Let the course do the work
On a steady 1% descent, your goal pace will feel easy for a long time. Resist going faster. The hill gives you the time; pressing it costs you your quads for the last 8 miles.
Oracle to Oro Valley, AZ · Sunday, December 13, 2026
Tucson Marathon race guide
Tucson is one of the fastest-looking marathons in the country: it starts near 3,800 feet at Biosphere 2 and finishes about 1,500 feet lower in Oro Valley, with only about 290 feet of climbing. The first two miles roll, then the course runs steadily downhill on Highway 77 to Catalina and Oro Valley before finishing on a bike path along the Cañada del Oro. The challenge is pacing a long descent without wrecking your quads, at a little altitude, in a desert morning that starts cold and warms fast.
Pace plan
Plan your race on this course
Set your goal and start time. Your checkpoints, the time of day you’ll reach each one, and the course guide below all update to match.
Build your plan01
Pacing
A little slower on the climbs, a little faster on the downhills and flats, for the same finish time. Based on where this course climbs. Treat it as an effort guide.
The marathon starts at 7:15 a.m. Allow time for the half-mile walk from staging to the start line.
Splits
Your Tucson Marathon02
Average pace
8:01/mi
- First half
- 1:45:13
- Second half
- 1:44:47
- Finish line
- 10:45 a.m.
Hover or tap a bar to see that mile.
| Checkpoint | Elapsed | Clock |
|---|---|---|
| Top of the Biosphere gatesMile 1 · The high point. Easy effort | 8:45 | 7:24 a.m. |
| Highway 77Mile 2.8 · The descent starts. Don’t surge | 23:06 | 7:38 a.m. |
| Down the highwayMile 9 · On pace, or a little ahead | 1:12:17 | 8:27 a.m. |
| Halfway, CatalinaMile 13.1 · Steady. Fuel on schedule | 1:45:13 | 9:00 a.m. |
| Onto the bike pathMile 18 · Short drop, then gentle downhill | 2:24:03 | 9:39 a.m. |
| Oro ValleyMile 22.6 · Final 5K. Hold your form | 3:00:55 | 10:16 a.m. |
| FinishMile 26.2 · Pima Community College Northwest | 3:30:00 | 10:45 a.m. |
Save it to your phone, or send the link to the people cheering for you.
- Date
- Sunday, December 13, 2026
- Start time
- 7:15 a.m. MST
- Start
- Biosphere 2, near Oracle (a half-mile walk from staging)
- Finish
- Pima Community College Northwest Campus
- Time limit
- 7.5 hours
- Elevation gain
- About 290 ft, net downhill 1,493 ft
- Official site
- aravaiparunning.com
- Profile
- Rolling for two miles, then a steady downhill of about 1% for 23 miles
- Best for
- A Boston qualifier or a PR, if your legs are trained for downhill running
- Biggest mistake
- Letting the hill pull you too fast early, then running out of quads after mile 18
- Altitude
- Starts near 3,800 feet and finishes near 2,300 feet
The course
Mile by mile, at your pace
- Miles0–2.8
Biosphere 2 Rolling
You start near Biosphere 2 and climb gently to the top of its gates around mile 1, the high point of the course at nearly 4,000 feet. Then come a couple of miles of rollers. It’s the only real climbing all day. Keep it easy and let your legs wake up.
8:15 /miMile 2.8 at 23:067:38 a.m.
- Miles2.8–9
Down Highway 77 Downhill
At mile 2.8 you turn onto Highway 77 and the long descent begins, about 550 feet over six miles. It feels effortless. Run goal effort, not faster, and keep your stride short and quick.
7:56 /miMile 9 at 1:12:178:27 a.m.
- Miles9–18
Catalina & Oro Valley Downhill
The highway keeps falling at about 1% past Catalina, where the half marathon starts, and into Oro Valley, with big views of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Halfway comes near Catalina. Settle in, fuel on schedule, and keep the effort steady.
7:58 /miMile 18 at 2:24:039:39 a.m.
- Miles18–26.2
The Cañada del Oro bike path Downhill
Around mile 18 the course drops onto the bike path along the Cañada del Oro and follows it, still gently downhill, toward the finish at Pima Community College. The path is narrower and the downhill is gentler, so this is where tired quads show. Focus on rhythm and run it home.
8:01 /miFinish at 3:30:0010:45 a.m.
