This is what I imagine a standard Rock N Roll event would be like. A band at every mile and fairly well run. The half is much more popular then the full. I ran the full marathon, it's starts downtown Phoenix near U.S. Airways and heads over into Scottsdale before finishing in downtown Tempe. The course isn't all that exciting but the background of the mountains provide a cool backdrop and it has a fun finish down Rio Salado Dr. The best part of the race is the timing. The race is in mid January when the weather is great for long distance racing. Also the light rail provides an easy way to get to and from the start/finish.