Very well organized marathon. Bob Edwards and the Roswell Runner club were fantastic. The miles are marked, this is an out and back marathon. Elevation at the start is about 3600 feet, high point is 4000 feet. There are two long steady climbs, going and coming. The last four miles are mostly downhill, this means the first four are mostly uphill. It was very hot on race day. We started at 5:30, temperature 65, I finished at 10:30, temperature 92. There were many sag support vehicles driving the course, plenty of water and gatoraide. One porta pottie at mile 6 and one at 13.
All finishers receive a cermanic turtle, something I will treasure. Come prepared for heat, pray for cloud cover.

Pros:
Easy to find start site: city park.
Early start to avoid the NM heat.
Least expensive full marathon I've ever run, even for late registration!
Bikers with headlamps to light the trail for us during the 1st hour.
Race director gave out flashers to clip to our belts to aid in following each other in the dark.
The turtles are hand-painted (by locals, I presume?)
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Ran for Multiple Sclerosis. I cannot pay tribute to Liz Mooney any better than her husband did in a flier provided at registration. He is a local doctor and one of the sponsors of the race. She fought MS for 30 years, but died this March. After years of running this event in her honor, we ran it in her memory for the first time. The 5K seems to draw a lot of local support, then the 1/2. Marathon started at its inception with only 8 runners and was the US's smallest marathon till Runners' World ran a story on it.


Cons:
1) No website to get the 'usual scoop' (packet pickup, course, aid provided, hotels, restaurants)
2) The course: 3-4 miles along a golf course, then 22 on the shoulder of Route 70 with NO SHADE. Wildlife? Rooster/horses/goats/1 egret. (and several 'good ol' boys' growling their pipes as they roared past us in their 4x4's! :-) )
3) Aid: 3 aid stations with Gatorade and water. Every 2 miles a case of water bottles with a bag of ice atop of them. No electrolytes other than in the Gatorade at 6,13,19 miles. Fortunately, we ran in the coolest weather (60-70's) they'd had in weeks (102+ earlier in the week).
4) Safety. As a doctor, I don't know what one would do if they go into trouble on the course. No identifiable support staff except at the two manned aid stations. No police at intersections (orange cones). Porta-potties weren't visible till after the sun came out. Perhaps officials were circling the course in the pick-ups and I just couldn't tell. I saw no ambulance, EMT, medical person all day except Dr. Mooney telling us about his wife and thanking us at the start.

Would not recommend this race unless you know what NOT to expect and prepare to be fairly self sufficient. I respect them for keeping the cost down. I don't think this race is about the money, but about a local cause, family, and friend-making sure all who want to participate can. Still,
had it been hotter, water alone with Gatorade every 6 miles would not have gotten us all through.

Finally: Rest in peace, Liz. And God bless Dr. Mooney and your family.

A step back in time. Enjoyed it.

Great little race for those who don't need much to run a marathon. A very small field of half and full marathoners started at 5:30 a.m. Sunrise was at about 6:30 a.m. and we ran on a bike path for the first couple of miles, then out and back on Highway 70/380 for the rest. Gentle climb uphill for most of the first half (3500' to 4000') and then mostly downhill for the second half, which was nice. Aid stations with Gatorade and water at half and full turnarounds - mile 6.55 and 13.1 (fruit also at the 13.1). Cases of bottled water were left on the ground in between every 2-3 miles. No shade on the highway, though, and it got pretty hot the second half because you were running into the sun. Didn't see any porta-potties on the course, but restrooms were available at the start and there was nothing but open land with few runners, spectators or cars around most of the way.

Every finisher got a cute, little, handmade, ceramic turtle (in lieu of a race medal) plus a t-shirt. A total bargain for only $15 pre-registration ($20 on race day), in my opinion. I expected very little going into this race and my expectations were exceeded!

This was my first race ever and I decided to run the half-marathon.

Pros: I really enjoyed the course. We ran on the highway and there was nothing but open space to the right and left of me.

