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Marathon Details - Desert Classic Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > AZ > Phoenix > Desert Classic Marathon

Desert Classic Marathon

Desert Classic Marathon & Half Marathon, 10K, 5K

Phoenix, AZ USA

January 25, 2020

http://www.arizonaroadracers.com/portfolio-item/desert-classic-marathon

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Marathon Results

By Year:

2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 Top 3 Finishers

Contact Information

Name:	Hal Gensler
Address:	Arizona Road Racers P.O. Box 37876 Phoenix, AZ 85069-7876 ATTN: Desert Classic Marathon
Phone Number:	(602) 684-1496
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (49)

Course 3.8

Organization 4.3

Spectators 2.6

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Number of comments: 49 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 > ]

S. C. from CA (6/3/2020) "The sunrise was amazing!" (about: 2020) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Desert Classic Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a great race for the runner who doesn't need (or prefers to avoid) the bigger races and crowds. Organization was good: the only issue was one of the water stops was unmanned and no water (I could only assume the person/s manning it were off getting more water). There is one point around mile 11 or 12 you have to wait for a traffic (well, you're supposed to wait :0). The shirt was really cool: unique dark/denim looking blue, long sleeve and good old fashioned cotton (I have enough race shirts). The mug is unique and cool, but the paint started chipping off after a few runs through the dish washer. The highlight is running in the desert (essentially) by yourself. The out-and-back course was a nice way to greet fellow runners and to place yourself in the standings. It was nice to see how many people were ahead of me so I could determine my place and how I moved up in ranks after each person I passed on the return. The reg fee is reasonable. All in all, a great run that I intent to run again. Oh, the course, while appears to be pretty flat doesn't seem so...especially with a pretty strong head wind on the way back. My hunch is this is how it is each day, but will find out in 2021 when I run it again.
B. K. from Alberta, Canada (2/10/2018) "Budget Marathon in the Desert" (about: 2018) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Desert Classic Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Desert Classic is a small, budget marathon where you run alone on your own from the start to the finish line. Fast pick-up of my bib number a T-shirt in a dark, chilly morning and soon we were running west along an empty highway with pure, real desert on both sides of the road. Zero spectators, spectacular sunset and never ending feeling of running uphill. After on of the small hills there was the finish line! Many thanks to local volunteers for a great, small race.
L. G. from AZ (1/31/2018) "meditative run along a highway" (about: 2018) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Desert Classic Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I love small marathons, and this one, with <50 people, fit the bill. It doesn't get any simpler than this: packet pick-up on race morning took less than 2 minutes. A 5 minute walk from my car to the race start/finish. Run 13.1 miles in the wide bicycle lane on a 4-lane highway; turn around and run back. The only spectators were the folks at the water stops. I focused on my breath, got into a rhythm, and enjoyed the day. Great shirt and medal and they even had age-group awards!
Mike Rosner from Ogden, Utah (10/18/2016) "These people are great" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 4-5 Desert Classic Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I can't understand how a course can feel all uphill even tho it starts and finishes at the same place. A race director who manned (womanned?) a water station and teased me for being so slow, was very helpful keeping my mind off my painful legs. I told the guy at the half marathon turn around to call in and tell everybody to go home because I was very slow. He and a few others were at the finish when I arrived 33 minutes behind the next-to- last runner. They cheered for me and even had snacks. Made me feel fantastic. Maybe the best race crew at all my marathons.
M. G. from Arizona (2/2/2016) "Pure running, plain and simple..." (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Desert Classic Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 A great run when you're looking for simplicity. On-time start, race-day packet pick-up, easy parking, etc. Simple shirt, medal, well-priced. Aid stations every 2-3 miles. Out-and-back course is rollers. No clocks or spectators on coursejust open, quiet desert. Halfers share the first 6.5 miles. Great race director, updates, emails, etc. They also allow early start. Good temps, some headwind on the way back. Definitely 'CLASSIC' as it's named!
