I'm trying to run all 50 states, or else you couldn't compel to me run a distance race in Arizona. I don't care for hot weather, and I really don't care for RUNNING in hot weather! That said, I picked what I thought would be the lesser of all the Arizona marathon evils, and I'm actually glad I did!

This is one of those races that's been around for a while, so they know what they're doing and it shows. My experience, from start to finish, was positive. I arrived in Phoenix, rented a car, and stayed at a hotel in Mesa. It was an easy stop along the way to pick up my bib and shirt at a local running store and get that errand done (I never linger at expos long so this was great). There are many restaurants in the area and I had a nice relaxing Friday afternoon and Saturday in town. I drove out to the start Saturday morning to get a feel for where I'd need to park and check out the finish area, which was helpful.

Sunday morning I drove in the very early hours before even eating breakfast (I saved it for the bus ride so I didn't eat TOO far ahead of the start). Parking at the rodeo grounds was simple and there were volunteers directing cars to spots so it wasn't chaotic, even in the pitch black. After parking, I strolled right onto a marathon bus which drove us out to the start. It was chilly but nice, and the ride is long enough that I was able to enjoy my bagel, PB, and banana.

The starting area, in my opinion, is really the coolest part of this race. There are lot of volunteers around with breakfast foods, hot coffee, water, etc. There are lots of portajohns (amazingly, I never had to wait in line), and the absolute best thing is the array of campfires set up neatly by all of this. It's a great place to warm up, talk with friends, and make new friends. Definitely enjoyed this part the most.

The start was organized well with a few last minute announcements. We went on the gun, and the first several miles were quite pleasant on grated dirt roads in the hills. The sun was rising behind us and it was very pleasant. I carried my hydration pack since I knew I'd get hot, and was able to take pictures with my phone periodically as well.

The course itself is nice. Pretty flat but with a few hills that you definitely feel. You run through some neighborhoods, there are nice mountain views in the background, etc. but there are some flat, dull highway portions as well. Of course, it's hard to find a race without some boring bit somewhere in the 26.2 miles, so it was fine. The only downside to this race, in my opinion, is the temperature, which if I'm being totally honest, wasn't so bad. I just don't like heat so it makes me grumpy! But it was a beautiful day and the volunteers and folks cheering helped take my mind off of it.

The aid stations were good and had plenty of water and gatorade, and a few of them had Gu's and cold towels too, which was awesome. Towards the end they also had a "wall" that you ran through which was a nice symbolic gesture!

I usually don't walk during marathons, but I did end up walking towards the end of this one, finishing in 4:12, about 20-30 min slower than average. I blame the sun and temperature, nothing the race officials could control! The finish was good and I lingered in Prospector Park for a while listening to awards. The medal was GREAT, very solid with a unique image and coloring.

Overall, definitely recommend this race if for no other reason than its outstanding organization and unique race start area.

I have never run more than a mile or two on a track but hey, why not run 26.2 and see what happens?

I had a hole in my race calendar and this was a chance to run a marathon in a northern state in January that I otherwise would have to put off till warmer months, so why not go for it.

Registration was easy as with most events, the marathon seems to fill up last, even though I registered somewhat late in the game. Getting to Milwaukee from VA was surprisingly cheap so my hubby came along too; it's rare he gets to see me more than once or twice during a race...this time he saw me about 95 times!

There was no expo, just show up race morning and pick up your stuff, which is awesome in my opinion. One less thing to do the day before the race. The event was held at the Petit National Ice Center and runners and family spent the first little while before the start upstairs in a warm room with tables, chairs, coffee, water and most importantly, bathrooms. Close to race time we made our way down to the track where we were given instructions on where to set up our personal water bottles and nutrition. I had mine in a plastic bag with my name and bib number written on it, and two bottles (1 with water, 1 with Gatorade), also labeled. These were set up on a table that corresponded to a range of bib numbers. Volunteers manned this table throughout the event and handed off bottles and Gu's to runners then took them back the next lap. It wasn't a perfect system but it was pretty good and you can't beat having access to food and water ever .25 miles during a marathon. I didn't need it, but there were a couple of portajohns set up along the track too.

The organization of this race was pretty great. Maybe it's easier in some ways because there is no "course" to mark and monitor, but it has its own slew of logistical issues, none of which was noticeable to me as a runner. Everyone wore an ankle bracelet that gave us a chip timed run, and you crossed a couple of mats where your lap times, lap countdowns, and average lap time were displayed prominently. This was helpful, although I underestimated the difficulty I would have doing the math to time my laps and nutrition like a normal marathon. Regardless, I made it out okay!

There is no scenery. It was roughly 95 laps around the indoor ice arena where yes, a couple of hockey games were going on, and some speed skaters were training in the outer ice loop. But I couldn't really focus on that stuff for very long. There were no headphones allowed, but the RD had a playlist of music pumped out over the PA system, including selections that we runners sent in ahead of time. That was pretty cool, although some people have weird taste in running music!

So, 90 laps later, with 5 to go, the RD announced my name as closing in on the finish, and then again on my final lap (he may have done this with 20 or 10 to go as well, I can't remember). I have never been so delighted to be done with a race as I was here. 95 laps on a track that doesn't change is mind numbing and leg numbing in my opinion. I wish there could have been a hill manufactured for the race just to change up what my legs were doing. But, that's the way an indoor marathon goes, and now I know.

I am very glad I did it and appreciate the fact that they have a great long-sleeve tech tee and solid medal for finishers. I was pleased with my time and the swag, and hobbled away happy, though I have now checked the indoor marathon box for good!

I ran this back in December as my Delaware marathon. I'll be brief because this was a whirlwind trip that involved driving a rental to Rehoboth, running the marathon the next morning, showering quickly and driving to Philly, returning the rental and flying to a wedding in Utah. So I didn't get to enjoy the whole festive marathon atmosphere to the fullest extent. That said, it was a nice event and I'd recommend to anyone looking for a good December marathon.

My understanding is Rehoboth Beach is a madhouse in the summer months, but during December it was blessedly quiet but still very pretty and pleasant. My husband and I stayed in a little B&B walking distance to the start and finish but off the main drag. We arrived the day before, picked up my bib and shirt (which as I recall was bright pink so I immediately threw it into my 'make into a marathon t-shirt quilt' pile and haven't looked at since). That was a pretty painless process as it's not a giant event.

The start is at the bandstand by the beach which is a nice setting. There were a lot of bathrooms but never enough 10 minutes before the gun goes off! It was a cold, crisp, clear morning, perfect for a marathon. The start was a little crowded but as always we thinned out within a couple of miles. I don't remember a ton about the course itself other than it's very flat and there was a nice mix of scenery. Some of it was beautiful marsh and parkland crossing bridges and running on packed trails. There were other parts run in residential areas, and also a little bit that was along a highway or other busy road. There was never any point where I thought "well this sucks," as it's pretty nicely laid out and adequately marked. There were some crowds and some quiet spots due to where we were running (parts were a little remote for spectators) but that never bothers me. There were times I wished I had my camera so I could have taken a few photos of the marshlands. Aid stations were plentiful and everyone was very friendly.

The medal was a nice and quite large circular life preserver, which is fitting for the setting! I heard that the afterparty at the finish was pretty awesome too, but unfortunately for us we had to split right after I crossed the line, so I'll never know what I missed!

Bottom line: very nicely done marathon. Good organization, good communication leading up to the race, and a lovely setting to run. It wasn't a PR for me, but it wasn't far off either so it's a pretty fast course. I'd recommend this race for sure.