TMC Get Moving Tucson Half Marathon

Course highlights

The course crosses over the bridge over the river and then turns south on Bonita Avenue, bringing runners along the banks of the Santa Cruz for about a half-mile before turning again, this time right onto West Congress Street. Runners continue west down Congress until they meet up with South Cuesta Avenue between the mile 2 and mile 3 markers, which starts the ascent into Sentinel Peak Park and the run up to the top of “A” Mountain.

Once a lookout point for the Spanish settlers in this area, this prominent peak along a ridge in the Tucson Mountains got its current name starting around 1915, when a group of University of Arizona students painted the first large “A” on the side of the mountain, to celebrate their football team’s victory over Pomona College.

Ever since then, the “A” has been maintained by students at the university and is painted red, white and blue to honor both the university and the nation after the events of September 11, 2001.

Runners follow the park road all the way to the top of the mountain, following the loop around the peak — passing right by the “A” — before then heading back down, losing the more than 400 feet they gained as they climbed up the mountain.

Once they make it back to West Congress, they re-join the elevation they’ll maintain for most of the rest of the race, as the course heads along the Santa Cruz Riverpath for roughly two miles before heading back across the river and into downtown Tucson for the last few miles.

The course brings runners back over into downtown and past the Pima County Courthouse to Congress again, where runners will turn left and head east to start an two-mile out-and-back stretch along 4th Avenue.

Once they make their way around Catalina Park and then head back south on 4th, they follow they route they’ve just run back to the finish line.