Race Day: Parking, bathrooms, pets, weather, and more details
Parking: Please allow plenty of time to arrive on site and get situated for your race.
Mercado Parking Lots: In terms of on-site parking, the Mercado will charge $5 per vehicle for parking on their three nearby parking lots. Black Knights Security will handle this parking. Cash is faster and easier, but they take other standard forms of payment. Parking is available starting at 4:30 am.
Street parking: There is nearby street parking, but please be mindful of following all traffic laws: do not block driveways, do not park in red zones, do not park in permitted spots, and be mindful of all traffic and parking laws -- we don't want you to get in the way of the neighbors and we don't want you to get a ticket!
Lot Parking: Consider the lots on the Bonita/Commerce Loop, about a 10 minute walk from the race start. For additional Downtown parking resources, please see the interactive City of Tucson parking map here.
SunLink: SunLink service does not start until 8:00 am, but after the race the free SunLink may be a good resource to get back to the Downtown and UofA areas.
Portojohns: Near the start/finish, there will be Stamback portojohns adjacent to the event staging area. For half-marathoners, there will be a portojohn at the entrance to the river path Loop on Grande, near the Mile 4 and thus near the Mile 12 mark. There is also a public restroom just south of Silverlake Road, near the 6 and 10 mile marks.
Weather: It looks like it will be hot on race morning. We will have water and Skratch available, but if you plan on being on the course for more than 2 hours, please bring your own hydrating beverages, including electrolytes and sodium. Consider a hat and sunscreen.
Strollers: Yes, you can absolutely run or walk with a stroller. Be mindful of potholes, speed bumps, and steep hills. There is a steep uphill and steep downhill on the A-Mountain portion of the route and there are speed bumps on the A-Mountain portion of the route. The routes are closed to traffic, but please be mindful and safe as there is no guarantee that vehicles will not enter the course.
Chair Friendly: Yes, this course is suitable for chair athletes. Be mindful of potholes, speed bumps, and steep hills.
Pets: Unfortunately, while we love pets, dogs and other pets are not allowed in the race itself. Leashed pets and service animals are allowed on City of Tucson property following City of Tucson guidelines, but for safety reasons no dogs or other pets are allowed on the race course.
Headphones: We know that people like having music, but for personal and communal safety we recommend not wearing headphones. If you're interested in the prize money events, please read the headphone policies posted.
Bicycles: We cannot close The Loop, so there may be bike riders on the route, so keep an eye out for our two-wheeled friends.
Terrain: The route is pavement throughout the A-Mountain neighborhood. Be mindful of potholes, speed bumps, and steep hills. The route is closed to vehicle traffic, but please be mindful of errant vehicles, other participants, bike riders, and the like. Along the Loop river path section of the course, you can run on the hard-packed dirt immediately adjacent to the river path -- but you cannot cut the course by running on the dirt.
Difficulty: Aside from the demanding uphill and downhill of A-Mountain, this is an easy course, on a flat and fast paved asphalt surface.
