Thank you for signing up for the TMC Arizona Distance Classic!

We're super-excited about this weekend!

To ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable race day, here's the table of contents for this email:

• Route Briefing + 6 Cool Things for 2026
• About You: By the Numbers
• Race Week Schedule + Race Day Info, with parking map
• Route Details with Maps
• Awards, Beneficiary, Sponsors

All updated race details can be found here: https://runsignup.com/TMCArizonaDistanceClassic

If you have questions, contact Race Director Randy Accetta at randy@runtucson.net and he'll try to help!

ROUTE BRIEFING

If you've followed running news this week, you know that the leaders in the US Half Marathon Championships went off course. To ensure a safe route, we've put together a detailed course instruction document for each of race distance:

• Half Marathon Course Briefing
• Quarter Marathon Course Briefing
• 5K Course Briefing

NOTE ON ROUTE SAFETY: Please stay to the right when you go "out" – run inside the cones but facing traffic. Then come "back" on the right, in the shoulder lane against the curb. This will ensure that you never run with your back towards the oncoming traffic on Rancho Vistoso and that runners can safely navigate the roadway and fellow competitors.

Have friends that want to sign up? Pricing is still low!

• Half Marathon: only $80
• Quarter Marathon: $50
• 5K Run/Walk: $40
• SAR members receive 6% + $2 off, so join SAR and save some bucks!

1) Friday Night Wine-and-Cheese Gathering at The Running Shop: See below for details on the three packet pickup times, including a social happy hour on Friday!

2) Race-Day Bag Check: Thanks to volunteers from St. Luke's Home, we're offering a pre-race bag check for all runners.

3) NEW! $2 Food Truck Discount: The Southern Arizona Roadrunners would like to thank you for attending the TMC Arizona Distance Classic. As a way to show their appreciation, SAR will give the first 150 runners or walkers who visit the SAR member tent a $2 off coupon, good for any of the food trucks on site at the race.

Simply present the $2-off coupon to the food truck of your choice and they will lower your price by $2. Food trucks include Oranju Smoothies, Donut Blitz donuts and coffee, and Boriken Modern Puerto Rican cuisine.

4) Late Arrival Parking: There is plenty of parking available at the Roche Tissue Diagnostics facilities adjacent to the starting line, but we need to close the main roadways at about 6:15 AM for the half-marathoners.

If you arrive later than 6:15, you can park at the Oro Valley Hospital – use the north side of their parking lots and please do not park in their emergency services section or block their loading dock! See details here.

5) Race-Day Photos: Not only will our good friend Damion Alexander be out on the course taking his awesome race day photos, but Oro Valley Photography will have a formal photo station, capturing every runner and walker as they pass, with beautiful scenery in the background. Thanks to our race sponsor TMC Health, your race day photos will be free to download after the race.

6) Neighbor News and Discounts: Arizona Zip Lines is offering a discount to all runners, Oranju Smoothies is offering 10% off any smoothie all race weekend, and the the National Parks Store near the start/finish line will hold an art sale starting at 10:00 AM Sunday.

Still looking for a place to stay? Check out the Hotel El Conquistador. Our friends at the beautiful El Conquistador Tucson, a Hilton Resort have rooms available. Mountain views, fine dining, pools, golf, tennis, and nearby horseback riding!

ABOUT YOU BY THE NUMBERS

$2,346: Dollars donated to St. Luke's Home

1,010: The number of registrants at this writing

948: The age of the oldest runner – one of you put your birth date as August 21, 1077, right smack in the middle of the Middle Ages

399: Half Marathoners

288: Quarter Marathoners

319: 5K Participants

279: Registrants in the 30-39 age category, the most in any 10-year category

212: SAR member early registrants

101: Registrants who have donated to St. Luke's Home

93: Approximate number of volunteers helping, including individuals, SAR members, and folks from the SAR Board, The Workout Group, Tucson Track Club, Flowing Wells HS Track & Field, Ironwood Ridge HS Track & Field, Kiwanis de Amigos, and St. Luke's Home

