Yuma Territorial Marathon and Half Marathon - Race Reviews

Vehicles driving by blew horns and cheer Thanks for having restrooms on route

Very small marathon through irrigated lettuce fields south of Yuma on the way to the Mexican border. Organization and support were good, but don't run this if you need a lot of crowd support. Weather was just about perfect in '17, with temps at the start in the high 40s and fair skies. Wind is pretty much a constant in this part of the world, but the terrain was almost pancake flat with the exception of one significant downhill in Mile 2 on the way out, which becomes Mile 25 on the way back to the finish. Can't imagine ever having another reason to come to this corner of the country, but I was glad I did my Arizona marathon here.

The young people at the aid stations were the best. Next year for roads or drive ways that are not covered, just post signs 'look out for runners'. Parking, hotel, everything right there at the start. This is a good race for a first time marathon runner. Thank you Race director and helpers.

This was a good race with great weather for January. I enjoyed the ultra flat course. Packet pick-up was easy organizers were friendly and helpful. Easy parking. There weren't many spectators but the locals who happened to drive by were friendly and encouraging. The only real negative for me was the food. There was none to be had after mile 19 and that was a problem. I think this was a result of the far more numerous halfers. We were ahead of them going out but behind them coming back so once we got to their turn around the aid stations were depleted. I am not a back of the packer and have never encountered this before. I am not a picky eater so I don't carry gels of my own. In this race I wish I had! I don't bonk but having no food and only the few calories you get in those tiny cups of gatorade for the last 6+ miles of a marathon negatively affected my performance. Even at the finish the food that was available was a picked over platter of tiny (diameter of a quarter) muffins. If you want me to hang around for awards, I need more food than that. I just ran 26 miles! If the organizers read this, please hold something back for the marathoners next year.

Yuma TM is a small race with about 50 marathoners. Small race means direct contacts with the race director and personal welcome at the finish line. It is also a chance to do well in the age group category. Start and finish was at the Cocopah Casino (each runner got a casino voucher in the race bag). The course was rather monotonous, out and back, along highway 95 with endless fields of cabbage and salad on both sides. It was very well marked and flat with a short downhill section at mile 2. This small hill became a big mountain on the way back, 2 miles before the finish. Aid stations were very well supplied with food and drinks and manned by fantastic volunteers. Thank you!

I couldn't agree more with the comment right before mine. I was in the same boat with the Sedona Marathon being cancelled less than 24 hours before start time...some more background on that story, I had registered for the Sedona Marathon and had planned to run it this Saturday. A buddy of mine and I flew into Las Vegas on Thursday  cheaper to fly into Las Vegas than it was into Phoenix due to Super Bowl weekend there this year. We made the 4 1/2-hour drive to Sedona from Las Vegas on Thursday. Friday morning, we took in the sites and magic of the red rock colors in Sedona as much as the rain and fog would allow. At 11a MT, we headed to packet pickup for the marathon. There, the race director informed us that the marathon was cancelled. The Forest Service deemed a section of the course unsafe due to the rain (blah blah blah...). Upon my suggesting other options to the race director, it became clear he was a can't-doer: 'Sorry, there's nothing we can do.' 'Sorry, you can't do the half-marathon course twice. The police department won't support that.' 'Sorry, you can't get a refund. We are going to give you a $15 credit toward next year's marathon.' The race fee was $90...gee, thanks for the generosity Mr. Race Director! I took my can-do attitude, got on my iPhone and started to search for other nearby marathons. I found the Yuma Marathon in Somerton, AZ, also being run Saturday morning. I called the marathon office there, explained my situation, and they gladly welcomed me to come down. So, we packed it up and drove another 4 1/2 hours to the southwest corner of the state near the border with Mexico. It turned out to be a very pretty drive, and we found that Yuma is a beautiful part of the country. It has miles of lettuce, lemon trees and other produce. It is considered the winter lettuce capital of the world. Blue skies, flat lands with rich black soil and bright green lettuce growing in abundance in between mountains in the distance and surrounding, fresh air and plenty of sunshine combine to make an awesome landscape. All you 50-staters, go with Yuma from the start!!!!

I came to AZ expecting to run the Sedona Marathon, but due to rain, the marathon portion of that race was cancelled. So, since I wasn't leaving AZ without a new state, in comes the Yuma Marathon. Registration and packet pickup were a breeze. We were even able to reserve a room in the host hotel on short notice. We spoke with the RD at packet pickup and he was very appreciative that we came to Yuma for the marathon. This is a very small marathon (less than 50 finishers this year). The course is a straight out and back and you'll run past cabbage/lettuce farms. Very flat too if that's your thing. Volunteers at the aid stations were very friendly and enthusiastic (aid stations about every mile). My finish time wasn't very good for me but I still managed to get 3rd in my age group (a nice perk of running small races). We spoke with the RD again after the race and you could tell that he really took pride in the event and the community. This is a top notch event. If you're looking for bands at every mile or hoards of screaming spectators, this is not the marathon for you. If you like small, quiet, rural, locally-directed marathons, then this is the marathon for you.

I really enjoyed this marathon. It is very small (68 runners) in the full so it gets pretty spreadout, but since it is out and back, you still get to see people. The run through all the fields of lettuce and cabbage was really nice, and we had a perfect day. The folks at the aid stations were very enthusiastic. There is nothing at the packet pick-up but the packets. No vendors at all so I had to go into Yuma to get some gels. The mile markers were also way off which made it difficult to determine pacing. I like the smaller matathons so I am willing to accept these issues as part of what you get, and I will take this kind of race over the a 'Rock and Roll' any day.

Pros: Fast course. Also, the host hotel and casino staff were just outstanding and took and interest in participants. Water staff workers where great, cheering you on and yelling encouragement. Even though it was one of my favorites. But I do have a couple of negatives. Cons: I rely on mile markers for pacing, and during the second half some were missing or not well marked. It would have been nice to have a separate medal for marathoners.

Definitely a must marathon for folks who enjoy running, good people and great community support. I had the great opportunity to run with the race director for portions of the run; like all the race volunteers, he was quite knowledgeable, helpful and personable. While I did not run hard, this could be an very fast course. A great opportunity in the winter for a warm run through one of America's great agricultural regions. I highly recommend this marathon.

I had a great time running the 2010 marathon. Enjoyed the small, personal event. Perfect cool and sunny weather along the flat and well policed road course through the lettuce farms. Volunteers went above and beyond with well stocked aid tables. Website had key details. Finish area had more fruit and drinks than some of the mega runs. Thanks to Yuma and all!