Phoenix Marathon

Phoenix Marathon

A must-stop in Arizona, this famously super-fast marathon features a thrilling downhill run from the foothills of Mesa to the heart of the Phoenix Valley. The starting gun sounds before dawn in the quiet of the mountains, where runners set off beneath a starry sky, guided by the city lights in the distance.

The key to the race is a steady net downhill that helps you maintain pace on pristine asphalt. The course crosses desert landscapes dotted with saguaros before joining wide residential avenues bathed in the rising sun. Highly sought-after for earning a Boston qualifier, the event brings together thousands of runners at the start of each year across the marathon, half marathon and 10K.