31: TMC Health participants

30: States represented, plus District of Columbia: Arizona, Alaska, California, Colorado, DC, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin

12: Vendors and Sponsors at the Finish Line area

7: Team Hoyt Participants

6: Achilles Track Club participants

6: SAR Board Members of the AZDC Planning Committee: Caroline Gardiner, Craig McCarthy, Dave Dixon, Greg Wenneborg, Lucas Tyler, and Robert Rezetko

5: Registrants over 80 years old

3: Food Trucks

3: Countries represented, including Germany, Mexico, and the U.S.

New to running events? Check out our "Newbie FAQ" to help prepare for the intricacies of race weekend.

Friday, March 6th 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

• Packet pickup at The Running Shop, 3055 N Campbell Ave, #153, Tucson, AZ.
• From 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM St. Luke's Home will host a wine-and-cheese gathering, so come on by if you want to hang out and chat with others.
• In-person registration via cash, check, or RunSignup online.

Saturday, March 7th 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

• Packet pickup at The Running Shop, 3055 N Campbell Ave, #153, Tucson, AZ.
• In-person registration via cash, check, or RunSignup online.

Sunday, March 8th, Packet Pickup and Registration

Location: in front of Roche Tissue Diagnostics, 1910 E Innovation Park Dr, Oro Valley, AZ. See here for parking and driving directions.

• 5:30-6:45 AM: Packet pickup and registration
• 6:15 AM: Race roadways close to traffic
• 6:30 AM: Half Marathon start
• 7:05 AM: Quarter Marathon and 5K start
• Ongoing: Deejay, vendor expo, food trucks, and more
• 9:00 AM approximately: Quarter Marathon and 5K awards begin
• 10:00 AM approximately: Half Marathon awards begin
• 10:00 AM: Course closure
• 11:30 AM: Event closure

NOTE: The Half Marathon has a 3.5 hour time limit. If you think you will take longer than 7-hour marathon pace, please change to the Quarter Marathon.

NOTE: If you decide on race day to change distances, you MUST visit the Timing Tent and tell the timer so that accurate results can be provided for all participants.

Notes on race week packet pickup and in-person registration

• Pick up your souvenir race shirt, race number, and race pins to pin the number to the front of your shirt.
• Shirt sizing is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Yes, you can pick up the number and shirt for other people; please be mindful of the crowds and don't block the lines.
• Yes, shirt sizing is first-come, first-served so that you can pick up the size that best fits your needs
• If you want to change your distance, please tell the volunteers at packet pickup on Friday or Saturday or tell the timer before the events on Sunday so that accurate results can be provided for all participants.

Post-Race Through March

• If you miss the awards ceremony, please visit The Running Shop to pick up your awards.
• Any remaining souvenir race shirts will be available at The Running Shop (3055 N Campbell Ave) through the end of March. 
• Awards and souvenirs will not be mailed.

Parking

As the map above shoes, there is plenty of parking available, including at the Roche Tissue Diagnostic facilities adjacent to the starting line.

However, we need to close the main driving roadway at about 6:15 AM for the half marathoners. If you are coming from the south, you may wish to park in the NE corner of the Oro Valley Hospital – please do not park in their emergency services section or block their loading dock on the north side.

Bag Check

Thanks to volunteers from St. Luke's Home, we're offering a pre-race bag check. The rules of the road can be found here.

On race morning, visit the St. Luke's Home tent near the packet pickup location, near the start/finish line.

We do not know how crowded it will be, so please allow enough time to complete the bag check process so that you can still get to the starting line with enough time to start the race on time.