E. G. from Murray, UT (2/4/2015) "Well organized, local marathon race" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Desert Classic Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I was in town for the weekend and was looking to knock out Arizona on my state's list. I found the Desert Classic Marathon and settled in on that. The course is a bit of a challenging one. If you need constant jawdropping scenery, you are probably at the wrong race. The area was pretty and it was peaceful. There is a fog covered mountain range on one side and desert scrub on the other. It is punctuated by a small Del Webb housing area near the half way point. The only 'major' hill is right at the beginning and even that is being generous in terms of a description (imagine putting a treadmill on 1 - 2% incline for most of the race). This out and back course, though, seemed to have a lot of slow, steady inclines and can deceptively feel like it is constantly uphill. The course is run entirely on asphalt along the side of a road. The race is small enough and the lane wide enough that I never felt hemmed in or threatened by traffic. There were water / Gatorade stops every 2 miles and like clockwork the mile markers were spot on. The volunteers were enthusiastic and very helpful. My suggestion would be that they have at least one station with gels / vaseline. The race started promptly at 7AM. The majority of the runners are half marathoners, and by the time I finished the area was a ghost town. However, there was plenty of post race support in terms of hydration and snacks and friendly conversation. Again, some super friendly people at the end offering to lend a hand. Post race food consisted of bread, chips, cookies, fruit, and water / Gatorade. I liked the design for the t-shirt but the medals were average at best. The course is definitely an honest one and measured accurately on my Garmin. I felt they could've used more bathrooms, particularly at the start. Also there were only two bathrooms on the course. Get there early as parking fills up fast. Crowd support is pretty minimal. They did have vehicles driving up and down the course looking for people that needed help or ringing cowbells and there were a family or two with posters cheering on loved ones. If my travel plans lined up with this race, I'd certainly run it again. I was very happy with everything and would recommend it to those who want to knock out a low key marathon in Arizona.
Larry Macon from Republic of South Texas (2/2/2015) "Good, Well Supported Flat Race" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Desert Classic Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a good race,where slower runners feel welcome. The early start begins at 6:00am so you miss most of the heat, and there are still a few enthusiastic fans when we turtles drag in. I have run this race 8 times and plan to do so again.
L. P. from Washington DC (2/20/2012) "nice, for a small race" (about: 2012) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Desert Classic Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I enjoyed this race and would do it again. There was good course support. My only complaint is that it sure seems like the course is uphill both ways. I just looked at the courese map and i did not see the down hill at the end. Oh well.
B. H. from Salt Lake City, UT (2/21/2011) "Small, fast, boring" (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Desert Classic Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 I have to agree with KT. I feel bad speaking ill of this marathon because, for the money, I should have known what I was getting into. Straight out-and-back running on the shoulder of a highway. Flat as a pancake. Somebody mentioned something about there being a slight uphill or downhill here but I didn't notice a thing. Only 3 aid stations, and only 1 port-a-potty. I was just trying to check off AZ and chose the wrong race. I think there are plenty of others. I think you just have to know what you are signing up for. The organizers were great and I think they did a good job give the low entry fee. No spectators to speak of. This might be a fun marathon if you had a group of friends running with you and could enjoy their conversation or if you were just using it as a training run for another marathon a few weeks away (which is probably all I would recommend to use it for). The tech t-shirt is cool and you get a medal. Just know what you are getting into when you sign up.
K. T. from Arizona (2/1/2011) "Not Great - 50 Staters should choose another race" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Desert Classic Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 I normally don't post anything negative, but this time I felt the need to. Terrible road conditions - pavement was completely covered in small pebbles that are excruciating on your feet. Out-and-back course is VERY boring. No water for 8 miles for the 6 a.m. starters. Weak medal for the finishers. The results announcer made offensive remarks. I posted a great time even with the never-ending climbing, but overall, I'm very unhappy with this marathon. I would not recommend this race. Sorry.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 > ]



