Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

May 18, 2024

Phoenix Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Phoenix Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.0

Organization 4.7

Spectators 3.4

Number of comments: 47 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 > ]

D. M. from Arizona (3/3/2018) "Seamless, organized no distractions event" (about: 2018) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Phoenix Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I ran the half and loved it. Start was cold and dark but that's the best to run in. Heaters at the start were perfect. Everyone was hyped and in a good mood. Stations were adequate. Zero spectators except maybe a few family members looking for people. The city of mesa definitely does NOT come out for this event so don't expect community support. Finish festivities were awesome. Lots of energy. Sprouts seemed like a good sponsor. 1 complaint...women got tank tops. They fit like a corset. I will be back for the full next year
R. H. from Milwaukee, WI (2/27/2018) "Organized - but not scenic" (about: 2018) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Phoenix Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This was a destination marathon for me as I traveled from Milwaukee with my son. I am early on in my quest of 50 states and this marks #9. The outdoor expo was laid out nicely and very easy to navigate. I grabbed my bib (with bag) and then proceeded to get my t-shirt. The lady grabbed my bib # out of the bag, grabbed a shirt, out it in the bag, and by the time I got back to the hotel - I realized she had given me the wrong size. Oh well, not a big deal. If you plan on doing this marathon - stay at the Hyatt....You'll spend more but it was EASY come race morning. Got on the bus at 4 am and off we went. We were able to stay on the bus for 1.5 hours as it was a little chilly out. They started the race at 6 and it was pitch black outside. A little worrisome as we were running a slight downhill and you could not see far ahead. Had a runner stopped to tie his/her shoe, there would have been a massive pileup. Nice little downhill course until around mile 4 and then you seem to go uphill for 2 miles which takes a lot out of you early on. After mile 6, you experience more downhill but it levels out soon and after that, it's pretty flat. The course itself was very devoid of spectators and the scenery was nothing special. Living in the Midwest, it is cool to see the desert but I would imagine that everyone else would have been bored. All in all - the advertisements of a truly fast course are a little misleading. The course itself is nothing special. The organization is spot on as we/I had no issues - other than the shirt. Would I recommend this race? Probably....but I am not raving about it like some of the others I have done. Lastly, no beer at the end?
E. A. from Monterrey Mexico (3/2/2017) "Great race for BQ and PR" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Phoenix Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 You guys rock with this event. Probably is the excitement due to I've got a PR and I ran my marathon barely under 3:00, but this race has been for me one of the best organized, serious runner-oriented, and yet a friendly marathon. Now I love small to mid-size marathons and please keep it this size. Excellent Expo and flawless packet-pick up This year weather was perfect, dry, almost no wind at all, 45 to 60 degrees at 10 am. As an out-of-towner, I stayed at Hyatt Place, 200 yards from where I took the bus to the start line, which it was the best choice when I could see the lines of the locals trying to park and get the bus ( after the race, 400 yards from finish-line to hotel). Parking seems to be an issue. The start line is awesome with fireworks and heaters for cold weather, altough we could stay at the bus all the time before the race, no corrals needed, educated runners keep enough room for faster runners according to the pace-makers, gorgeous sunrise and landscape when it starts, first half with a good downhill and affordable uphill, second half completely flat with very smooth downhill at the end. Plenty of water stations with water, power gels and gatorade. Beautiful medal, very friendly and enthusiastic volunteers. Post-race party is excellent, lots of food, they have a french toast ready for you when you finish (forget the medal and give me two french toasts), there are optional food-trucks too, and they have a free official hat for all the Boston Qualifiers and free race pictures for all the runners. Congratulations !!
Eddie Northcutt from Sulphur Springs, Texas (2/27/2017) "Awesome experience!!!" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Phoenix Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I traveled from Texas in pursuit of a BQ, and this course and the weather did not disappoint! I understand from previous comments that last year (2016) was too warm, but this year was perfect running weather. I had no issues with the shuttle bus because I got there very early, which also afforded me immediate access (twice!) to the porta-potties. I stayed on the warm bus until time to warm up. The course is a perfect opportunity to bank some time at the beginning due to a lot of down hill (not too steep) sections before the course flattens out. It had the best finish line experience I have experienced in all my marathons. Great food, festive atmosphere, massages, foam rollers, vendors. Getting out the parking lot was a challenge, but that was literally the only bummer of the entire weekend. The expo was easy in-easy out. I loved the experience. It lived up to all that I hoped it would be for me.
