The Mesa Marathon is a fast net downhill, point-to-point course which drops nearly 1000 feet from start to finish. The race starts below the large white Phoenix sign painted on Usery Mountain. Runners will experience a nearly completely downhill finish from approximately the 10K point to the finish.
The downhill course and favorable weather make this an attractive PR and BQ course.
The Mesa Marathon was the 33rd largest marathon in the U.S. last year and was the 30th largest in 2022.
This year 23.9% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon and 22.2% of runners qualified for Boston in 2023.
This gives the Mesa Marathon the 38th highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in the U.S. last year and the 35th highest percentage so far in 2024.
Its Course Score of 101.52 ranks it as the 21st fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 2nd fastest course in Arizona.
The typical race time temperature and humidity levels are within the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. This, coupled with the Course Score, gives the Mesa Marathon a PR Score of 101.52. This PR Score ranks it as the 18th fastest marathon in the U.S. and the 2nd fastest in Arizona.
Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.
Mesa Marathon Elevation Chart
Max Elevation: 2063 feet (628m) Min Elevation: 1197 feet (364m)
This course is a point to point with an elevation drop of 1000ft. The expo was great. The throwaways gloves were a major plus and the shirts were nice. Staying at the host hotel is key (if you are out of town). Busses pick up from 4:30-5:15. Go early! I walked out of the hotel at 4:45 and the bus line was LONG! didn't get to the start until 6:05 with the bus line wait and drive. There were adequate porta potties and the heaters at the start were really great. Bag drop off was super easy. Everyone was very kind and encouraging. My only and biggest complaint is that there was a delay at the start but ZERO communication about it. I warmed up and was expecting to start at 6:30 but sat in the cold rain for 20 minutes. Then all of a sudden people ahead of me started moving - there was no warning! no opportunity to warm up again or get ready! The first 4 miles are an elevation drop of 400 ft. Be careful not to go out too fast like I did. Miles 5-6 are uphill but it is very gradual. It really wasn't that bad at all and you are running towards a mountain which is cool. You then descend from 7-12 more gradually. The route is beautiful. It flattens out around 12.5 and you are on very wide roads with plenty of room. I felt safe the whole time. There isn't as much scenery on the back half but there was lots of crowd support. Our year it got rainy and was very cold, but I know that isn't normal for the desert. There was water and gatorade about every 2 miles. There were at least 4-5 water stops with gu roctane and 2-3 with oranges. I never felt like there wasn't enough fuel/water. Volunteers were really great. I would highly recommend this race. It is very fast. I got my BQ by almost 10 minutes. I was really only expecting to get it by 5-7 minutes. Medals were bland, but honestly who cares! I got a BQ.
Love the early start, beautiful residential area going down hill first 4 miles, 5 and 6 up then downhill again flattens out second half on highways in commercial and strip malls type area to a beautiful finish.
Sheraton is right at finish line, expo is there and buses across the street to take you to start.
Mike Aubz's review of 2023 Mesa Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
Great start with stunning views of huge cacti and desert. Fireworks to start amd gradual downhill half with about a mile and half of uphill that is not too bad. Second half is more residential and city highway so not as picturesque. Great expo at Sloan baseball park, great finish with beer tent and nice swag u can get. Bonus Sheraton hotel is 100m from finish line and bus pick up! 5 star race
I have run 30+ marathons, including 8 Bostons. This was the best! There were plenty of porta-potties and electric tiki lights for warmth at the start. Runners were allowed to remain on the buses, but the weather was warm enough that outside waiting was comfortable. The race started on a dark,mystical mesa lined with enormous cacti. As we descended, we could see the lights of Mesa below. The initial descent was not so steep that I could not take full advantage. The "hill" at 5-6 miles was also gradual. After the halfway point the course was basically flat, and like all marathons it was a bit boring at the end as we ran past strip malls. The course was mostly straight, but all turns were well marked so that runners could find the tangent. The surface was all paved roads in good shape. Water and Gatorade were provided every 2 miles. I only encountered one Gu stop at 17 miles. You should probably bring your own gels. There were also no clocks on the course, so a good sports watch is a must. There were well-staffed pace groups at 15 minute intervals. I had my race bib sent to me in advance, so I did not attend the Expo. The race shirt was well-fitted and did not contain advertisements. The finisher's metal commemorated the Phoenix bird . The age-group award was a skimpy patch, but I did get a nice luggage tag because I BQ'ed. I did a "post pandemic" PR, and qualified for Boston.
Race Tips
Nutrition: plan to pack your own gels or other food
Time: plan to wear a sports watch to track elapsed time/ pace
Hotel: The Marriott is lovely but both in the morning and after finishing the race, the main roads between the hotel and the race were blocked. (Rio Salado, University) It might be better to stay in one of the hotels in Riverbend Park near the start/finish, unless you don't mind a little walk.
KH's review of 2020 Mesa Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
Great race overall. Expo is about as expected for a marathon of this size. LOOONG lines for the porta-potties at the start. Zero corral organization meant that there were lots of slower runners close to the front; in a marathon of this size, that meant about 3 mi of jockeying for position, dodging people, trying to catch up with pace group (if relevant), etc. I wish the start were organized in corrals or waves to reduce the unnecessary running around at the beginning, but other than that, it was awesome.
Race Tips
Be really careful not to do the first four miles too fast; adrenaline is up, they're super downhill, and the temptation to jackrabbit the start is high. Mi 4.5-6 is a long slow climb (2-4% grade the whole way). Lots more mega-downhill mi 6-9, so once again, pace carefully to save quads for the flatlands from 10-ish on.
Highly recommend getting dropped at the start rather than trying to park; just use an Uber or have family drop you off. Also, much easier to be dropped off at the Starbucks or something (NE or SE corner of Dobson and Bass Pro) and then cross Dobson to the buses rather than pulling into the parking area and getting stuck there. This was my first year doing this race and everyone said to get an early bus so there would be no line for the potties, which I did. I caught a bus about 4:45 and was at the start probably 5:15 or so. No trouble using a potty. And then, because this is how excretory systems work, I had to go to the bathroom again at 6:00, and the lines were long. Would have been just as easy to stay home a little longer, get a later bus, and have spent less time in the cold trying to stay warm pre-race since the last-minute potty stop was inevitable. Unless you're able to pee 1.5 hours ahead of time and then not need to go again, there's no way around the fact that 1) you'll need to use the bathroom at 6-6:15, and 2) the lines will be long. Use a flashlight on your phone, go off 20 feet into the desert, and water a cactus, you know?
