Garmin Marathon Tucson

All course distances start and finish in the heart of downtown Tucson, near the State of Arizona Governmental Offices on West Congress Street, west of North Granada Avenue. Full marathoners, half marathoners and 10K runners begin at 6:30 a.m. and run the first two miles together, initially heading west past the Mercado District and the Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill, an 860-acre ecological preserve. The 5K participants follow at 6:50 a.m.

Full Marathon

After continuing past Pima County Community College, runners keep going west as they run along the southern perimeter of Painted Hills Trails Park, a 285-acre natural open space park known for its saguaros. Returning east on West Speedway Boulevard, participants will see Greasewood Park, El Rio Golf Course and stunning views of the Santa Catalina Mountains to the north before reaching the University of Arizona campus. They then continue on East 3rd Street, turn south at North Alvernon Way and loop around Randolph Golf Campus before heading east on Broadway Boulevard down the Sunshine Mile toward downtown Tucson. The final section has them crossing South Freeway on West 22nd Street, turning right and running north on South Grande Avenue, before finishing by going east on West Congress Street back into the city center, the heart of this vibrant desert community.

The full marathon course features a total ascent of 948 feet with the majority of it occurring in the first 5 miles and a cut-off time of 6.5 hours.

Half Marathon

Those participating in the half marathon run with the full marathoners until they reach the northern side of Painted Hills Trails Park. They then split away from the other runners for two miles, before rejoining them on West Speedway Boulevard. At the Santa Cruz River, half marathon participants head south on the Chuck Huckelberry Loop (The Loop) – a scenic 138-mile paved path encircling the city – for a little over a mile before connecting with the main route on West Congress Street and finishing at the start and finish line. Total ascent for the half marathon, also pending certification, is 738 feet and the cut-off time is the same as for the full marathon.

10K and 5K

Runners pass by the Mercado District, known for its colorful adobe buildings, local shops and bustling markets, and also make use of The Loop. Total ascent for the 10K and 5K are 180 feet and 69 feet, respectively.

10K Route:

5K Route:

Race participants, spectators and supporters are invited to attend the finish line festival on North Granada Avenue. A celebration of the finishers of the Garmin Marathon Series, this community event highlights local food vendors and entertainment until 1:30 p.m.

The races will begin downtown at the Start/Finish Line on Congress Street located just west of Granada Ave.

The Marathon, Half Marathon, and 10K begin at 6:30 a.m. and the 5K begins at 6:50 a.m. Almost all race activity, including traffic restrictions, is expected to be concluded by 1:30 p.m. with the Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K concluded by 11:30 a.m.  

All races will be run on City of Tucson and Pima County roads as well as the Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K also utilizing a section of The Loop along the Santa Cruz River.

The Tucson Police Department, Pima County Sheriff's Department, and University of Arizona Police Department will be providing point control and overseeing traffic and race safety during the event. 

The races do not require full road closures, except for the finish / start location downtown, but will require lane closures and temporary intersection closures in much of the race area where drivers will need to use caution and follow all signage, traffic safety devices, and the directions of public safety personnel to allow racing participants safe travel along the race routes.

Business ingress and egress along the race courses will not be limited but drivers will need to use caution and obey all signage and directions from public safety personnel during the race hours. Downloadable PDF Route maps with expected start and end times of traffic restrictions for each of the races can be found below.

Click on the image of the map to open a zoomable pdf of the route to see how long the restriction may be in place for where you live or where you may need to travel to on the day of the race. Drivers in the race area are encouraged to plan ahead and give themselves a little more time to get to their location or delay their activities until racers can clear the area and restrictions are lifted.  

Full Marathon Map with Mile Markers and Restriction / Closure Times

(PDF, 6MB)

Half Marathon Map with Mile Markers and Restriction / Closure Times

(PDF, 5MB)

10K Map with Mile Markers and Restriction / Closure Times

(PDF, 4MB)

5K Map with Mile Markers and Restriction / Closure Times

(PDF, 4MB)

(PDF, 4MB)Start/Finish Line and Event Area Full Closure Map

(PDF, 496KB)
This full closure of Congress Street, both east and westbound from Church Avenue to the I-10 Frontage Road will be in effect from 6 a.m. - 8 p.m. on November 15.

The information below lists out the estimated times that the first runners and walkers will get to the major intersections and then when the final walkers and runners will clear the intersections.  Approach times (First Runner / First Walker in the charts below) are listed for each race and are listed based on 5 minutes per mile for runners and 15 minutes per mile for walker.  Clearance times are estimated using 20 minutes per mile for walkers (Last Walker in the charts below). Mile points are at or near listed intersections.

The marathon, half marathon, and 10K will begin at 6:30 a.m.

The 5K will begin at 6:50 a.m.

Marathon

Half Marathon

10K

5K

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