J. M. from Los Angeles, CA (3/12/2016) "Fast course but organization lacking" (about: 2016) 4-5 previous marathons \| 2 Phoenix Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I ran the full marathon this year (2016), and two years ago, our family ran the 10k (two runners, including me) and full (1 runner.) I never reviewed it then but feel the need to this year. Positive points: 1. Downhill, fast course. Many BQ here. I got a PR. 2. No corrals! 3000 runners in the full so you all start at the same time. Runners are all speeds so no one is really left alone on the course. 3. The expo is getting bigger each year. 4. The food post-race is great. There was free French toast, BBQ sliders, Muscle Milk, bananas. Food trucks (you must pay) were around. It finishes in a big shopping center with tons of restaurants, a McDonald's, etc. You can walk to eat. 4. You can walk back to your hotel as there are two hotels near the finish line. Sheraton is the host hotel but is farther away than the Hyatt. The Sheraton feels like it's 5mi away after you run 26.2 and your legs are tired. Stay at the Hyatt if you can since it's right next to the finish line. 5. There was a contest for best aid station and some of them were really fun. 6. Weather is nice and cool for the first two hours of the race. 7. Relatively cheaper than other full marathons if you register early. Bad points: 1. Course had no shade. It is run on the right hand side of the roads. If they move it to the left side, you'd get shade. Temps reached 80F this year so plan accordingly if you run it next year. They did have two sprinkler stations but that was it. No ice, and the water at aid stations was not cold. Be prepared. 2. I got there early and had no issue with parking. But I heard a lot of other runners got stuck in traffic and were worried since buses to the starting line were supposed to stop at 5:15. To their credit, I heard the race organizers extended the bus cutoff and waited for runners stuck in traffic. But that clearly needs improvement for next year. 3. Course is flat and the crowds are great but the course is pretty monotonousit's sadly not as scenic as advertised. 4. This is minor, but there is no shade at all in the parking lot where the finish line/after party is, and it is HOT. And they make you walk way across the parking lot to get your dropped bags. It's minor but annoying and would be nice if they at least had tents for eating/reuniting with family and/or put the bags closer. 5. This should not matter, but it does. I am really big on medals and race shirts. The medals rocked this year, but the shirts they just cannot get right. In 2014, they were too small. In 2015, they were too small. This year, the men's were too small and the womens's were too big even though they were both made by the same company(??). I wouldn't care except NO SHIRT EXCHANGES. They told me at the expo that they only ordered the exact number of race shirts for each participantno more, no less. So, no exchanges pre-race. We all had to drop off our unworn shirts at bag drop, pick them up, and then hope there were extras after. Which there weren't in most sizes. Lots of frustrated and disappointed runners. Worst of all, they lose out on the free advertising because who can wear a shirt that doesn't fit? And I received no apologies for this and was literally told that, 'These are Nike shirts and many runners are telling me they like the looser fit.' Except if I wanted a looser fit, I would have ordered a different size. Plus, I wear a small in Nike, and this ain't no Nike small shirt, and I'm not a Khardasian so I'm really big on 'side boob'! Next year's runners: Order a size down if you are a woman, and a size up if you are a man. Although, they never keep the supplier/manufacturer consistent so it's a gamble. I wish they would just charge everyone $5 more and order extra shirts.
N. R. from Minnesota (3/5/2016) "Happy with this race, but some issues..." (about: 2016) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Phoenix Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I disagree that this is a mediocre marathon - I thoroughly enjoyed it overall! Some pluses and minuses to address: The expo was smaller than expected, and a little crowded, but nice - a lot of free samples and swag, including Muscle Milk, acai bowls, gels, etc. Packet pickup was easy, and they were handing out course maps and maps for where to find the buses on marathon morning. The main downfall at the 2016 BMO Harris Bank Phoenix Marathon was the horrific, disorganized traffic jam on marathon morning - from runners trying to park to catch the buses to the starting line. Buses ran from 4am to 5:15am. Thankfully, I was being dropped off by my husband so I jumped out of the car while still in the traffic jam, and ran to the buses (We hit the traffic at 4:30am, and I jumped out of my car at 4:50am to find the buses) - I do not think I would have caught a bus if I had to wait in the traffic jam to park. As my bus left around 5 am, I could not believe the number of cars still backed up on the highway. I heard of many runners who ran to catch the last bus and got to the marathon start line AFTER the marathon had begun. Enough about the infamous traffic jam - I'm sure race organizers will address that problem next year. There are no corrals at the start - just pace groups to line up with. Fireworks at the beginning was an awesome touch! The start line and first 4 miles out in the cacti-laden desert watching the sunrise among the mountains is absolutely BEAUTIFUL, then the scenery becomes pretty boring from then on...mainly residential areas. I felt a LOT of downhill in the first half of the race, but the second half is pretty flat. There is not much spectator support. I thought the aid stations were extremely well-manned and had a ton of volunteers handing out plenty of gatorade/water/gels/fruit. There were tables full of sunscreen and other essentials for the heat. The finishing chute was GREAT! So fun to end on! And I will rave all day about the FOOD at the finish...Famous Daves BBQ, amazing French toast with caramel syrup, popsicles, fruit, acai, etc. The only downside was that everything at the finish was not well-marked, so I had a hard time finding where to pick up my drop bag, etc. The medal is awesome. I think this is a great BQ course, as long as you are focused on your pace you won't mind the somewhat boring 2nd half of the course. I do recommend this race - it was a lot of fun and I had a good experience! But I don't think I will run it again unless the course changes a bit. I prefer a bit more scenery!
