46th Annual Whiskey Row Marathon - Race Reviews

If you're looking for fanfare and amenities, this race isn't for you. If you want to test your mettle and catch some beautiful views in the process, this is your race. I am a flatlander and the altitude was noticeable but not a huge factor. Course is relentlessly hilly but not technical. I was able to fly downhill and hiked the steeper climbs. A very small race, there were many parts where I ran by myself. Expo is very small and not many could answer my questions about the course ahead of time except that it was hard. They were right about that. Things I was glad I did: carried a 20 oz. hand-held bottle, wore a hydration vest for gel storage, wore gaiters. Aid stations are adequately placed but the dry air would have dehydrated me had I not carried a water bottle. My finish time was 4:31 and I am 54 years old from Missouri so I was very pleased with my results but very drained at the end.

This was my 24th marathon, but easily the hardest. If you're going to run this make sure you train on hills 100% of your training runs. I ran my worst time by over an hour. Was fun though if you're a glutton for punishment. Also the money goes to a good cause rather than Rock N Roll which goes to corporate pockets.

This marathon was a lot of fun. I've ran quite a few hilly/trail marathons in the past (Big Sur, Catalina, Death Valley, Pikes Peak), as well as a few trail 50k's, and Whiskey Row brought back some memories and reminded me of the type of running I truly enjoy. A runner next to me commented on doing the 'ultra shuffle', and I couldn't agree more. This race has more in common with a trail ultra than a road marathon. Course Breakdown: The first 5 miles are on pavement through town and it seems you are constantly going up or down. A lot of climbing once you hit the dirt road. It is not so steep you can't run, but expect your mile splits to be slower here. Good views when you reach the high point at mile 9, then it drops to the turn-around at 13.1. Coming back, many runners resort to power walking for brief stretches (myself included), as the steepest uphill is in this section. The longest walking section is right before reaching the high point again, mile 17. From there, it drops back into town, but be aware - it isn't all downhill. The ups and downs at the beginning are now at the end. Inclines that test your will when you are feeling tired, and have had enough of uphill running for the day. On a personal note, my hill training paid off as I was pleasantly surprised to still have my legs at mile 22. Except for the fast people in the front, most runners carried fluids, as the aid stations can be far apart (another ultra similarity). A lot of runners had Camelback-type reservoirs. Something to consider when planning your hydration strategy. I heard it can get warm at the end of the race when it drops back into town. Parking at the start was easy. The half-marathon and 10K start later, so the majority of the runners show up later, after the full has already started. Never stood in line for the bathroom. A local restaurant provides pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, and salad at the finish. How could you ask for more? Overall a great race!!! Excellent organization and a challenging course. I hope I can make it back next year.

Love this marathon and everyone involved in its organization. A snafu at the 'Y' intersection after the turnaround of the full sent me and another runner 1 mile out of our way...who's the jokester that turned the arrow around? I give everything about this race 5 stars as it deserves nothing less nor do the people that provide their time and energy.

Laura does an A-1 job with this event and I love the new shirts that say, "I'm Tough Enough," as that says it all! You will definitely be proud of yourself when you cross the finish line.

What a cool race. After about four modestly interesting miles, the fun begins with a several-mile, non-stop climb on a dirt road up a mountain. Then you go down the other side, turn around and come back. It may not sound so great, but it was unusually fun, both because of the the great challenge and pure pleasure of running through the beautiful Arizona pine forest. For a while you run along a creek; in some spots you get grand sweeping views. It took a huge effort to run every step of the way, but I did it; for a lot of folks, walking was a necessity on the two massive uphills. The long downhill finish was invigorating, and the town of Prescott is just a cool, charming little place. Not the typical marathon, and I say that fondly. This is one of my favorites.

Great marathon! This was only my second marathon and it was not as hard as I thought it was going be! The people who run this marathon are runners for the pure joy of the sport! The competitiveness of most races is checked at the door and most people are just there to finish. Because the marathon takes place on 8 miles of paved street and 18 miles of dirt road, I would say no to trail shoes. There is no single track, and the road is graded, so trail shoes would just slow you down. The town of Prescott is beautiful, but it was apparent that very few of the townsfolk knew the race was taking place, which is sad because I think this could be a great destination marathon. Overall, awesome, and I would do it again for sure!

