3.5* rounded up…read more Packet pick up was a breeze the day before, and they had the extra medal and shirt I'd ordered for my Mom. It literally took 10 minutes to peruse the vendors, snap some pics and be on our way. They were giving out water samples, some type of alcohol, donuts, and Orangetheory was offering a free class with your email/cell info, too. Parking was plentiful, and free. Porta Potties were available by start/finish line. The Half Marathon started just 15 minutes before the 5K, but both starts went smoothly. The MC had the crowd pumped, and the whole vibe of the all woman event was empowering; lots of support amongst the ladies on the course. It was a fast course, flat, and well supported by Chandler PD, some volunteers, and residents, with a hydration station just after 1.1 mile marker for the 5K. I was on track for a PR until spotting a stray dog in traffic and trying with another runner - in vain - to secure him. Sadly, after 20 minutes, we weren't able to help more than getting him off of a very busy road where drivers nearly hit us! :::sigh::: Medals and long stemmed roses were presented at the finish, there was hydration, bananas, cake, protein bars, and a stretching booth. My only gripe was the long line to get photos after the race, they only had one printer, but organizers announced several times that they would get more for next races. All photos on the website are watermark free=super! Otherwise very organized, and I'm looking forward to future 131 Production events. I'm a fan!

Had registered for the half very much in advance of race day, and when I registered they shared…read morethere was an option that I could transfer to the virtual option for a small fee. Come closer to race day, I end up needing to work that time, tried to transfer to the virtual option. Was told I couldn't transfer, but I could re-register (for 2x the registration fee!) for the virtual option.

I dont know how many races here are called Phoenix Marathon but there seems to be quite a few,…read morehowever, this race I ran called themselves the 1st inaugural Phoenix Marathon, so Im sticking with that and I'm saying I ran the 1st Phoenix Marathon, but I only ran the 10K! Looks like this run is organized by Brooksee Race Productions. Registration was straightforward with good email information and updates. Bib pickup was easy, but I would recommend not doing it at the Phoenix Convention Center again as the parking is a disaster around there. I got a really nice long sleeve wicking T shirt (cost a little more) but now I have something to remember I did this run! And I can use it for more of my jogs and runs! I really want to thank Yelp for providing complimentary tickets for this race! I used to pay for races but lately in the last 10 years, I just dont bother anymore, the prices for races have skyrocketed and why pay to torture myself? It was fun to meet up with another Elite Yelper, Nicole R, and we both came in to the finish line very close in time. The 10K course was good and I really enjoyed the last 2 miles of the run with beautiful views of our mountains and rocks and the last mile through Papago was really nice! Water stations were about 1.5 miles spread apart and everything went smoothly today. Signage clear where to turn. My only wish was that there were more spectators cheering us on, but that's not something easy to change. Baggage drop was good at the start however it was a bit disorganized when picking up my bag, the line was so slow. And if you know me, I hate queues. So many freebies but its your usual free water bottle, goos, gums, electrolytes, etc. Really fun run on a Saturday morning, close to the holidays! I loved it and thanks again Yelp!!

Very hilly 15k race…read more I think we had just about 600 runners at this race. Pretty small race. Bib pick up: available on Friday and Saturday in Scottsdale, and the race day pick up is available. Race day pick up location was at the finish line area and need to walk to the bus stop. Race day: bus takes to the start line. Plenty of toilets available at the start like. Only 600 runners, line never gets too long. Since some people showed up late, last bus ended up leaving later, ended up pushing the start time by 20 minutes. That 20 minuets made difference in temperature, I was really hot. Race: start from the McDowell Mountain Park, up hills and down hills then up again, little bit of down and more ups and ups. Be sure to train for up hills during training. Since it was a local race for me, we practiced the race route several times and it helped me prepare well. Post race: cash award is available for the first place runner. I think it was $200. They also have age group award and it was $50 gift card at a local running shoes store. I spend so much money for running shoes for me and my family, this gift certificate is definitely helpful for my household budget. One of the sponsors is Huss brewing. They provide lots of craft beer. Everyone gets one can but they also give out to groups of runners. Fast runners, biggest running team, random picks. Amount of beer is based on one person's weight in your team. It's good to have heavy weight person for more beer. I took a case home and am still enjoying them. It is really fun race, small and friendly.

