I ran this course four times since it was created in the early 1990s, but the registration price of $130 plus $30 for t-shirt (starting in 2024) has pulled me out. What was once a local race that some of the Bisbee High School runners participated in has become an elite race. It's still a fun event to watch if you get to town in time. Even parking is now paid parking by the little mall in town. It's well-organized with plenty of volunteers and muscians at every set of stairs. If you feel unsure about the stair climb, the town does offer maps for walkers, right next to the Ironman stairs. Try it out on your own! Just don't do it on the day of the race. It's a great and challenging walk through all the best streets in town. The loop course allows for people to turn around after the fifth set of stairs. I try to do the stairs once a month to see the seasons, as the town is very colorful and the locals even more colorful. And there is always good food in town! Just be respectful of peoples' yards and their privacy. read more

Bisbee 1000 - My dog and I walking the course in April - Festivals Near Me - Bisbee, Arizona

This was our first time doing the Bisbee 1000 and we had a great time! What a fun event. And loved the free taping station - really saved my bad knee. I only removed a star because the path between staircases 7 and 8 became very confusion without direction. The volunteers were cleaning up the event startup, but it kind of just looked like that was the end, even though we still had two staircases left. Would be great to have someone there directing traffic! But overall, great event! read more

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We didn't do the annual challenge but we did follow part of the path and it was gorgeous! Beautiful views of the city. Definitely a proper workout, so get ready! read more

Bisbee 1000 - View from 1,000 step challenge path - Festivals Near Me - Bisbee, Arizona

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This is a super fun and challenging run. You definitely need a lot of climbing training in order to survive the 1032 stairs. You can definitely go at your own pace if your not in the competitive mode. Music and lots of people cheering. This last race the weather wasn't the greatest, rainy and cold and they didn't had enough tents for sheltering from the freezing rain after the finish line. I wish they had like a locker or a place to leave your jacket and keys. I had to go twice to my car to leave items before race and after the race! read more

Bisbee 1000 - Festivals Near Me - Bisbee, Arizona

The Bisbee 1000 is also known as the Great Stair Climb. Bisbee is known for its many stairs. This 4.6-mile loop trail can take up to a couple hours to complete and involves going up and down a thousand steps. It is popular for running or walking and is a good cardio challenge. Bisbee hosts an annual challenge in the Fall to run up and down these steps. This competitive event draws tons of people and sells out quick. I personally enjoy just going up the steps, sitting down, and taking in the views of the town of Bisbee. read more

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Truly one-of-a-kind race. Over 900 attendees for Oct 2022 (and it always sells out by May)! There are exactly 1,032 stairs according to the organizers and the course is approximately 4.5 miles long. With all of the ups and downs and twists and turns, the time goes by surprisingly fast (or maybe I should say it appears to go by fast, Lol). We really liked that everyone is chip-timed and that they have staggered starts, roughly 100 runners every 30 seconds or so. The stairs were mostly never too crowded and people were generally very good about keeping to the right to allow faster runners to pass on the left. No stairs are ever run downhill, always up (that's good for safety). The road portion has frequent ups/downs too. The course is well marked with spray-painted arrows wherever there's a turn (and there are many). One thing I wasn't aware of (but is clearly labeled on the course map) is that the start and finish are in quite different locations. I got fooled as I (re)approached the big start "arc" only to find there was no one around, so I ended up sprinting too early! Weather can be unpredictable and about every 4-5 races it rains (as it did this year). But with temps in the low 60s at start time, it's really a non issue. Some quick pluses/minuses: The start and finish are very well organized. Given the long drive to get to Bisbee we liked that the start time was 9am. There is sufficient parking throughout the little town, although you might have to walk a bit. There weren't nearly enough porta potties, especially at the top (where the race started) and at the bottom where most of the parking is. There were also insufficient garbage cans, especially at the finish. The few that were there were all overflowing. They had ample snacks - fruit, power bars, and water - at the finish. And your own timed results are available within minutes (but you'll have to wait until the race's end before getting your accurate placement within the entire roster). Probably the biggest drag was the awards ceremony. It started at 11am (on time) but more than an hour was devoted to collateral awards. Some were kinda cool (who traveled the furthest to attend the race) but many were promotional (bars; shops; dealerships). The audience was already grumbling halfway through. By noon, they'd finally begun the age bracket awards. I got one but it was kind of a cheezy fridge magnet. I could hear others lament that it would have been better to have a small gift certificate to a local establishment or something usable like a hand towel or cotton runner's gloves or a baseball cap or (best idea I heard) a little inexpensive plastic trophy for your desk (a terrific conversation starter). All in all, though, it was one of the most unique races and likely worth doing again. We heard many folks talking about how they could finally cross this one off their bucket list, a testament to how unusual and how challenging this one is (indeed)! read more

This is truly a one of a kind race. Located in the small town of Bisbee, it attracts people from all over Arizona and the U.S. to participate in this challenging race. Per the name, the course includes natural staircases that total to over 1000 steps, which makes for a tough but fulfilling run. Besides the stairs, most of the course is either flat or downhill which helps make up for the time spent trudging up steps. The registration fee is pricey for a "5k" (4.5 miles) but it's worth the experience and the trip to this charming town. Per previous negative reviews, the money is supposed to go towards stair maintenance but I didn't notice any crumbling steps so looks to me like they're doing a good job with it. I especially appreciated the handrails when available. After the race they have an Ironman ice challenge where people can pay an additional fee to participate in lugging a block of ice up a staircase and along a short way down the hill. It's a good way to relax and cheer on these folks. Challenges: the course itself (obviously) but lodging too. Since this race gets so much attention and people, there's not enough places in town for people to stay during the weekend. Other options include Airbnb and "nearby" towns. If you want participate, register and book lodging as early as possible. Love the small town vibe and the enthusiasm and support from the volunteers and residents of Bisbee. read more

