Mesa Marathon Race Day

QUICK INFO

RACE DAY: Feb. 8, 2025

EXPO & PACKET PICKUP:

Friday, February 7, 2025 from 9:00am to 6:00pm at a location TBD. See additional information on the Expo & Packet Pickup page.

BUS LOADING TIMES:

Marathon 4:00am-5:15am (runners must arrive no later than 4:30am)
Half Marathon NO BUS LOADING for 2025 - See below for details.
10K 4:45am-5:45am (runners must arrive no later than 5:15am)

RACE START TIMES:

Marathon – 6:30am
Half Marathon – 6:30am
10K – 6:30am
1K Kid's Run – 12:00pm

PARKING & BUSING

All MARATHON & 10K runners MUST ride the buses provided by the race in order to arrive at the start lines. There is no parking available at the start lines and it will not be possible to be dropped off anywhere near the start lines due to road closures that will be put in place several hours before the race begins. Runners who attempt to arrive at the start line in any way other than via the race buses risk not arriving on time and missing the start of the race.

Please plan to carpool with other runners as much as possible in order to avoid long wait times and congestion in the parking area.

Unlike in past years, there are NO designated parking lots for the specific distances. ALL parking in the Riverview Park area around the finish line is open to all marathon & 10K participants.

MARATHON:

Marathon buses will depart from 4:00am to 5:15am from the southeast corner of Sloan Park at the intersection of Sheffield Avenue and Rio Salado Parkway. Marathon runners should arrive in the parking area no later than 4:30am. Marathon buses will stage in the southbound lane on Sheffield Avenue.

Runners who are NOT parking but only being dropped off are encouraged to be dropped off near Riverview Auto Drive, just east of the bus loading area. This will put you in an area to avoid congestion.

HALF MARATHON:

NEW FOR 2025! All Half Marathon runners will be parking near the start line of the half marathon. THERE IS NO BUSING OF HALF MARATHON RUNNERS FROM RIVERVIEW PARK. Half Marathon runners are encouraged to arrive at the parking facility located at 3260 North 40th Street Mesa, AZ 85215 no later than 5:15am. Please plan to carpool with other runners as much as possible in order to avoid long wait times and congestion in the parking area. It is a 10 minute walk from the parking facility to the half marathon staging area.

Runners who are NOT parking but only being dropped off need to be dropped off at 2908 North Omaha Mesa, AZ 85215. This drop off location is just east of the half marathon staging area. This will put you in an area to avoid congestion. It is a 5 minute walk from the drop off location to the staging area.

NEW FOR 2025! When you have completed the race, there will be shuttles at the finish line, staged along Clark Street, to return you to the parking facility. These shuttles will run from 8:00am-11:30am.

Please reference the map below to see where the new parking facility and drop off area are located for the half marathon. To repeat, THERE IS NO BUSING OF HALF MARATHON RUNNERS FROM RIVERVIEW PARK. HALF MARATHON RUNNERS MUST GET THEMSELVES TO THE START LINE EITHER THROUGH PARKING OR DROP OFF.

10K:

10K buses will depart from 4:45am to 5:45am from the southwest corner of Sloan Park at the intersection of Clark Street and Rio Salado Parkway. 10K runners should arrive in the parking area no later than 5:15am. 10K buses will stage in the southbound lane on Clark Street.

Runners who are NOT parking but only being dropped off are encouraged to be dropped off near Riverview Auto Drive, just east of the bus loading area. This will put you in an area to avoid congestion.

START LINE

Due to the possibility of cold temperatures at the start lines, all runners will receive a pair of gloves in their race bags. Gloves may be disposed of in the start venue or at any aid station along the course. Additionally, outdoor heaters will be provided at the Marathon and Half Marathon start lines.

Abundant portable restrooms, water, and Gatorade Endurance will be available in the start line staging areas. Basic first aid supplies will also be available upon request.

After arriving at the start line staging area, Marathon runners will be allowed to stay on their buses if they choose. However, Half Marathon and 10K runners must exit their buses upon arrival and bring all of their belongings with them.

DROP BAGS

You will receive a race bag when you pick up your packet at the expo. This bag is for you to take to the starting areas. A number that matches your race bib will be put on the outside of your race bag. This is to identify your bag at the finish area after the race, and you will need your bib to prove ownership of your bag when you pick it up.

Each start line staging area (including the 10K) will have a gear check truck. Runners must place their bags in the gear check trucks no later than 6:00am. Please do not leave valuable items such as phones, wallets, or car keys in checked bags. The Mesa Marathon will not be responsible for lost or stolen items.

START CHUTE

Runners will be directed to line up in the start chutes beginning at 6:00 a.m. Large markers denoting various paces will line each start chute and runners will be directed to queue in the zone which marks their expected pace.

