Phoenix Marathon
Phoenix Marathon race day weather
Cool and calm, steady finish
Runners will face temperatures starting at 43°F and rising to 57°F by the finish. With light winds at 6 mph from the SE, conditions will remain manageable throughout the race. The course features a significant descent from miles 2 to 4, benefiting runners with a tailwind from miles 13 to 26. Those sensitive to cooler temperatures should consider layering during the pre-race warm-up.
Pace Calculator
Enter a finish time to see what race day does to it.
Get forecast alerts for Phoenix Marathon
We'll text or email you when the forecast shifts — so you can adjust gear, pacing, and strategy. Max one per day.
Phoenix Marathon route and elevation
The Phoenix Marathon course has about 211 ft (64 m) of climbing and 443 ft (135 m) of descent, a net drop of about 232 ft (71 m). It drops more than it climbs, and its terrain is faster than 90% 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 55 ft (17 m).
Biggest climbs
- Miles 5.5 to 9.8: climbs about 75 ft (23 m).
- Miles 15.7 to 26.2: climbs about 70 ft (21 m).
What the hills cost
- 3:30 on a flat course is about 3:29:35 here (25 seconds faster).
- 4:00 on a flat course is about 3:59:30 here (30 seconds faster).
- 4:30 on a flat course is about 4:29:30 here (30 seconds 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 | 13 ft | 79 ft | 7:46 | 8:52 | 9:59 |
| 2 | 0 ft | 100 ft | 7:39 | 8:46 | 9:51 |
| 3 | 0 ft | 64 ft | 7:47 | 8:53 | 10:00 |
| 4 | 0 ft | 45 ft | 7:51 | 8:58 | 10:05 |
| 5 | 7 ft | 7 ft | 8:01 | 9:10 | 10:19 |
| 6 | 51 ft | 54 ft | 8:01 | 9:10 | 10:18 |
| 7 | 21 ft | 5 ft | 8:09 | 9:19 | 10:30 |
| 8 | 18 ft | 6 ft | 8:08 | 9:17 | 10:26 |
| 9 | 11 ft | 1 ft | 8:06 | 9:16 | 10:26 |
| 10 | 12 ft | 3 ft | 8:06 | 9:15 | 10:24 |
| 11 | 1 ft | 11 ft | 7:59 | 9:08 | 10:17 |
| 12 | 4 ft | 4 ft | 8:02 | 9:10 | 10:19 |
| 13 | 2 ft | 12 ft | 7:59 | 9:08 | 10:15 |
| 14 | 0 ft | 17 ft | 7:57 | 9:05 | 10:14 |
| 15 | 25 ft | 29 ft | 8:01 | 9:10 | 10:18 |
| 16 | 32 ft | 49 ft | 7:57 | 9:05 | 10:14 |
| 17 | 29 ft | 20 ft | 8:06 | 9:15 | 10:25 |
| 18 | 6 ft | 7 ft | 8:01 | 9:10 | 10:18 |
| 19 | 14 ft | 6 ft | 8:06 | 9:16 | 10:25 |
| 20 | 2 ft | 10 ft | 8:00 | 9:08 | 10:16 |
| 21 | 9 ft | 0 ft | 8:06 | 9:15 | 10:25 |
| 22 | 2 ft | 0 ft | 8:02 | 9:11 | 10:20 |
| 23 | 5 ft | 0 ft | 8:04 | 9:13 | 10:23 |
| 24 | 8 ft | 0 ft | 8:05 | 9:15 | 10:24 |
| 25 | 13 ft | 0 ft | 8:08 | 9:18 | 10:27 |
| 26 | 10 ft | 3 ft | 8:05 | 9:14 | 10:23 |
| Last 0.2 | 1 ft | 0 ft | 1:48 | 2:03 | 2:19 |
Explore the Phoenix Marathon course with the weather and your pace along the route, or compare it with other races.
Get your personalized Phoenix Marathon race plan
A mile-by-mile breakdown of where your time goes, weather-adjusted splits, fueling timeline with aid stations, packing checklist, carb tracker, spectator guide, all built around your goal and race-day conditions.
About the Phoenix Marathon
The Phoenix Marathon is held in December in Phoenix, Arizona. The course starts at South Mountain Park Visitor Center, heads north on Central Avenue, follows the Salt River trail, and passes the Arizona State Capitol and Hance Park before finishing at Steele Indian School Park. A half marathon, 10 Miler and 5K run the same weekend. Runners who qualify for Boston can collect a free BQ luggage tag at the results tent.