I have shied away from this race previously due to the difficulty and reputation it has based on the hilly terrain. It takes place in Prescott, AZ, a mountain town about 2 hours north of Phoenix. The temperature here is always about 15-20 degrees cooler than in the valley.

There is a 2 mile, 10k, half and full option to this race. The race was $80 for the full and included a tech shirt and medal.

Packet pickup was the day before at the local YMCA, which is the title sponsor. The expo had a handful of local vendors.

The race starts outside the saloon on Whiskey Row in downtown Prescott. There's a shotgun start from an old west costumed guy and off you go. The out and back race starts around 5300 ft. elevation and climbs up to 6300 at the half way turn. It's on the roads, through some neighborhoods and up into a forested area where you run on a dirt road for the last mile before you turn around.

There were plenty of water stops and gatorade at every stop. The weather was in the 60's and sunny with mild humidity. The full marathoners started an hour earlier.

The race is pretty well organized. It is an open course, so when you're completely exhausted, moving over a few feet for a car to pass can be a chore.

The scenery is very nice, especially around the forested areas. The second half of the race is much more downhill, but still has some rollers in there to break things up.

At the finish, there is a nice selection of treats including pizza and every snack food imaginable. The medals were nice, and awards were 3 deep for each age group. There were just over 400 participants in the half. It was never crowded. It has a great small town feel.

I would recommend this race, with the disclaimer that you need to be prepared for mega-hills and elevation, so plan and train accordingly!