Scenic course with few spectators, but great for PR-seekers. Downhill course is rough on some but it was a piece of cake for me. No pain, all gain. Pre-dawn start in desert was bitter cold (low 30s and windy), end of race was over 70. Hard to prepare for temp swing. Bring your own fans, they can easily drive along course and cheer you on at multiple points. I have run Boston, Chicago, and DC, and this one is NOT one of those. But that's OK, as long as you understand it going into it. Would say all of the essentials are well-handled -- hydration, port-a-potties, CliffShot stations, etc. Great place to qualify for Boston if you are close.

I was excited that this was promoted as a fast race. I can safely say that it wasn't quite as fun as I expected. The scenery was too boring to look at for 26 miles, and not many spectators. The weather and buses were great, but running on the left shoulder of the road, was a killer. Started having problems with my left knee about mile 8, only to get worse with all the downhill.

It seems there was some organizational problems as well. Though it was said there were restrooms every 2 miles, I (and many others) only saw the 2 at mile 8, we stood in line for 20 minutes. The t-shirt were the cheapest I had ever seen (and I have alot of t-shirts)! Dont expect any hoopla at the finish line, there is very little of that here, bring your cheering committee.

Fast course, small expo.

Overall, this is a good marathon, but disapointing in some regards. First, the start is literally out in the desert, which you can only reach by a long cold dark bus ride. The wind and temps at the start were quite cold, but by the end you will have shed most everything. There were virtually no spectators except for a few random cross streets and as you neared the finish. But most of all, beware of the quad killing downhills. Of the 4 marathons I ran prior to this, Tucson left me by far, the most gimpy post race. If the organizers could change the route to avoid the pre-dawn bus ride to the desert start, it would be better.

This was a fun run, but I was caught off guard by the course. I was expecting to throw down a great time of 3:30-3:40, but hit 4:05 instead. I found my quads and hips to hurt after the 16 mile mark and really started to slow down. I also paid the price of losing a few toe nails. Overall, the race was a wonderful experience and was extremely well organized. I could not have asked for better care from the race officials and volunteers. I just got back from the Disney Marathon which was half as organized as the Tucson Marathon. Granted, the Tucson race had fewer attendees, but it is a diamond in the rough with unbelievable scenery. You can not beat the sun rising over the Tucson mountain range; a wonderful site to behold.

This was my 4th marathon and considered this one to be pretty easy on the cardio but as others have said, hard on the quads if you're not prepared for downhill. I ran with muscle pain on my left leg near the knee, because of prior excessive shoe wear, which if it was any other marathon I probably would have had a hard time finishing. It was a very forgiving course allowing me to 'fake' a good run. The finishers medal and T-Shirt should be upgraded. We did, of course, just run 26.2 miles, a major accomplishment. Spectators were incouraging at times and the closer to the finish, the more spectators. There probably should be more aid stations. I, for one, am used to hydrating every mile or so. This reduces your recovery period, by my experience. I definitely plan to run in Tuscon again in the future.

Long fascinated and inspired by the desert, I chose Tucson as my first ever marathon and I was quite pleased with the entire experience. My advice to anyone considering this race is to remember to go out slow and run your own race. Don't be tempted or fooled by the nearly all downhill course and pay no attention to those around you talking about PR's. Even with nominal downhill training, I ran a 3:54 and ran the entire race with no pain. There were plenty of water stops and the weather was perfect - chilly at the outset, but quickly warmed up once the sun came out. The relatively small field also makes for a good first-time race.

(Ran in'01) Reiterate what several others have said... if you don't make a serious effort at downhill training, your body will likely rebel (as mine did). Weather can be variable year-to-year. Org decent in some regards but iffy/bad in others. I'm not thrilled with bus rides, esp. when coaxed to board 2.25 hr beforehand only to have almost 1.5 hr sitting around at the start area. Desert scenery the first 40% of course is indeed nice, but traffic and development next to the major road beyond that lessen the experience. From local media, the marathon was barely mentioned... the fundraising half-marathon was the noteworthy event. Relatedly, half-marathon walkers thickened the course over (for me) the last 4 mi, which is only road-shoulder-width at that point and amid traffic. No ugly conflicts for me, but the potential was there. Did not happen to me, but heard 2 runners say that traffic cop stopped THEM at about mi 20 to allow traffic to pass. Tucson area is lovely, but give me a flat/slightly rolling loop course where I can park within a quarter-mile of start and finish. This race isn't the shining star I was maybe hoping for. No complaints about post-race food or space. No medal or shirt comments, as those mean little to me. Moderate amount of spectators, with decent crowd near finish, but unfortunately most stood dumbly to cheer only for 'their' runner(s).

This was my first time at Tucson and my 9th marathon. I did PR but I paid a heavy price for running too fast at the start. My quads hurt so bad that I was walking in the last mile. The most disappointing things about this race were the tee shirt and the finisher's medal. The tee shirt is not a finishers tee shirt and the half marathon shirt was much better. The medal is in the shape of a cactus and has the potential to be unique but is very plain.

I just ran the race this year and my legs took a beating. It's not as downhill as they make it seem to be on the map, particularly after the halfway point. But then, around mile 22, the road just drops and you suffer for it. I PR'd on this one, but it was bittersweet. I had such a great run for the first 20 miles, then knee problems just wrecked me at the end. I had to hobble to the finish line.
Organization was great, the weather was perfect (except for the ice cold temps at the start line before the sun came up), and the aid stations were perfect (every two miles). I learned a big lesson this time, but I plan to come back and do this race again another time.