I had done my homework, so knew exactly what to expect from this course. It did not disappoint! It is a wonderful, small-town, somewhat primitive race. Internet-listed hotels filled up 2 weeks prior to the event, but when I got into town at 4:00 p.m. the night before, all the cheap hotels right in town still had Vacancy signs. I ended up paying $55 for a no-frills but totally adequate room within walking distance of the start line. Packet pick-up was simple, volunteers were friendly and helpful. Prescott is a beautiful small town. No expo, so buy your GU before you come to town. The race offers a 5 a.m. start in addition to the official 6 a.m. start. I did this, and it gave me a great psychological boost to be passing so many people on the return trip. STILL no Porta-potties on the course, except for one at Mile 3 or so that I think was actually there for road workers. Or perhaps there were more and I just didn't see them. There were adequate aid stations, well-manned and well-stocked, not as many as I'm used to seeing in a race. (9 instead of the usual 13 or so.) I carried my own Gatorade bottle and stashed it halfway, then picked it up on the return. The course was very challenging, but, to me at least, the downhills made up for those brutal uphills. I flew down them and was feeling no pain in the last 9 miles, VERY unusual for me in a marathon. The beauty of the course was enough to distract me, maybe. Also, we were blessed with perfect weather  40 or so at the start line, high 60's at the finish. Finish line festivities were awesome, food was fantastic. I can't say enough good things about Prescott  what a nice little town! If you've done your hill training, go for it. I got a time of 4:37, my slowest ever, but I am proud of it  that's a heck of a course.

An event that is staged and promised as advertised. This is not your ordinary marathon and deservedly lives up to the title as one of America's top-5 toughest marathons. Elevation and hills from start to finish. Beautiful scenery and blue skies. Very peaceful and miles away from all the trappings of urban races. Packet pick-up is easy. The race starts on time. Friendly and simple water/Gatorade stops, no clocks but requisite mile markers, and a home-town festival atmosphere at the end. Close-by hotels are scarce; book early. Race is priced very low. Most everyone had to walk in a few of the steepest areas; it's that tough, especially with the high 7000 feet-plus in elevation. No matter - a friendly, "We're all in this together" sort of vibe. It's a challenge, but it is doable, and you'll live to tell about it - and probably will make other marathons seem a lot less challenging from now on.

Commenting on the half. Respect this course and adjust your mindset when entering this race. It's a challenge almost from the beginning, but you are rewarded for perseverance if you can get to the turnaround in good shape. It's almost completely up, up, up with a few downslopes along the way. You'll see a lot of walking up the inclines, but you can make up for that on the return trip - you'll scream down those hills and end up with a fairly good time. There is a half, full, 5K and 10K - enough participants to make for camaraderie during and after the race. Friendly water/Gatorade stops, mile markers (but no race clocks), and the road is opened to light traffic. Weather can be an issue; this year, cool and some wind gusts - this race has had rain, snow, high temps - it's May in northern AZ, so anything is possible. Packet pick-up is easy, friendly, and simple. Race morning has free Starbucks, bananas, easy bag-drop, restrooms close by, and the race(s) start on time. Post-race, there are several food giveaways, awards ceremony is nearby, and loads of people hanging out at Town Square. A great way to see a more peaceful AZ from years gone by. Many hotels nearby and down the road about 6-8 miles out; book early. Overall, a great experience without huge mobs. Don't expect a PR - elevation starts at 5200+ and goes to 7000 - but it's a great personal challenge when you're looking for something simple that still has all the amenities that a race requires.

Imagine my delight at finding a marathon in Prescott, Arizona, since my wife has relatives in that town. I traveled down from Salt Lake for a fun experience. Being able to wait in the hotel was my first positive experience, instead of standing around freezing for an hour after a bus ride waiting for the race to start, like we do in Utah. The shirt would definitely get a 5-star rating - more unique than any I have ever seen. The course was well designed but tough, with lots of ascents, and even rolling hills on top of the elevation increase. There were adequate rest stops and drinks. The halfway point was on the side of the road and not well marked, and I watched two other runners run right past it while I was getting ready to start again. One of them got 25 or 30 yards past before he got stopped. The 'little bit primitive' comment came from my experience at the halfway point, where another runner asked where the bathroom was. He was told to 'go out in the trees, dig a hole, and cover it up.' Surely in the 21st century we should be past this kind of thing. There could have been a few more bathrooms, or at least 1 at the halfway point. I think the only one I saw was at mile 1. I have run 13 marathons in the past 3 years and have certainly never seen that happen before. Definitely a no-star rating on the bathrooms, which takes my organization rating from 5 stars down to 3. There was a lot of very positive support from spectators for a small race; I was greatly encouraged by them. It still amazes me that people will come out and stand for hours and cheer for people running a marathon. Also great support and food at the end. I walked more during this one than most, but it's harder than any of the other ones I've done. I added almost a half hour to my average time. If you're looking for a hard but fun marathon, try this one. If you do, you'd better bring your own toilet paper!

