Phoenix Marathon

Course & Elevation

The Phoenix Marathon is a road marathon in Phoenix, Arizona, held on a Saturday in December and launched in 2025 as the city's signature marathon. The second edition is on 12 December 2026, with a night-time 5K on the Friday and a half marathon and ten-miler on the Saturday alongside the marathon. The 2026 course was redrawn to lie entirely within Phoenix city limits. It routes runners through downtown towards the Arizona State Capitol, through midtown and residential neighbourhoods, with desert views near the South Mountains, and finishes near Papago Park and Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The organisers describe the marathon as a relatively flat, fast Boston Qualifier. It starts at 7:00 a.m. The course time limit is based on a 15-minute-per-mile pace, which equates to a 6 hour 33 minute marathon, with 12 aid stations along the course. The first race, on 13 December 2025, had more than 7,200 registered runners across three distances. The race is paired with the Mesa Marathon in a Desert Double medal.