Staff Reports | Happenings & Events
The 13th annual Mesa Marathon will return to Mesa on Saturday, Feb. 8, with a new route and causing road closures on the north side of the city.
Over 10,000 participating runners and Mesa residents can expect a major road change that shifts part of the route one mile west from Val Vista Drive to Lindsay Road. As runners make their way west on McDowell Road, they will head south on Lindsey instead of Val Vista before reaching Brown Road.
Road closures begin the day of the race at 4 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mesa has an interactive detour map to help residents navigate the route closures at gis.mesaaz.gov/mesamarathon. Roads will reopen as runners clear the course and crews complete clean-up.
“The Mesa Marathon is a great event that continues to grow and attract runners and fans from not just the valley, but from throughout Arizona and the country,” said City Manager Chris Brady. “While the marathon involves several street closures, the city of Mesa has gone to great lengths to minimize the inconveniences for our residents.”
For additional support to help drivers plan ahead, Mesas Transportation Department offers one-on-one route planning assistance the week before the race (Monday-Thursday) and on race day.
Residents can call 480-644-4882 or email barricade@mesaaz.gov, and the city’s temporary traffic control team will provide customized one-on-one reroute recommendations.
Additionally, Valley Metro bus service will also experience temporary detours on race day for the following routes: 30, 48, 96, 104, 112, 120, 128, 136, The Fiesta Buzz, and the Downtown Buzz. Please download the Valley Metro app to stay up to date with detours, paying fares, trip planning and seeing real-time arrival data: valleymetro.org/how-to-ride/online-tools/app.
Riders can also visit valleymetro.org/rider-alerts or call 602-253-5000 for more transit information.
Ranked #1 Best Marathon in Arizona in a nationwide poll by RaceRaves, the Mesa Marathon is an early-season Boston Marathon Qualifier. The race begins with a stunning sunrise start near the Usery Park mountains and ends at Mesa Riverview Park. Its gradual net elevation loss of 900+ feet makes it a great winter run for first-timers and traveling runners alike.
“The Mesa Marathon is thrilled to be returning as the largest marathon in the beautiful state of Arizona,” said Phil Dumontet, the Chief Executive Officer at the Mesa Marathon. “We are thankful for our partnership with the city of Mesa, who have made every effort to bring the 2025 event to life and help make it a success.”
The Mesa Marathon was founded in 2012 and includes a full marathon, half marathon, 10K, and the Amazon Kids 1K. The full and half marathons and the 10K all begin at 6:30 a.m. and share a finish line at Mesa Riverview Park. The Amazon Kids 1K will start at 12 p.m. The race is USA Track & Field (USATF) sanctioned and certified, bringing runners from around the globe and home to one of the worlds largest percentages of Boston Qualifiers.
For more information about the event or to register, visit mesamarathon.com.
