Phoenix gets its first signature marathon in December

The Phoenix City Council approved the city's first full signature marathon, which is to include a full, half and 10-kilometer race.

BY LANCE HARTZLER

Feb 7, 2025, 4:30 AM Updated: 8:03 am

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PHOENIX — The Phoenix City Council approved the city’s first full signature marathon, which is to include a full, half and 10-kilometer race, during Wednesday’s council meeting.

The inaugural Phoenix Marathon will be held on Dec. 13 and be ran completely within the city of Phoenix.

The event is expected to bring 5,000 athletes, race organizers said in a press release, and officials estimate the race to bring an to be an economic impact of $1.7 to $2 million from visitor spending and operations — with an overall event impact of over $9 million.

“Now, with the Phoenix Marathon, we will continue to be a premier destination for sports enthusiasts and runners of all calibers as they compete for entry into the New York Marathon, Boston Marathon and the L.A. 2028 Olympics,” Phoenix Vice Mayor Ann O’Brien said in a press release.

Salt Lake City based endurance-event production company Brooksee, which has hosted major marathons in Las Vegas, Portland and Mesa, will organize the race and hopes to make the event an annual running for the city.

Phil Dumontet, CEO of Brooksee, noted that Phoenix is the largest major city in the United States without a signature marathon.

“As the fifth largest metropolitan area in the country, Phoenix offers a vibrant running community and incredible potential,” he said in a statement. “Our goal is to establish a marquee race that unites the local community and draws visitors from across the country and the globe.”

The Phoenix Marathon courses

All three of the road races will finish at Papago Park and the Phoenix Municipal Stadium near Priest Drive and Van Buren Street.

The full marathon will start at the Deer Valley Towne Center in north Phoenix. Runners will travel south towards the Arizona Canal eventually leading to the Biltmore area before the final leg towards Papago Park.

The half marathon’s start is at Central and Glendale avenues as runners will follow Glendale Avenue east until hopping onto the Arizona Canal Trail to follow the same route as the full marathon.

Runners in the 10K race will start at the Arizona Canal Trail just east of 40th Street and Camelback Road before joining the rest of the race course.

The final leg of the race on all three courses will take runners on Elliott Ramada Loop at Papago Park.

The course itself will be USA Track and Field certified and could be used as a qualifier for athletes looking to compete in the Boston and New York Marathons as well as the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.