I absolutely love everything about the Phoenix marathon! Last year I ran the 10K and enjoyed it so much that I signed up for the half marathon this year. The swag bag was stuffed full of awesomeness...even got free socks, arm sleeves, and a book!

The expo was inside the Sheraton this year, and felt less impressive than last year. It was hectic and chaotic, and difficult to maneuver as it was very packed. I hope that they will return to the expo of last year, which seemed to have way more vendors, a clear flow of traffic, and was easy to get through.

The race is very organized, and transportation from the parking areas is provided with bus shuttles. The only drawback is that the last shuttle leaves at 5:15am, meaning it is a very, very early morning.

The course is actually flat, and has aid stations at almost every other mile. Each mile is clearly marked with color coded flags for each distance. The bus shuttle drops each distance at a different start, so that the race course is the same but does not collide with the other distances.

There were cold towels at the finish line, which was awesome but would have been more appreciated by the over heating marathon runners, somewhere around mile 19 or 20.

The after party did not seem quite as big as last year, but was still pretty amazing! A massage tent was set up along with a physical therapy tent for stretching. French toast and BBQ with Mac N Cheese were available for free. There were very few options for those runners with diet restrictions, but that is to be expected at most races.

Another thing to note, there is no post-race beer at this race. Many people seemed saddened after walking around in search of a beer tent. I don't like to drink after running long distances, so it didn't really effect me.

I ran the half marathon distance (which was 14.4 miles, not 13.1), and fell in love with the culture and experience! The night before the race, we were able to learn about the monuments as well as Navajo culture and beliefs. We were led in a traditional prayer, holding cornmeal at sunset as well as another pre-race at sunrise.

The weather was cold in the morning, but as soon as we started running, It warmed up quickly. The race started off down a trail that took the runners through the monuments. The scenery was breath taking. The first 5 miles of the race were a nice split of up and downs, trails and dirt roads.

At the 3 sisters monument, a full aid station was prepared with nearly anything a runner could want. Bacon, avocado, boiled potatoes, vegan energy bites, oreos, Swedish fish, pretzels, chips, soda, electrolytes, gels, pickles and much more.

We headed back out and the trail got more challenging. The next five miles were gorgeous, and mostly fine, red sand. It was a lot of work to get through this portion, but we ended back at the amazing aid station at 3 sisters again!!

After refueling, we went back out for the final stretch. The first mile of two were nice, with some decent downhill portions, but the last 3 miles were up, up and up. Definitely recommend bringing a buff to help filter out the sand as you run, and there were also several places where sand was kicked up by cars cruising or touring the area.

Getting to the finish line felt pretty amazing, but the post-race pizza was even better! I have a very specific diet, and they were able to make a vegan veggie pizza for me, which was the icing on my race cake!

This race allowed me to run places that people are not allowed to go typically. It allowed me to experience a beautiful place, and an absolutely amazing culture.

I cannot wait for my next Ultra Adventures race!

This was my very first marathon. I traveled from out of state and stayed at one of the host hotels. They were great about providing information about race events, a shuttle to the race, and they had fresh, hot cookies all day long at the front desk.

The expo was huge, and very easy to get to. They waived the parking fee for the expo folks, which was nice. Tons and tons of vendors were present, which was good for me because I forgot my socks.

The course itself was nothing spectacular. The first 1/2 of the race was more interesting than the second half, with some hills and a run through the nearby beach park. By about mile 10, the weather had heated up to 86 degrees, and the race course became very monotonous. The view was beautiful (the ocean off PCH, however it was the same view over and over, and even worse it was like a 5 mile out and back along the same road. Even more mentally challenging, was that this long out and back started with a U-turn just feet away from the finish line.

This last out and back segment did not have enough aid stations manned by the race, but there were some supporters that provided bacon, ice, cold towels, oranges and water. Without these supporters, the last part of the race would have been completely miserable.

I was not a fan of how the half combined with the full, nor of the many out and back segments that made up this entre race course. Out and backs make for a much more mentally challenging race.

All in all, it was a fun race but I wouldn't run the full marathon again.

I had such a blast at Ragnar Del Sol! The course was interesting, much of it running along the side of roads in the middle of nowhere and often in the middle of the night. Directions were clear to get from one exchange to the next, and trails were clearly marked (even in the dark).

All promised services were offered including sleeping areas, showers, food stops, etc. I do feel it would have been helpful to have some additional water stations throughout some of the legs, as it was unseasonably hot (especially during the day time runs).

All in all, I felt it was a very well organized race. It was my first road ragnar, and I did enjoy myself...though I only slept about 20 minutes and spent the whole 3rd leg puking while I ran. I would definitely recommend that everyone participate in at least one ragnar race, and I would love to participate again if the opportunity presents itself in the future.

I ran the Double Your Luck Challenge, which included running a 5k and after a nice break, running a 10k. I struggled to arrive in Vegas from Arizona before the Friday night packet pickup ended, but was unable to make it in time. It sounded like a great time, held in the Tropicana hotel, which was also hosting the rest of the Sin City Shootout weekend events.

I left extra early morning of the race to be sure that I was able to pick up my packet and get situated before the start of the race. It did take some effort to locate the start of the race, as the park is very large, and had multiple park entrances. I spent roughly 20 minutes driving through the park until I was able to locate a person who was able to provide directions.

Everything ran very smooth at packet pickup, and the swag bag had less junk and more useful items in it. The race staff did inform racers that there was an issue with the delivery of the t-shirts, and let us know that the shirts would be sent out in the mail. The shirts look very stylish (the small shirts were the only ones to arrive before race morning). I look forward to receiving mine (hopefully any day now).

The course itself was slightly repetitive, as we first ran the 5k, and then several additional loops for the 10k. It was a flat and fast course, with virtually no hills. It was definitely a break from the bustle of the strip, and I would describe the scenery as very nature-based. There were jackrabbits and bunnies, as well as a variety of other wild desert animals.

I ran the 5k slowly, and raced hard for the 10k, and actually ended up placing in my age group. That award should also be coming in the mail any day.

I did not stay on the strip, but did hear several runners who did, hoping for a shuttle service for future years. This was an inaugural race, and I feel that the staff and volunteers were helpful, supportive and enjoyable. Both races started on time, and were quite enjoyable. My favorite part was enjoying the beauty of the desert, as well as the snow-capped mountains on the horizon.

Many visitors to Vegas miss out on the beauty away from the strip, and this race definitely helps remind you how beautiful the desert really is.

Overall, I feel this race was awesome! Some things to improve for next year would be shuttle service to the race, signage throughout the park/entrances to help direct traffic, and making sure the shirts arrive before race day.

I have never placed in my age group before, so it is killing me to be waiting for the age group award, but I know it will be here any day and that always makes checking the mail more fun.