Ran the half marathon six times, and one full marathon.

I have run the full marathon 4 times and the half once. All races I have enjoyed immensely. If you love pine trees, no traffic, hills, and great views, you will love this race. To finish this race is truly a PR.

I ran this race in 2000 and it was my 15th marathon. I knew it would be tough - the elevation profile of the course promised a very hard work. Indeed, it was my toughest run ever. My average time was 3h 30min, but in Prescott I failed to finish below 4 hours. Some sections were so steep that running turned into walking and hiking. I also learned that the energy I lost while running uphill would not be recovered when running downhill. In summary, the race was great with just one unpleasant surprise: in 2000 the medals were awarded to the top finishers only. In my opinion, everyone who was able to cross the finish line deserved a medal. And a row of whiskey.

My comments are for the 2000 race. As described by others here, look forward to running up a mountain, down the other side, back up the mountain, and down the other side again. Remember too that this is all done above 5,000 feet elevation. Personally I enjoyed the race for it's scenic rewards. If you are more of a social runner like myself, consider bringing a camera, because the course is beautiful. The vistas afforded at the top of the mountain, the granite boulders and the Prescott National Forest are a sight to behold. Be aware of snakes! In 2000 a group of us were greeted by a rattlesnake crossing the road at the halfway mark (turn around point.) Make the best of visiting historic Whiskey Row where the race finishes. There are a lot of neat little 1880s style saloons and the race finishes near the historic court house. The most disappointing aspect of the race was that when I finished there were NO amenities left whatsoever. No bagels, sports drink, nothing. Keep in mind I ran a 5-hour marathon (in my case my slowest ever); nonetheless consider the course about an hour slower than a flat course. My advice to the race organizing committee is to project more amenities for the slower runner, or warn us in advance that they will be limited to/or can only be guaranteed to those finishing in under a certain time. I was also very disheartened by the T-shirt, long-sleeve with horse legs on it. Strangest T-shirt I have ever seen.

I did the full marathon last year and the half this year. Had a very positive experience both times. This isn't your typical 'flat and fast' event race: few spectators along the way (though the ones that you meet are great), and the course is tough (do some hill training beforehand, and don't expect a PR). But the runners and townspeople you meet are very friendly and spectators at the end are enthusiastic. The community seems to really support this marathon, now in its 25th year. (My only minor quibble: the medal for age-group placers in the marathon last year was fairly small; the half medal is larger. Not sure why.) A great day of running up north!

This is a nice little marathon with some great features: a challenging out-and-back course, plentiful shade (with the exception of the last four miles on the return trip), and a nice small town atmosphere at the race finish. Water stops were faithfully, if somewhat unenthusiasticly, staffed but anyone willing to get up at six to hand out water in the middle of the course deserves hardy praise indeed. Also, the entry fee is very reasonable considering that major marathons now charge $75 plus for entry. On the downside, there are not a lot of frills: not many spectators except at the race finish, no medal at the end. Still, you don't choose a race like this for those sorts of things. The atmosphere on the town square at the end of the race was lively, and Prescott is a town well worth visiting. All in all, a very positive experience.

Race is centered around the small town with a large amount of community spirit. Active and friendly folks who put on a fun filled race day. The marathon course is designed for those runners who have a little 'goat blood' in them and enjoy the challenges of running up a mountain. Flat landers be aware! Being from Tucson and familiar with the terrain at Prescott I trained hard on hills and finished with a 3:48 winning my 55-59 age group. I recommend this race for those who want a good race challenge with an ancillary benefit of an improved VO 2 uptake and physiological gain. Consider it a must on your list of marathon challenges.

The small town of Prescott lures runners ready to climb a big mountain. Twice! The Whiskey Row Marathon is an out-and-back course which takes runners up, up, up, then down, down, down to the turn-around. Then (you guessed it) back up and down the same way, to the finish. The course is scenic once you leave town. Several miles near the start-finish are run on asphalt. The remainder is on fireroads. The altitude in Prescott is noticeable and the local runners are very accomplished. The race support is adequate, although, water should be carried. The race offers early start for slow runners and there is an awards presentation in the town square at the finish (I won my age group!). The race is held on Saturday and we shot up to the Grand Canyon early the next morning for a run down to Phantom Ranch and back. If you're ever in Prescott, say hello to Eddie and Judy from the UltraLadies!