10K runners will line up on E 8th St immediately north of the baseball diamonds. Faster pace groups will stage on the east side of the chute closer to start line, and slower pace groups will stage farther west towards Center St.

Half Marathon runners will line up on E McDowell Rd between Ogden St and Greenfield Rd. Faster pace groups will stage closer to start line near Ogden St, and slower pace groups will stage farther east towards Greenfield Rd.

Marathon runners will line up on N Ellsworth Rd near the Rio Salado Sportsman's Club. Faster pace groups will stage closest to the start line near Gun Range Rd, and slower pace groups will stage farther north towards the bus parking area.

TIMING & BIBS

The races will be chip-timed using timing tags adhered to the back of your bib. Your time will begin when you cross the starting line, not at the start gun, and will stop when you cross the finish line. Overall prize winners will be determined by gun time, not chip time. Please do not tamper with the timing chips, as they cannot be replaced once linked to your bib number.

Because the timing tag is adhered to the back of your race bib, it is important that you do not cover your bib with clothing or other objects that may interfere with the tag reader when you are crossing the start and finish lines. Furthermore, in order to ensure that race volunteers, officials, and photographers can properly identify you, you must wear your bib on the front of your person in an unobstructed position. If the photographers along the course can not see your bib number, we will have no way to get your photos to you.

ON COURSE

Interactive course maps can be viewed on each race subpage below.

Marathon
Half Marathon
10K

AID STATIONS

There are 13 aid stations along the marathon course, 7 aid stations along the half marathon course and 4 aid stations along the 10k course. All aid stations will be supplied with Gatorade Endurance, water provided by WhiteWater, portable restrooms, and first aid. When passing an aid station, runners will always be offered Gatorade first and water second. Certain aid stations will also be supplied with GU Roctane Energy Gels and other amenities. Flavors of Gu Roctane Energy Gels include Cherry Lime and Cold Brew (caffeinated), as well as Lemonade (non-caffeinated). See Aid Station Map below for details on exact locations and amenities at each aid station.

In an effort to contain waste and facilitate cleanup operations, runners are asked to discard trash and shed clothing as close as possible to an aid station rather than elsewhere along the course. Any clothing that is shed along the course or at an aid station will be collected and donated to charity.

WEATHER

Although we cannot predict the weather, we can provide some historical weather averages for the area on the date of the race:

Average Low: 46F (right before sunrise at race start time)
Average High: 70F (late afternoon)

Please remember that these are average temperatures for central Mesa and that temperatures may be considerably cooler in the morning particularly at the marathon start. While we will provide gloves, we highly recommend that you come prepared for cold temperatures at the start line by layering and then shedding your layers to put in your drop bag just before the race begins.

PACERS

Pacers will be available for the Marathon and Half Marathon. Pacers will line up in the start chutes next to the large signs marking each pace zone, and they will be holding elevated signs to show their location.

The Marathon will offer pacers at the following paces:

3:00 (Men's 18-34 BQ mark, 6:52/mile pace)
3:05 (Men's 35-39 BQ mark, 7:03/mile pace)
3:10 (Men's 40-44 BQ mark, 7:15/mile pace)
3:20 (Men's 45-49 BQ mark, 7:37/mile pace)
3:25 (Men's 50-54 BQ mark, 7:50/mile pace)
3:30 (Women's 18-34 BQ mark, 8:00/mile pace)
3:35 (Women's 35-39 & Men's 55-59 BQ mark, 8:12/mile pace)
3:40 (Women's 40-44 BQ mark, 8:23/mile pace)
3:50 (Women's 45-49 & Men's 60-64 BQ mark, 8:46/mile pace)
4:05 (Women's 55-59 & Men's 65-69 BQ mark, 9:20/mile pace)
4:20 (Women's 60-64 & Men's 70-74 BQ mark, 9:54/mile pace)
4:40 (10:41/mile pace)
5:00 (11:27/mile pace)
6:33 (15:00/mile pace)

The Half Marathon will offer pacers at the following paces:

1:30 (6:52/mile pace)
1:40 (7:38/mile pace)
1:50 (8:24/mile pace)
2:00 (9:10/mile pace)
2:10 (9:55/mile pace)
2:20 (10:41/mile pace)

TIME LIMITS

Because the roads used for the race must be re-opened for normal traffic patterns, we are required to set course time limits that must be strictly adhered to. The course time limit for the full marathon is based on a 15:00 minute per mile pace, which is a light jog. This equates to a 6:33 marathon. The time limit for the half marathon is based on a 30:00 minute per mile pace, which is a leisurely walking pace. This equates to a 6:33 half marathon. Both races start at 6:30am, and participants will need to finish by 1:03pm.

