I entered the lost Dutchman half at the last minute. My girlfriend was doing a race in Arizona the previous day, and since we were traveling there anyway, I decided to find a smaller race to do for myself. The lost Dutchman, just outside of Phoenix, fit the bill.

There was no formal expo, bibs were handed out at a running store in Tempe. No issues finding the store or parking, and there were a lot of volunteers there handing out bibs, shirts, etc. The shirt for finishers was a long sleeve that seems to be a cross of cotton and tech material. Very nice and something different.

The start line was easy to locate (a short drive off the interstate and the directions were easy). Parking was a breeze as well, with lots of people directing cars in the dark early morning. There was a bus service from parking to the start area, which was a brief ride. The start area had several vendors selling early morning treats and coffee. Lots of port a potties with no waiting, which was also nice.

The course was a simple out and back. The terrain was mostly flat with some gentle rolling hills along the way. It was an early enough start that the Arizona heat didn't play a factor, but watching the sunrise was definitely a highlight! My only complaint about the course was that it is shared with the 10k that also happens, so in the back half it got a bit congested as the half marathon leaders caught up to the middle 10k runners, but all the 10kers were supportive and encouraging, so that was nice!

I was happy to get a top 10 overall finish in this race, and received a really nice plaque for placing in my age group. There is a ton of civic pride that is on display at this race, and you can tell it's a long running community tradition. There were aid stations every couple miles, with lots of enthusiastic volunteers.

This was a small race but holy cow was it fun and well organized. If you are in the Arizona area, this is a great alternative to the big Phoenix races!