I beat my 10K PR!!! 1:04:58…read more For this run, I saddled up and drove over 350 miles of sun-bleached, blistered terrain to "The West's Most Western Town": Scottsdale, Arizona. "The Night Run," Arizona's oldest night race and a 25-year tradition in Old Town, beckoned. And I listened. You see, I had four BIG reasons for making this trek: I had yet to run an evening race; Phoenix just so happens to be my 5th through 7th grade stomping grounds; as challenged by Adam Richman, Chompie's had forever been bookmarked; and I wanted--no, I REALLY wanted--that glow-in-the-dark Night Run medal! But to beat my Personal Record in AZ, it wasn't easy... At 7:20pm--sundown in the wild west--it was still a dry 84F. Over 1200 shoe-laced die-hards, armed and necklaced with glowsticks, sidled up to the starting line. There were mosquitos... And at 7:30pm, we were off! The double-looped course for the most part ran alongside the city's streets--red cones separating runners and traffic--but then it also wandered in and around the park and pond of the Civic Center Mall. It was very dark at times, and although volunteers assisted, waving glowing batons, the cars being so close felt a bit dangerous. Maybe it's just me. Yet I pushed. This route was pretty much flat, and I knew I could maintain. I had to. I needed to. I did. Nevertheless, I had great fun, Scottsdale! And I'm sure that next year "Owl Be Back!" =]

The Night Run is an unusual run in a nice setting. Earlier tonight (by this time of night,…read moretechnically yesterday) I participated in the 5k portion of the Night Run for the first time. I've done a lot of races, but this was the first one that I ever did that was completely in the dark. I found it to be a generally good race, but with some important organizational hiccups. Here's the breakdown of what I thought was noteworthy: PROS: - Unusual, novel event, unlike other races - Very family-friendly, with kid-inclusive side events - Good course in a good part of town - Ample police presence and road closures for runner safety - Plenty of volunteers along race route, most with lighted batons and easy to spot - Everyone gets a glow-in-the-dark medal! CONS: - There was a huge amount of disorganization at the event for bib, goodie bag, and t-shirt pickup. I got there more than an hour early and it made very little difference. Extremely large crowds made it impossible to view most expo booths. (Was there some kind of prize wheel? I would have checked that out.) Bib pickup was the worst. There was no real separation of bib pickup into alphabetical groupings. Getting your race packet meant you had to wait a very long time in a huge confused crowd for your bib, then walk all the way around the expo to avoid the bib crowd to go to a separate table for your bag, then get in ANOTHER separate long line for your t-shirt. Amazing. Also, the event confirmation email said to ask the people giving out bibs for a timing chip if you decided you wanted to buy one -- but that was not true. The person who gave me my bib could not even tell me where to get a chip and did not try to help. Turns out that was yet another separate table and separate line! I've never gotten into so many separate, long lines just to assemble the pieces of my packet. It took forever, and no one seemed to know what was going on. - There were two water stations on the route, but the first was completely unmanned. It was just two orange cooler-dispenser things surrounded by cups and a huge crowd of stationary runners, waiting their turn. This does not make any sense in a chip-timed race. I did not get water at the first water station because I did not want to have to completely stop moving, just to wind up standing in another line, in the middle of the race. - There was very little light at the finish line, making it hard to see well enough to even get a medal. To top it off, race organizers or volunteers were spraying everyone with these squirt gun water-tube things. (I saw that they had prepared tubs of water to fill these things with, before the race, so it wasn't just some random person playing a prank. I didn't find out what the tubs of water were for until the end of the race.) This wasn't a mist; it wasn't coming down from above; they were spraying these things at us, pretty much sideways. I wear glasses, so when the water went right in my face, I couldn't see where I was going. It was not helpful, not refreshing -- more like a huge annoyance and a very real hazard. I appreciate that they were trying to do something nice, but spraying water in my face and all over my glasses, when I already can't see because it's so dark, AND I have runners coming down the chute behind me, is NOT NICE. Do you know how disoriented runners are when they come down the finish chute? Seriously, everyone is sort of mentally gone. You just don't do this. IN CONCLUSION: Would I do it again? Maybe, but only if: 1. I carried my own water, 2. I was able to get to the running store to pick up my packet in advance, and 3. I could get some assurance that no one working for The Night Run would spray the race finishers in the eyes with a big squirt gun, as the runners staggered around in the dark in a state of running-induced mental vacancy. The problems with the race could easily be fixed. I'm assuming that the race organizers are good people who want to plan a safe and fun event, so I'm hoping that this detailed feedback is useful to that end.