Those who are unable to maintain the required pace at each mile marker must consent to be picked up by an escort vehicle and escorted to the finish venue, where they will still be allowed to cross the finish line and receive a medal. Alternatively they may elect to move to the side of the road or sidewalk and obey standard traffic laws such as stopping at stop lights and intersections. Aid station support and course directional signage will be removed immediately following the rolling closure time at each mile marker.

Based on the USATF certification standards the course is measured on tangents or SPR-Shortest Possible Route. Therefore if you run on the inside or outside line the entire length of the race your GPS may reflect a distance slightly greater than 13.1 or 26.2.

SPECTATORS

Spectators are welcomed and encouraged along the vast majority of the route. Please be considerate of public and private property and never interfere with the progress of any race participant. Spectators are required to follow the instructions of volunteers and law enforcement officers at all times.

Recommended cheering locations:

SE or SW Corner of Hawes Rd. and E McDowell Rd.
Community park on N Ridgecrest just North of E McDowell Rd.
Corner of N Power Rd. and E Thomas Rd.
5000 E McDowell Rd. (The Boeing Company)
4136 E McDowell Rd. (WAXIE Sanitary Supply), west of N Greenfield Rd. on E McDowell Rd. (Eastbound traffic is closed from 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 a.m., but spectators can park on the south side of E McDowell Rd. or behind WAXIE Sanitary Supply by entering on E Virginia St., north of N Greenfield Rd.)
Corner of N Val Vista Rd. and E Brown Rd.
2700 E Brown Rd. (Mt. View High School) on E Brown Rd. and N Lindsey Rd.
Corner of Mesa Dr. and E Brown Rd.
Banner Corporate Center on N Date (525 W Brown Rd.)
945 W Rio Salado Pkwy. (Westwood High School)
48 North Robson (Inside the Bungalow)
Finish Line approach on N. Riverview

MESA MARATHON CHEER CHALLENGE

The Mesa Marathon Cheer Challenge is a highlight of the race experience. Local community groups are invited to take over an aid station along the course and do anything they can to give runners a boost as they pass the aid station. Music, costumes, fun signage, and of course CHEERING is encouraged.

After the race, runners vote on which groups did the best job of providing energy and excitement. The top groups are rewarded with a financial donation to their organization. If your group is interested in participating, please contact us at info@mesamarathon.com.

FINISH FESTIVAL

Immediately after crossing the finish line runners will find themselves in an enclosed Runner Services area. Spectators will not be permitted to enter this area and should plan to meet up with their runners in the festival area north of the finish line. Once runners exit Runner Services they will not be allowed re-entry. They should ensure that they have collected their medal and recovery items before exiting.

Just past the runner services area, runners will be able to collect their free post-race food by removing the tear tags along the bottom of their bibs and redeeming them at the designated tents.

Runners of legal age will be treated to a free post-race beer in the Beer Garden, located in the festival area. Runners may either have their ID checked and receive a wristband or stamp at the Beer ID Check Booth during the Expo, or bring proper photo ID to the Beer Garden entrance.

The Finish Venue Map below shows the layout of the festival area at Riverview Park.

RESULTS & AWARDS

A results tent will be set up near the exit of the Runner Services area. Runners may visit this tent and present their race bib to receive a free result card. Results will also be available on the Photos/Results page of the Mesa Marathon website as soon as runners cross the finish line.

Awards ceremonies for overall winners will take place at the Finish Line Festival. The 10K awards ceremony will occur at 7:30 am; the Half Marathon awards ceremony will occur at 8:30 am; the Marathon awards ceremony will occur at 9:30 am.

Age division awards will be given to the top three finishers in each division category. These may be retrieved at the results tent in the festival area; there will not be an awards ceremony for age division winners.

For additional information on overall and age division awards, please visit the Awards page.

BOSTON QUALIFIERS

Qualifying for the Boston Marathon is a huge achievement, and we want to celebrate it with you! If you qualify for Boston while running the Mesa Marathon, stop by the results tent to receive a free BQ luggage tag. Use it proudly when you travel to Beantown next April! Check out Boston qualifying times here.

Amazon KIDS 1K

Stick around the finish festival to support the participants in the free Amazon Kids 1K at 12:00. There is nothing better than seeing the joy on the young faces as they cross the same finish line as everyone else. Visit the Amazon Kids 1K page for additional information.

ROAD CLOSURES

Motorists in the city of Mesa and surrounding area may experience several marathon course-related street closures on Saturday, February 8. Expect traffic to be slow in and around areas impacted by the race course.

Street closures will begin at 4:00 a.m. on February 8. Streets will re-open in stages with all streets re-opened by 1:30 p.m. Traffic will not be permitted to cross the race route during the event.

Motorists should plan ahead for possible delays. To avoid the race route completely, travelers are advised to skirt the perimeter by using the 202 Red Mountain Freeway (north and east borders); the 101 Price Freeway (west border); and US 60 Superstition Freeway (south border).

For a detailed map of the race route and street closures, please use this link.