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S. C. from CA (6/3/2020) "The sunrise was amazing!" (about: 2020) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Desert Classic Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a great race for the runner who doesn't need (or prefers to avoid) the bigger races and crowds. Organization was good: the only issue was one of the water stops was unmanned and no water (I could only assume the person/s manning it were off getting more water). There is one point around mile 11 or 12 you have to wait for a traffic (well, you're supposed to wait :0). The shirt was really cool: unique dark/denim looking blue, long sleeve and good old fashioned cotton (I have enough race shirts). The mug is unique and cool, but the paint started chipping off after a few runs through the dish washer. The highlight is running in the desert (essentially) by yourself. The out-and-back course was a nice way to greet fellow runners and to place yourself in the standings. It was nice to see how many people were ahead of me so I could determine my place and how I moved up in ranks after each person I passed on the return. The reg fee is reasonable. All in all, a great run that I intent to run again. Oh, the course, while appears to be pretty flat doesn't seem so...especially with a pretty strong head wind on the way back. My hunch is this is how it is each day, but will find out in 2021 when I run it again.
B. K. from Alberta, Canada (2/10/2018) "Budget Marathon in the Desert" (about: 2018) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Desert Classic Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Desert Classic is a small, budget marathon where you run alone on your own from the start to the finish line. Fast pick-up of my bib number a T-shirt in a dark, chilly morning and soon we were running west along an empty highway with pure, real desert on both sides of the road. Zero spectators, spectacular sunset and never ending feeling of running uphill. After on of the small hills there was the finish line! Many thanks to local volunteers for a great, small race.
L. G. from AZ (1/31/2018) "meditative run along a highway" (about: 2018) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Desert Classic Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I love small marathons, and this one, with <50 people, fit the bill. It doesn't get any simpler than this: packet pick-up on race morning took less than 2 minutes. A 5 minute walk from my car to the race start/finish. Run 13.1 miles in the wide bicycle lane on a 4-lane highway; turn around and run back. The only spectators were the folks at the water stops. I focused on my breath, got into a rhythm, and enjoyed the day. Great shirt and medal and they even had age-group awards!
Mike Rosner from Ogden, Utah (10/18/2016) "These people are great" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 4-5 Desert Classic Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I can't understand how a course can feel all uphill even tho it starts and finishes at the same place. A race director who manned (womanned?) a water station and teased me for being so slow, was very helpful keeping my mind off my painful legs. I told the guy at the half marathon turn around to call in and tell everybody to go home because I was very slow. He and a few others were at the finish when I arrived 33 minutes behind the next-to- last runner. They cheered for me and even had snacks. Made me feel fantastic. Maybe the best race crew at all my marathons.
M. G. from Arizona (2/2/2016) "Pure running, plain and simple..." (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Desert Classic Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 A great run when you're looking for simplicity. On-time start, race-day packet pick-up, easy parking, etc. Simple shirt, medal, well-priced. Aid stations every 2-3 miles. Out-and-back course is rollers. No clocks or spectators on coursejust open, quiet desert. Halfers share the first 6.5 miles. Great race director, updates, emails, etc. They also allow early start. Good temps, some headwind on the way back. Definitely 'CLASSIC' as it's named!
E. G. from Murray, UT (2/4/2015) "Well organized, local marathon race" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Desert Classic Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I was in town for the weekend and was looking to knock out Arizona on my state's list. I found the Desert Classic Marathon and settled in on that. The course is a bit of a challenging one. If you need constant jawdropping scenery, you are probably at the wrong race. The area was pretty and it was peaceful. There is a fog covered mountain range on one side and desert scrub on the other. It is punctuated by a small Del Webb housing area near the half way point. The only 'major' hill is right at the beginning and even that is being generous in terms of a description (imagine putting a treadmill on 1 - 2% incline for most of the race). This out and back course, though, seemed to have a lot of slow, steady inclines and can deceptively feel like it is constantly uphill. The course is run entirely on asphalt along the side of a road. The race is small enough and the lane wide enough that I never felt hemmed in or threatened by traffic. There were water / Gatorade stops every 2 miles and like clockwork the mile markers were spot on. The volunteers were enthusiastic and very helpful. My suggestion would be that they have at least one station with gels / vaseline. The race started promptly at 7AM. The majority of the runners are half marathoners, and by the time I finished the area was a ghost town. However, there was plenty of post race support in terms of hydration and snacks and friendly conversation. Again, some super friendly people at the end offering to lend a hand. Post race food consisted of bread, chips, cookies, fruit, and water / Gatorade. I liked the design for the t-shirt but the medals were average at best. The course is definitely an honest one and measured accurately on my Garmin. I felt they could've used more bathrooms, particularly at the start. Also there were only two bathrooms on the course. Get there early as parking fills up fast. Crowd support is pretty minimal. They did have vehicles driving up and down the course looking for people that needed help or ringing cowbells and there were a family or two with posters cheering on loved ones. If my travel plans lined up with this race, I'd certainly run it again. I was very happy with everything and would recommend it to those who want to knock out a low key marathon in Arizona.
Larry Macon from Republic of South Texas (2/2/2015) "Good, Well Supported Flat Race" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Desert Classic Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a good race,where slower runners feel welcome. The early start begins at 6:00am so you miss most of the heat, and there are still a few enthusiastic fans when we turtles drag in. I have run this race 8 times and plan to do so again.
L. P. from Washington DC (2/20/2012) "nice, for a small race" (about: 2012) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Desert Classic Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I enjoyed this race and would do it again. There was good course support. My only complaint is that it sure seems like the course is uphill both ways. I just looked at the courese map and i did not see the down hill at the end. Oh well.
B. H. from Salt Lake City, UT (2/21/2011) "Small, fast, boring" (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Desert Classic Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 I have to agree with KT. I feel bad speaking ill of this marathon because, for the money, I should have known what I was getting into. Straight out-and-back running on the shoulder of a highway. Flat as a pancake. Somebody mentioned something about there being a slight uphill or downhill here but I didn't notice a thing. Only 3 aid stations, and only 1 port-a-potty. I was just trying to check off AZ and chose the wrong race. I think there are plenty of others. I think you just have to know what you are signing up for. The organizers were great and I think they did a good job give the low entry fee. No spectators to speak of. This might be a fun marathon if you had a group of friends running with you and could enjoy their conversation or if you were just using it as a training run for another marathon a few weeks away (which is probably all I would recommend to use it for). The tech t-shirt is cool and you get a medal. Just know what you are getting into when you sign up.
K. T. from Arizona (2/1/2011) "Not Great - 50 Staters should choose another race" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Desert Classic Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 I normally don't post anything negative, but this time I felt the need to. Terrible road conditions - pavement was completely covered in small pebbles that are excruciating on your feet. Out-and-back course is VERY boring. No water for 8 miles for the 6 a.m. starters. Weak medal for the finishers. The results announcer made offensive remarks. I posted a great time even with the never-ending climbing, but overall, I'm very unhappy with this marathon. I would not recommend this race. Sorry.

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Marathon Details - Desert Classic Marathon