Waiting on a refund but no answer. Changed policy and requiring vaccination last minute for this…read morerace. Unethical company and will keep chasing for a refund because of the principle.

Review of the 2017 Spartan Super…read more Registration: Pretty solidly organized. Check in is a breeze as long as you have all your waivers and tickets printed and signed. If not they have extras on hand. Facilities: Plenty of Porta-potties on hand which I really appreciate because when your have a thousand nervous bladders downing Gatorade there's bound to be a line to urinate but Spartan had plenty. Appreciated the changing room after the race. Lots of booths handing free goodies was nice too. Course: First; the obstacles are so-so. Many of them (especially in the middle of the Super course) are rather simple and uninspired, wooden walls etc. They need more "herculean hoist" type obstacles scattered throughout the course instead of crammed into the last mile. Course seemed to more suited to the sprint as opposed to the Super. Second; the course terrain is not really conducive to running. I totally understand it's suppose to be challenging but running mile after mile in narrow ravines with fist sized rocks is just frustrating. Give me steep trails to break up the monotony. Price: Charging for spectators to watch is silly and makes no business sense. I like many people didn't bring family/friends to watch. Overall: A good race to do as a sprint.

I first ran the Rugged Maniac a few years back and have been hooked ever since. I love this mud…read morerun. Rugged Maniac is an annual obstacle course race that takes place in multiple cities across the United States and Canada. It started in 2010. The course is 5K (3.1 miles) and consists of 25 obstacles along the way. We are fortunate enough to have both a Spring and Fall Rugged Maniac here in the Valley. Obstacles range from crawling through tunnels, jumping over logs set on fire, crawling under barbed wire in muddy water, and climbing a slanted 14-foot ladder wall. They change up the obstacles each year. I've gotten pretty muddy at this event. You can form teams with a team name for the run. Registration includes a shirt, a finisher's medal, and you get a free beer after the run. The event itself has a DJ on hand and fun events like a beer stein holding competition and pull-up bar contest. One nice thing is that they have photographers on hand that take photos of you during the run that you can download later. Rugged Maniac partners with the American Cancer Society.

What an awesome day! I felt so empowered by all of the girls, women and the men who were showing…read moresupport! This was my first 5k and it was so fun...everyone who participated got a metro and that was such a reassuring gesture to the girls...weather your first or last you didn't give up!

Very cool event through local schools, teaching girls the fun, social support, and physical…read morebenefits of athletics. The event keys in our young ladies. There is an announcer, silent auction in support of the charity, anchor vendors with SWAG, and lots of girls enjoying things, together. Only knock is that the silent auction isn't much value.

This was my 3rd time doing Warrior Dash in Arizona! I…read moreimmensely enjoyed my experience as always! However, a few things were different. Pros: -Instead of being in Florence, this Dash was held at Camelback Ranch right off of the 101 and Camelback Road on the west side. This location is really convenient, since it usually takes us a little over an hour to drive to Florence. -The setting was nice since we got to run on actual grass this time in the beginning since Camelback Ranch is typically the setting for baseball spring training, not mud runs. -Forget being hosed down after the mud run with men standing on giant water tanks spraying you with gigantic fire hoses while you wait for your turn. Now, there are hose watering stations (similar to the type used to irrigate fields), so everyone has separate smaller garden hoses to clean themselves to their delight without having to vie for the "firemens' attention! Cons: - The obstacles aren't spread out as much. Most of the running is done at the beginning and the obstacles are clumped up towards the end. - There is a separate beer drinking fenced off area. If you want to eat your giant turkey legs, you have to get those first and bring them into the beer drinking area. In Florence, the entire area was open, all you needed was your ID band to drink. It was frustrating this time because we had people in our crew who don't drink, so they had to wait outside for us while we drank in the fenced off area. Overall, the cons are not a deal breaker. I obviously love doing Warrior Dash. That's why my friends and I already signed up for the one in 2014!!

This was really a family type of venue... Super easy, flat, but the last obstacle had a super long…read morewait... 15+ mins... That sucked... Would recommend it for families... But not if you want to get competitive because it's not timed either