Brian Mickelsen Memorial Marathon

This was a fun race on dirt paths, wide off road dirt and pavement as well. Scenery is spectacular. Plenty of aid stations along the course with friendly volunteers. The race organizers display results as soon as you pass the finish line. Nice awards (wine!) for age group top finishers. Great restaurants and wine tasting in the tiny downtown area. I'd like to run this again in a few years.

Run this race for the beautiful scenery, the total absence of big-race hassles, and the little things that this race does so well. Marathoners start at 6 a.m., before the runners in the shorter races, many of whom you get to pass in the final eight miles, when it's a psychological boost to pass them. With about 40 marathoners total there is no delay getting across the start line, no need for sharp elbows to avoid getting jostled in the first few miles, no traffic jam at the water/Gatorade stations. Yes, you might find yourself alone at times on the course, with no other human in sight. If that's not for you, then run with a friend or choose another race. Also, if you need spectators, this race is not for you; the 40 marathoners probably outnumbered the spectators. But the aid stations are plentiful and staffed by friendly people who are happy to see you. The course is a mixture of road run and trail run (much more road than trail, although about 10 miles of the road is dirt road), and there are some hills (1200 feet of gain (and 1200 feet of descent) overall, with 400 feet net gain in the first 11 miles), and there is some altitude (the course starts at 3300 feet above sea level). It's gorgeous northern Arizona countryside, plus a little lake to run around at about mile 23. There's a pasta dinner at the packet pick-up (suggested donation, $5), but if you want to pick up your bib on race morning you can do that. Nice detail: there are video monitors at the finish showing you all of the runners' results, in alphabetical order, so you know right away where you finished in your age group. Cottonwood is near Sedona; its Saturday morning start in a town that's hard to get to may explain the size of the race field. But if you can get there, and you aren't looking for a PR, it's well worth the trip.

Background: Hubby and I were in Cottonwood to visit family. I switched from the half to the full just a couple days before the event to honor/memorialize those effected by the Boston Marathon bombing. I'd run a marathon in early March that hadn't gone so well, and I was rebuilding my mileage to run another marathon in late May. I didn't taper for this event, just wanted to do it as a training run/tribute. PROS: -Great small town atmosphere. -The race is reasonably priced and supports a good cause. Everyone seems to appreciate your participation. -Probably the smallest marathon I've run and there was a strong sense of cameraderie on the course. If you're looking for tons of cheering specators and don't like running alone (unless you come with a buddy), this might not be the race for you. -Lots of aid stations with plenty of fluids -Extremely friendly and supportive volunteers -Beautiful, varied course and terrain. Haven't had a chance to run up in the high country for a while and, living in the Valley, I miss it! -Not too challenging if you run it right. Pace by even effort: take the steep uphills in the first half too fast and you will blow up. Run it smart and you'll be pleasantly surprised by your efforts. CONS: -Lack of porta potties. Saw a couple at mile 20 but nothing before then. I managed to make it but I spotted some desperate runners! -After mile 19 the course becomes a desert trail run on a single track. There were virtually no runners around me at this point but if the race gets bigger in the future conditions could get hairy here. -By mile 22 there were a number of turnarounds and loops to follow that were downright confusing (admittedly I have a poor sense of direction!). Occasionally a half marathoner who was a local or a volunteer helped direct me, but I started off in the wrong direction several times. At mile 26 I had to stop at a busy intersection (10k runners were leaving) to ask for directions to the finish line! Fortunately I was able to book it in from there. The last 7 miles need to be rethought, because honestly, at that point most marathoners are too tired to have to think too much! Also, it's very easy for participants to miss portions of the course and run less than 26.2 (I think I ended up running closer to 27 miles). Overall, though, I had an enjoyable, unique experience and even managed to place in my age group. Capped off the day with a visit to Old Town and sampled some (yummy) local dining.