Phoenix Marathon: Course, Route Profile & Map

Course & Elevation

The start is at the South Mountain Park visitor center, with the Sonoran Desert at your back. The first five miles follow Central Avenue north through quiet residential streets in south Phoenix and fall steadily, from just over 410 to about 330 m. The course then drops onto the paved path along the south bank of the Salt River: eleven miles out to the east, a turn roughly at the midpoint, and back along the same corridor.

From mile 16 the route heads back into the city, past the Arizona State Capitol and into downtown along Washington Street and Central Avenue. At mile 20 you pass the ASU downtown campus, then a short ramp takes you up onto the Hance Park deck over the I-10 tunnel. North of there the course runs long and straight up 3rd Street through midtown and, at mile 25, loops through Steele Indian School Park, where the finish is.

In the second half the course gains only about 20 m, spread over many kilometres. In December Phoenix averages a low of 8 °C and a high of 18 °C: a cold start, then mild hours. The time limit is 6:33, and the pacers run an effort-based strategy adjusted to the profile.

Pacing Strategy

The first ten kilometres give you speed: on Central Avenue the road drops almost 90 m. That is the race's biggest trap. Run it by effort rather than by the watch and take the free seconds without chasing them, or your legs will pay later.

The long Salt River section is flat but monotonous, and beyond the turnaround there is little to look at. This is where you either hold your rhythm or lose it; a group or the pacers help. After mile 16 the course becomes urban again, and the short ramp onto the Hance Park deck around miles 20 to 21 costs a moment, nothing more.

The last ten kilometres up 3rd Street rise barely noticeably. Plan a constant effort there with a pace that may slip slightly, and save your final push for the loop through Steele Indian School Park.

Training plan for Phoenix Marathon: 12-week build

For most age-group runners the Phoenix Marathon takes between 3:15 and 5:30. The course is fast, but the early downhill loads the quads, and the second half demands steady endurance with little variety.

The core of the build is long runs up to 32 to 35 kilometres with marathon-pace blocks in the second half, plus threshold work and a weekly tempo run.

Because the opening kilometres run downhill, controlled downhill running belongs in your training: easy segments on gently falling roads so your legs know the eccentric load. Also practise holding pace on long, monotonous straights.

The build falls in late summer and autumn. If you travel from a cooler climate, plan layered kit for the cold start and the milder hours that follow.