Every mile split for 3:30:00
| Mile | Terrain | Pace /mi | Elapsed | Clock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Climb | 8:45 | 8:45 | 7:24 a.m. |
| 2 | Downhill | 7:55 | 16:40 | 7:32 a.m. |
| 3 | Flat | 8:03 | 24:43 | 7:40 a.m. |
| 4 | Downhill | 7:55 | 32:38 | 7:48 a.m. |
| 5 | Downhill | 7:56 | 40:34 | 7:56 a.m. |
| 6 | Downhill | 7:56 | 48:29 | 8:03 a.m. |
| 7 | Downhill | 7:55 | 56:24 | 8:11 a.m. |
| 8 | Downhill | 7:57 | 1:04:21 | 8:19 a.m. |
| 9 | Downhill | 7:57 | 1:12:17 | 8:27 a.m. |
| 10 | Flat | 8:01 | 1:20:19 | 8:35 a.m. |
| 11 | Flat | 8:02 | 1:28:21 | 8:43 a.m. |
| 12 | Downhill | 8:00 | 1:36:21 | 8:51 a.m. |
| 13 | Downhill | 8:00 | 1:44:20 | 8:59 a.m. |
| 14 | Downhill | 8:01 | 1:52:21 | 9:07 a.m. |
| 15 | Downhill | 7:59 | 2:00:20 | 9:15 a.m. |
| 16 | Downhill | 7:57 | 2:08:17 | 9:23 a.m. |
| 17 | Downhill | 7:58 | 2:16:15 | 9:31 a.m. |
| 18 | Downhill | 7:48 | 2:24:03 | 9:39 a.m. |
| 19 | Flat | 8:01 | 2:32:04 | 9:47 a.m. |
| 20 | Flat | 8:01 | 2:40:05 | 9:55 a.m. |
| 21 | Downhill | 8:00 | 2:48:05 | 10:03 a.m. |
| 22 | Flat | 8:01 | 2:56:06 | 10:11 a.m. |
| 23 | Flat | 8:01 | 3:04:07 | 10:19 a.m. |
| 24 | Flat | 8:01 | 3:12:08 | 10:27 a.m. |
| 25 | Flat | 8:01 | 3:20:09 | 10:35 a.m. |
| 26 | Flat | 8:03 | 3:28:12 | 10:43 a.m. |
| Finish | Flat | 8:12 | 3:30:00 | 10:45 a.m. |
Lap your watch at each marker; GPS distance drifts over 26.2 miles. Even-pace card for 3:30:00
Race strategy
How to pace the Tucson Marathon
Take the rollers easy
The first 2.8 miles hold almost all the climbing, at nearly 4,000 feet. Run them by effort and treat them as your warm-up.
Dress for a desert morning
It’s usually cold at the start and warms quickly once the sun is up, with little shade. Wear layers you can toss and plan to drink at every station.
The last few weeks
Train for this course
- Train your quads: long runs with sustained downhill stretches, and some downhill repeats at goal pace in the last month.
- Run some long runs at goal pace on long, gentle descents, so you learn what goal effort feels like when gravity helps.
- If you live near sea level, expect the first miles near 4,000 feet to feel slightly harder than they should.
Race-day weather
December mornings in the Sonoran Desert are cold and dry, often in the 30s or 40s°F at the start, which is near 3,800 feet. Under clear skies it warms quickly, and there’s little shade. Wind on the open highway is possible.
Race morning
Getting to the start
- Shuttle buses run to the start early in the morning from Oro Valley, with post-race shuttles back. Marathoners can also be dropped off at Biosphere 2.
- There’s a half-mile walk from the staging area to the start line. Leave time for it.
- Packet pickup is on Friday in Phoenix and Saturday at the finish area, Pima Community College Northwest Campus.
- Aid stations are roughly every two miles, with gels at miles 10.7, 14.2 and 20.5.
Questions runners ask.
Is the Tucson Marathon a Boston qualifier?
Yes. The race is USATF-certified and lists itself as a Boston qualifier. It’s strongly net downhill, so check the B.A.A.’s current rules for downhill courses before you count on it.
How downhill is the Tucson Marathon?
Very. It loses about 1,493 feet from start to finish, with only about 292 feet of climbing, almost all of it in the first two miles. Most of the course descends at around 1%.
What is the time limit?
Seven and a half hours.
How do I get to the start?
Shuttles run from Oro Valley to Biosphere 2 early on race morning, and marathon runners can be dropped off at the start. Check the official site for shuttle times and parking.
Last checked October 21, 2026. This is an independent guide from Miles. We’re not affiliated with the race organizer. Start times, cutoffs, and logistics can change, so confirm everything on the official race site before race day.
Your next step
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