Expo/Packet Pickup. There was an expo, but it was on Friday (since this is a Saturday race). I’ve got a “day job” and worked Friday, so I missed it. It wasn’t much of a problem though, as the race also offered race-day pickup right at the starting line. The lines were not long, and moved quickly, so I had plenty of extra time to putz around. There were plenty of volunteers helping to move things along, and the bibs were separated by distance with a separate line for each race. Bibs and safety pins were on one side, with shirts on the other.

Shirts/swag. Race shirts were royal blue this year, a color I happen to love. They are Greenlayer brand—I’m a fan because the sizing makes sense. (I wear a 12-14 in regular clothes depending on the brand; a women’s large fits perfectly.) Runners had the choice of a unisex crew neck or women’s cut v-neck shirt. The design is what I’d describe as a classic run shirt design (line drawing of the scenery, sunrise, and some runners) with race info on the front and sponsors on the back. I like it, and know I will wear this one again. There wasn’t really swag, which I sort of liked—I don’t like getting a bunch of paper (save a tree!) and didn’t have much room in my suitcase anyway.

The race medal is a bronze-colored cast in the shape of ¼ pie wedge. The outer portion shows the rock formations of Sedona, the inner part has some runners, and then there is the race information. Apparently four years’ worth of medals form a whole circle (pie) and make up a continuous picture. If you are a ribbon snob, you’d be disappointed that the ribbon was a solid-green, plain ribbon. I’m not, and think the green went really nicely with the bronze-color of the medal. I really like the medal, but part of that might be how hard I had to work to earn it!

Parking/Access. Runners and spectators had access to a shuttle service with stops throughout town. I thought this was a great idea, to cut down on traffic congestion pre-race. Also, I know that when I’m running in a town I don’t know well, I like having a shuttle so I don’t need to figure out parking, the best driving route, which streets are closed, etc. My race crew, Jackie, ended up driving me to the starting line, and even that wasn’t bad. There seemed to be plenty of parking available.

Starting Line. The starting line had race-day packet pickup and a mini-expo. There were booths for various race sponsors and community groups, and tents for several running clubs. There was even a tent for the Japanese runners—80 runners from Japan participated in the races! Announcements included fun facts about the race including that 47 states represented (South Dakota, up your game already!). There were also vendors with running items, Sedona Marathon clothing, and local foods and drinks. It had a pretty festive atmosphere, even though it was in the 40s. The first race start, the marathon, was at 9:00 so there were plenty of wide-awake kids bopping about as well.

The Course: Scenery, Elevation, and more. Let’s start with elevation: this race has it. Sedona is at 4,500 feet above sea level. I currently live on an island that goes from water-level to 33 feet. Needless to say, training there did not prepare me at all! I had a rough time of it because I couldn’t breathe very well. (I haven’t spent any significant time at elevation since I was a kid.) Even though my body could have run more during the second half of the marathon, my lungs were on fire. After the race I learned that many runners take a whole vacation week, or arrive at least a few days earlier in Sedona to acclimate a little.

The course is and out-and-back. The first half out is on paved roads. (The 5k and 10k athletes have turnarounds on the paved section; the half marathon turnaround is right before the paved section ends). The second half out (and thus the first half back) are on a dirt road. While the paved section has some elevation, it’s mostly downhill on the way out (or seemed that way) so mostly uphill on the way back. The dirt road portion has some serious hills. If you fear hills, this race is not for you. I wouldn’t say they were insane—Tiburon’s hills were MUCH steeper—but combined with the elevation, I personally found them difficult. The roads were not 100% closed to traffic, and multiple ATVs, Jeeps, and other vehicles passed while I was running. For the most part this was no big deal, as most drivers were courteous and went rather slow. I was glad I had a Buff with me, as I used it over my nose/mouth when drivers kicked up a little too much dust.

Scenically, you could not ask for a prettier desert-mountain course. The “urban” portion was less than a mile of the course, and even then it was set against the majestic backdrop that is Sedona. I’d never been to Sedona before, so I spent a lot of time gawking at the red and white striations in the rock formations. The greenery was pretty much all foreign-to-me desert-y stuff, so also fun to look at.

