Buckeye Marathon
Buckeye Marathon race day weather
Cool start, warming finish
Runners will face a cool start at 44°F, gradually warming to 61°F by the finish. With light wind from the ENE, runners can expect a tailwind between miles 3-7 and 11, providing beneficial conditions. However, a headwind will challenge them in mile 22, so pacing adjustments may be necessary. Overall, hydration should be prioritized as temperatures rise, especially during the latter stages of the race.
This course drops 633 ft from start to finish, so we look at it at 2 points, not just the start line. In a typical year, at 9:00/mi, you start at 44° and finish around 11:55 AM in 61°.
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Buckeye Marathon route and elevation
The Buckeye Marathon course has about 180 ft (55 m) of climbing and 815 ft (248 m) of descent, a net drop of about 635 ft (194 m). It drops more than it climbs, and its terrain is faster than 94% of the marathon courses racecast.io has mapped, measured by what the hills cost in time. It has no steep miles: no mile climbs more than 45 ft (14 m).
Biggest climbs
- Miles 1.4 to 2.5: climbs about 70 ft (22 m).
What the hills cost
- 3:30 on a flat course is about 3:28 here (2 minutes faster).
- 4:00 on a flat course is about 3:58 here (2 minutes faster).
- 4:30 on a flat course is about 4:27 here (3 minutes faster).
Hills only, priced mile by mile on the course map. The pace calculator above adds the race-day weather.
Even-effort splits for a 3:30, 4:00 or 4:30 finish
| Mile | Climb | Descent | 3:30 | 4:00 | 4:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 ft | 49 ft | 7:53 | 9:01 | 10:08 |
| 2 | 40 ft | 4 ft | 8:23 | 9:35 | 10:47 |
| 3 | 31 ft | 31 ft | 8:05 | 9:14 | 10:24 |
| 4 | 0 ft | 62 ft | 7:51 | 8:58 | 10:05 |
| 5 | 0 ft | 53 ft | 7:53 | 9:00 | 10:08 |
| 6 | 4 ft | 28 ft | 7:59 | 9:08 | 10:16 |
| 7 | 0 ft | 26 ft | 7:59 | 9:07 | 10:16 |
| 8 | 2 ft | 28 ft | 7:59 | 9:08 | 10:15 |
| 9 | 18 ft | 7 ft | 8:11 | 9:21 | 10:32 |
| 10 | 8 ft | 15 ft | 8:03 | 9:12 | 10:21 |
| 11 | 2 ft | 46 ft | 7:55 | 9:03 | 10:10 |
| 12 | 44 ft | 5 ft | 8:24 | 9:36 | 10:49 |
| 13 | 4 ft | 20 ft | 8:01 | 9:10 | 10:18 |
| 14 | 5 ft | 15 ft | 8:03 | 9:11 | 10:21 |
| 15 | 5 ft | 20 ft | 8:01 | 9:10 | 10:19 |
| 16 | 1 ft | 44 ft | 7:55 | 9:03 | 10:10 |
| 17 | 0 ft | 35 ft | 7:57 | 9:05 | 10:13 |
| 18 | 0 ft | 32 ft | 7:57 | 9:06 | 10:14 |
| 19 | 0 ft | 43 ft | 7:55 | 9:03 | 10:11 |
| 20 | 3 ft | 43 ft | 7:56 | 9:03 | 10:11 |
| 21 | 0 ft | 44 ft | 7:54 | 9:02 | 10:11 |
| 22 | 32 ft | 0 ft | 8:22 | 9:33 | 10:44 |
| 23 | 0 ft | 49 ft | 7:53 | 9:01 | 10:09 |
| 24 | 0 ft | 47 ft | 7:54 | 9:02 | 10:09 |
| 25 | 15 ft | 60 ft | 7:54 | 9:02 | 10:10 |
| 26 | 0 ft | 43 ft | 7:55 | 9:03 | 10:11 |
| Last 0.2 | 0 ft | 3 ft | 1:48 | 2:03 | 2:18 |
Explore the Buckeye Marathon course with the weather and your pace along the route, or compare it with other races.
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About the Buckeye Marathon
The Buckeye Marathon is held in January in Buckeye, Arizona, with a half marathon, 10K, 5K and 1 mile fun run the same morning. The marathon starts at Festival Foothills Elementary School in the Sun City Festival community, runs around the White Tank Mountains and finishes on the runway of the Buckeye Municipal Airport, a drop of more than 530 feet from start to finish. The course is USATF certified and the marathon is a Boston qualifier. The half marathon, 10K, 5K and 1 mile start and finish at the airport on out-and-back courses.