.

Chip timed but no splits provided anywhere on the course. Not a big deal if you remember to wear your watch, as there were markers every mile.

On the whole, this is really for experienced runners who want a change from the big-city marathons. I would do it again if I was in the area.

I found this to be a very enjoyable race, but it is not for everyone. This was a very well run race, that did not cost very much to enter. These cheap prices, however, mean that many of the bells and whistles associated with many of the larger marathons are not to be found in this race. The course is an out-and-back, and runs some very nice-looking open desert. It was slightly uphill on the way out, and downhill on the way back in. There were no spectators. The aid stations are plentiful and well stocked. The only major problem that I found with this race was the complete lack of restroom facilities on the entire course. Overall this is enjoyable no-nonsense race that is an excellent bargain.

This is my first half a marathon. The course was good and on asphalt. The scenery was beautiful. There was less traffic and the spectators and runners were very supportive. There were ample water stops and good post-race food like bagels, fruits and energy bars. A peaceful race with less hoopla, and would recommend running this beautiful course.