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I've run this race two consecutive years now, and I'm already registered for 2018. First off, this is really a one-of-a-kind fitness challenge, and it is a CHALLENGE, even for me and I consider myself in reasonable cardiac shape. The race is 4.5 miles and includes 1,055 steps, all up. Most of the flat parts are downhill, which can be hard on the knees. It's a really scenic course. The fact it's in Bisbee makes it. Everyone is so friendly; residents pull out their lawn chairs and cheer you on as you go. Many people come just to spectate. The event is well organized. They have water stops on the course and fruit, Muscle Milk, and protein bars at the end. It's truly all ages too, participants range in age from 7 to late 90s! The one bad thing is a lot of participants have no racing etiquette [e.g., they will pass on your right, aren't in the corral that they should be (I put myself in corral 2 based on my 5K time, and I was lapping many people who were in corral 1 and should technically be faster than I am)]. The registration is expensive ($100) and doesn't include a shirt (you can add one for an additional $20). And the race sold out in August this year. Take advantage of early bird; the price is $75 until the end of November. Of course, that requires a lot of advance planning, and there are no refunds or transfers. If you can't make it, you're just out that money. read more

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It's definitely something that should be on your bucket list, but only the one time. This used to be a local run, which made it cheaper (significantly cheaper, it used to be 20$ total but now after registration you have to pay an extra 20$ just for a shirt) and kinda more fun. But then the coordinators made it bigger, even international. So now you get people from as far as Europe and almost no one from the actual city of Bisbee. It was also originally meant to raise money to fix the iconic stairs of Bisbee but what happened was that the city would just take the money and use it for whatever it wanted. So the organizers had to make it a legitimate non profit organization and the money is now used for the highschool sport teams and other local needs. So the money is still being put to good use. So it's still fun and the views are beautiful but price makes it worth only doing once. read more

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Great event! Well organized, no problems. Fun day with great weather. Course is perfect mix of stairs, flat and downhill stretches and mileage. Returning next year! read more

Bisbee 1000 - Festivals Near Me - Bisbee, Arizona

Thank you for putting on the Bisbee 1000. I ran it for the first time this year and it was ok. I'd categorize the event as "check in the box," and would not recommend it to my friends. In fact DO NOT do this race. It is a TOURIST TRAP! I've never written a complaint letter before but your event compelled a response. My wife and I are very active race/event participants and we are shocked by the cost of the Bisbee 1000 in relation to other events and what the Bisbee 1000 offers. We have run big city marathons, huge running events, triathlons and large cycling events that were MUCH cheaper or if similarly priced provided outstanding value. For a $120 bucks (each) the event is incredibly over-priced and to be quite honest a tourist trap. In the future I recommend: -- offer couple discounts -- lower the price or include the t-shirt along w/ a discount coupon package for local restaurants -- pair the cost of the beer festival and the race -- start the beer festival earlier. Patrons are not dumb we know your trying to force us into the towns shops and restaurants. read more

Great event! Hardest race I can imagine coming from FLAT Illinois! Main event was the 4.5 mile race with stairs on the course...signature event: Iceman (carry 10 lb bag of ice with antique tongs on a 1/4 mile course that includes stairs and a monster downhill run). All so hard but amazing! The craft beer event afterward was really great. Lots of good local beers. Met so many awesome people...locals and people from as far away as Australia (all smelly...but with good reason!) The town is full of really nice people. Great event...really cool weekend adventure. read more

I'm not sure what the other reviewers are complaining about: I did the race this year for the first time and I found it well organized, especially considering how small Bisbee is (hence, they don;t have the same amount of resources other bigger venues do). The price is $100, if you don't want to buy a shirt, so yes, it's a bit higher than other races but it is a fundraiser for a huge cause (check the website for Bisbee Vogue http://bisbee1000.org/vogue/index.htm). It's not just about fixing the steps, by the way. Anyway, it was a really fun race, I'll definitely do it again! read more

Where does all the money go? The stairs need work. The streets need repair. It seems to me, that some progress should be shown year to year. The organizers should say each year that a portion of the proceeds goes to a certain section, and then higlight the work the next year. read more

While I enjoyed Bisbee, this race is insanely overpriced (I race a lot, so I know). The $100 entry fee gets you a medal and a "complimentary" water at the finish. I had to chuckle as the announcer kept mentioning the "complementary" water. If you want a shirt (complete with sponsors plastered on the back) it's an additional $20. Then there is the registration fee of $7.44, so the total with a shirt is $127.44 for a 4.5 mile race on a course where you wait to climb each set of stairs, doesn't have a single mile marker on the course, and if you don't start in the early wave, there is no way of truly racing this course. It's a unique town, and fun to explore, but I think next time I will do it on my own for free. If you go, chose your lodging carefully, and reserve a year in advance, and even that is difficult because repeat customers have priority. We had to stay outside of the downtown area......very sketchy and not recommended. I'm glad I did it once, but that's it. read more

This was a fun event but the organizers' greed is out of control, they are just niggling every penny they can out of the participants. For 2014 they are going to charge 100 bucks per person. Forget it. We're taking our tourist dollars to some other town. read more