M. G. from AZ (3/3/2016) "Great urban event..." (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 4-5 Phoenix Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Solid mid-size event. Full, half, and 10K. Easy packet pick-up, priced well, good shirt, simple expo. Efficient buses to start, easy bag drop, on-time start. First 5 downhill, long hill to 6, then more downhill to mile 9. Flat to 25 then downhill to end. Starts in nice 'hood then winds through older, weathered suburbia. Few spectators but aid stops plentiful and enthusiastic. Finish line tons of food. A PR is possible but it depends on weather, this is a dry, desert, sunny city, you must heed the conditions and adjust accordingly. Well-marked, wide streets, excellent volunteers - well done!
G. I. from ARIZONA (2/28/2016) "Not as Runner friendly as advertised" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Phoenix Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 Unbelievable that organizers had no contingency plan for the high temps expected in the 2016. No ice chips, no cold sponges in the last 4-5 miles of a course run in Phoenix heat is inexcusable. People started falling like flies after mile 19. Spectator support was near non existent. Running alongside the car fumes/vehicle noise in downtown Mesa was awful. By far most boring course in Arizona (I have run the AZ rock and roll and Tucson Marathons); sure, the scenery for miles 1-4, and 8-10 is superb, but after that, you're stuck with run-down buildings (the last 3 miles of the course are depressing). It's not as fast as advertised, only downhill portions are miles 1-4, 6-8 and 9-10, after that it's down to your standard city 'flatness' with some slight inclines the rest of the way. The finish line is one of the worst I've ever encountered-in a shopping center's parking lot, cramped spaces, very limited shade (crossed finished line around 10 am, and trying to find shade in this area while your body is taking a beating from the Phoenix sun was a challenge). Very small expo and bland marathon merchandise. Only positive thing to say is that the finish area had abundant food and the first 10 miles had decent scenery. This is not AZ's premier marathon. You want to a scenic race with much cooler temperatures, good organization and with some downhill portions, I recommend the Tucson Marathon.
D. R. from NY, NY (3/14/2015) "Very well organized race, fast course" (about: 2015) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Phoenix Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 There is a lot to like about this relatively small (2,000 runners) marathon, especially its excellent logistics and runner-friendly attitude. What I liked: 1. Bib pickup quick and easy with a nice, but small, exhibit area. 2. Post race area had nice variety of snacks, beverages and fantastic massage tents with almost no wait. 3. Water stations very well done with lots of water, gatorade and multiple gu stations. 4. Fast course, although feels less downhill then their website elevation chart indicates. Definitely feel the downhill on the first half, but the second half feels flat, not down. Also, the hill at mile 5 is a bit higher and longer than the website indicates. Still, this is a fast course that drops 1,000 feet from start to finish - can't argue with that. It's fast. 5. Pacers. For a small marathon, they had a good number of pace groups and the ones I saw seemed to be doing a good job. 6. Medal and shirt. Both very nice. 7. Start area logistics. Bus trip was easy with lots of parking at the pickup area. Start area itself had heaters and campfires. A hint - it is colder than you think up in the foothills. Bring disposable Goodwill sweats to stay warm. People who showed up in singlets and shorts looked miserable, even with the heaters. What I didn't like: 1. Lack of crowds. Except at the fluid stations and a few corners and the finish, crowds were light. That's kind of the nature of the sprawling nature of the Phoenix area. It's not First Avenue in Manhattan. 2. First half of course was a pretty run through the desert, second half was a little boring, mostly through condos developments. Might be nice to swing through downtown Mesa in a future race. Overall, a great experience. I highly recommend it for those looking for a fast race - I was able to BQ with plenty of time to spare and took 6 minutes of my marathon PR. I think this marathon could/should get bigger - there was plenty of room on the roads and plenty of room at starting area as well. A few more runners might add some more excitement, crowds and buzz. Well done, organizers. Keep up the good work. And thanks.
D. L. from California (3/9/2015) "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Phoenix Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The Good The organization from the expo,busing to the start line and finish line were all well done. The fireworks at the anthem and again at the start were awesome! The first few miles of the course were nice even the early uphill was ok. The shirt and medal were top notch. The volunteers at the water stops were outstanding! The Bad These is not the downhill course they sell it as. I was expecting more of the course to be in the canyon which was beautiful.Even the early uphill is fine. But the becomes mostly flat and boring. Taking you through housing tract after housing tract.Boring! The wind is not there fault but it was brutal. The lack of spectators was disappointing. The Ugly The expo in the parking lot is alright but having the race finish in one is horrible. They need to find a school or a park nearby to finish the race in. It's not a downhill course. Try St George, California International, Utah Valley or Mountains 2 Beach Marathons if you want a downhill course. The course is not bad other than a little boring.It's just not a downhill run.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 > ]

Quick Links

Marathon Search
Upcoming US Marathons
Upcoming International Marathons
Search Marathon Results
Latest Running News
Recent Newsletters
Race Director Tools

Become an Advertiser

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Become an Advertiser

© 2000-2024, All Rights Reserved by MarathonGuide.com LLC

Privacy Policy Refund Policy Terms of Use