This year we had perfect running weather (though the native Arizonans informed me that this was “cold”). Just prior to race start it was in the 40s. The temperature rose progressively, and I imagine most of the half marathon athletes finished in sunny upper 50s or 60s. It never got too-too hot, and while I was out running on the dirt there were still cool breezes. Tuesday’s snow was still on the ground, and some of the ice in the roadside ditches stayed frozen until after I finished.

Aid Stations. The aid stations were the best! All of them were staffed by themed-groups, including “run from the zombies” and a group with big flowers on their heads. Aid stations all had water and Clif Shot Electrolyte beverage (most had two flavors, a pink berry flavor and a clear one that was lemon-lime); I’m pretty sure all of the aid stations also had Clif Shot gels as well as bananas. At least one had some pretzels and other things. It’s pretty clear there was either good communication or a lot of experience, or both, with the aid station crew: cups were an appropriate size and fill-level, and when lots of runners went through it went pretty smoothly. The first two aid stations could have used a few more people—they were hammered in waves as the runners from each race were still in a big pack as they came through—but that was the only thing to complain about (and so minor as to not really annoy anyone but the speed-demons among us). Each aid station also had a porta-potty (and there were a bank of them at the start).

In addition to aid stations, the course had several other runner-safety crews. There were “spotters” whose job it was to watch a stretch of road for runners needing assistance, for example. The famous Pink Jeeps drove up and down the course checking on runners. As I was one of the very last finishers—so very last that when I arrived the timing mat had been disassembled and packed away, and they were taking down the signs and trusses that made up the finish line—I was really glad to see they were looking out for us slowpokes. While I knew I’d be slow (and was even prepared for the possibility of being sag-wagon-ed off the course), I also had Jackie in her Jeep, meeting me every mile or so on my way back into the finish; the runners behind me didn’t have their own personal sweeper trucks. At several points the Pink Jeep crew or their leader pulled up and offered me bottled water or Clif Shots. Towards the end I explained that if course policy was to sag-wagon/sweep the last runners, I would completely understand if they picked me up, but I did have my own crew and would prefer to finish the miles if that was okay. The Pink Jeep crew leader said he didn’t know the sweep/sag-wagon policy but would find out; eventually I got the “a-okay” to carry on, once all were assured that I knew what I was doing and was able to proceed safely.

Even after that, as the tear-down team came through with the U-Hauls to take apart aid stations (and pick up every piece of trash they found by the side of the road!) that crew offered me water and Clif Shots, and assured themselves I didn’t need them to call me a ride. Seriously, everyone was so nice and kind.

Finally, there was also an active medical and police crew on the course. Each of the aid stations and spotters also had a radio, and could call for medical or a ride for a downed runner. (While I don’t think there were too many runners who were injured or picked up, I did hear two calls for help. Since this race climate offers several challenges to non-natives—dry heat, elevation, direct sun for the whole course—I’m glad to see safety was a top priority.) Motorcycle police cruised the paved portion of the course playing classic rock.

Race Management. This race ran like Meb: smooth and steady. As a runner, my perception was that everything went 100% according to plan, with a high level of organization and teamwork. If there were any problems, I did not see them. Everything from bag check to aid stations to the Pink Jeep crew seemed to be seamless. I don’t think anyone had a reason to complain.

In addition to having no reason to complain, I have extra reasons to be thrilled with race management. First, after assuring themselves that I would be safe, they allowed me to finish even after the course officially closed. Second, as I turned the last corner off the main out-and-back portion, a race volunteer (another runner) came out to make sure I found my way through the last ¾ mile or so of the course (as the markers had been removed) and help me cross the finish line. While I didn’t get an official time (the timing system was shut down after 7 hours, well beyond the 6.5 hour limit advertised) I was presented with a medal and allowed to raid the snacks. Finally, the race staff taking down the finish line and packing things up thanked me for coming out to run the race and were sincerely interested in what I thought of the race. It felt like pretty amazing hospitality for one of the very slowest runners out there.

Overall. This race was gorgeous and I would definitely do it again BUT now that I know how elevation affects me, I’d choose the 10k or the half marathon. If you are looking for a challenge and are a seasoned runner, the marathon is totally appropriate (and do-able), just be aware of the elevation. If you want to make a getaway weekend that happens to have a run, choose the 5k—there were plenty of families and brand-new runners to keep you company.