I enjoyed the conversations with other runners as we ran and walked the course. Very friendly atmosphere.

You cannot beat the $15 entry fee. The shirt was very nice and the the turtle that they gave out to all finishers was really AWESOME!!

The people running the event were very friendly. I especially liked the gentleman who was cheering for every one who crossed the finish line. He was especially funny when the 5K runners were crossing the finish line.

Cons: I did not like the way that the water was put out on the course. There were water bottles that were sitting on a carton and you would pick one up if you wanted one. They were just sitting there on the floor and runners were complaining that they were very warm.

In the beginning of the race, we had to run through a path in the dark. It made for an unsafe run, especially with all runners sharing the same path.

I am really glad that I chose this race as my first half-marathon. There were not very many runners and I felt very comfortable with that.

I am looking forward to racing again next year and receiving one of those AWESOME turtles.

I ran this race because I had a shot at winning, it was also close to home, and the entry fee was only 15 bucks. You run alone for the most part, so you need to motivate yourself. My family was able to drive out to each mile and provide support, water, Gatorade, ice, and food. They were my saving grace. I usually run marathons with aid stations every mile or so, and water on this course was self-serve, except at the five aid stations. I am a big guy and need a lot of calories during a marathon, but if you are a minimalist, this race is for you. The spectators are almost nonexistent, but those that are out there are great. Bob Edwards puts on a great race, and makes you well aware of what you are getting yourself into. The awards are also cool - handmade ceramic turtles - and smaller versions are also given out to all those who finish.

Water was not a problem. They made sure there was water every 2 miles or so. There were Gatorade stations at 3, 6, and 13 miles out. Since we came back on the same route, they were there at the same intervals.

If you need a marathon where the time limit is reachable at a relatively slow pace, this is the one. I was at about 6:16. That would not have gotten me a time at New Mexico Marathon. You have to be comfortable running by yourself. I am ok with that.

If you need crowds and noise, this is not the place for you.

I did like it.

This was a small town, laid back marathon. There were about 40 runners. It was inexpensive at $15.00 and we still got a cotton T-shirt, and a nice one at that. The race started at a city park, exited the residential neighborhood, went 13.1 miles west into the desert. Then we turned around and came back. For a small event, there were some volunteers for water/Gatorade stations. Those volunteers were the only cheer leaders we had. Where there were insufficient volunteers, they just dropped off bottled water and ice at appropriate intervals. Coming back, the aid stations had run out of Gatorade, which was a bummer. This was my fourth marathon overall and second marathon in two days - not a good choice. My time was more than 6.5 hours and I walked most of the way back. But it got me into Marathon Maniacs.

There just weren't any spectators, but that was to be expected. Race Director Bob Edwards still did a great job with this event, and there was cheering and food at the finish line. Some folks flew in from the east coast to run this marathon and at least 2 runners came from Europe! That was really cool!

I got to check out the UFO Museum the next day, before heading home.

I love this race I wish to come next year and do a pre-race cookout or after-race cookout. I am sorry I did not get to take pictures and meet more people. I thank you for the fun. I will bring my son and daughter next year.

This was a small marathon - probably only 20 people were in it this year. The price was very low - only $15 and you get a shirt and a ceramic turtle if you finish. The course is an "out-and-back." The first two miles take you on bike trails in town. Then you head west on US-70 running on the median of the north side of the road for 11.1 miles before turning around and coming back. The first half of the course is shared with the half-marathoners who start at the same time as the marathoners. There were probably about 20 of them as well.

On the course, they had water stations with people at 3, 6.55 and 13.1 mile distances. There were also at least three spots where you could help yourself to water. I only saw one port-a-potty on the route, but with so few people you can just water the weeds on the side of the road without a problem.

The volunteers, parks and rec people, and Bob Edwards, the race director, were all very friendly and made for a fun, safe and supportive environment. For the price, this has got to be the best deal for running a marathon. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. But, if you need crowds of runners and/or specators, this is not the marathon for you.