Before the Race

• Bag check opens at 5:45 AM
• Go to the St. Luke's Home tent at least 20 minutes before the start of your race – be mindful that it may be crowded
• Receive a clear, see-through plastic bag from volunteers
• Put your clothing and personal items in the clear plastic bag and use the drawstring to close the bag
• Ensure that your race bib "tag" with the race number is attached 
• Ensure that your race number is written on the clear plastic bag using the markers provided

After the Race, until 10:15 AM

• Bring your race number to the St. Luke's Home tent
• Ask volunteers to retrieve your bag with your race number on it

The bag check will close at 10:15 AM

All remaining clothing items will be donated to a clothing bank on Monday, March 8th

Finish Line Staging Area



FYZICAL Physical Therapy: Check out this member of the Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce, owned by winner of the recent Oracle Rumble 50-Miler, Meghan MacArdy.

Sport Clips: Visit their booth and check out all the cool ways to keep your hair looking good!

Celsius Energy Drinks: Celsius sports drinks for all finishers!

Encompass Health: Visit their vendor tent and see how they can help you!

Music: We're glad to have DJ Clint from Starlight Deejay's rolling the tunes and helping with announcements.

Food Trucks: Coffee, Donuts, Smoothies, and Puerto Rican brunch specialties!

Post-Race Snacks: Thanks to Tucson Medical Center for providing post-race cookies, chips, and other salty-carbohydrate type snacks.

Natural Grocers: Natural Grocers will provide bananas and other snack items.

Skratch Labs Finish Line Hydration: Thanks to our friends at Skratch Labs for coming out on race morning.

Course Details

No bicycles, wheelchairs, skateboards, roller skates or pets allowed on the courses

Aid Stations: We'll have multiple water stations on the routes:

• 5K: near the 1.5 mile mark
• Quarter Marathon: near the 1.5, 3.25 and 5 mile marks
• Half Marathon: near the 2, 3.5, 5.25, 7.5, 9.8 and 11.5 mile marks

Portojohns

• There will be 15 portojohns near the start/finish, so please allow enough time to use the restroom before you begin the race.
• There will be one portojohn on the course, near the Quarter Turn-Around at Honey Bee Canyon Park. Half Marathoners will have access to this portojohn at approximately 5 miles and 9 miles.

Headphones: Headphones are discouraged; please be mindful of other athletes, vehicles, and bicycles. Not only is it unsafe to run without one of your main senses, we want this to be a fun, community event – so talk with the strangers you're running with.

Strollers:  Strollers are allowed on all routes. Please be mindful of the needs of others on the course.

Chair Athletes: The roadways are suitable for chair athletes, but be mindful of the hilly stretches.

Pets Not Allowed: We love pets but they cannot be on the course. Oro Valley's leash law requires a dog to be confined within the owner's property unless the animal is on a leash six feet or shorter, with a person on the other end. Tethering your pet is not permitted in Oro Valley.

For maps, see below and arizonadistanceclassic.com/maps

All events begin at the campus of Roche Tissue Diagnostics (on E Innovation Park Dr, north of E Tangerine Rd). The course cruises through a scenic neighborhood studded with saguaro cacti and surrounding picturesque Honey Bee Canyon area.

The Half Marathon (13.1 miles) — 6:30 AM

The race is an out-and-back. The first two miles are an out-and-back: facing south you'll go downhill on Innovation to the turnaround and then back uphill past the starting line. The next 5.5 miles follow the flowing hills of Rancho Vistoso, before the turnaround at about Mile 7.5 at the bottom of a downhill section south of Moore Loop. The return is uphill, then rolling along Honey Bee Canyon before the mostly downhill final two miles.

The Quarter Marathon (6.55 miles) — 7:05 AM

The 3.25 mile out-and-back section follows the flowing hills of Rancho Vistoso, before the mostly downhill final two miles.

5K (3.1 miles) — 7:05 AM

The 1.55 mile out-and-back section follows the flowing hills of Rancho Vistoso, before the mostly downhill final two miles.

REMEMBER - STAY TO RIGHT: One of the fun aspects of this race is the out-and-back nature of the course, where everyone is on the same route and can see one another, especially on Rancho Vistoso Blvd. Please stay to the right when you go "out" – facing traffic. Then come "back" on the right on the inside lane, in the shoulder lane against the curb. This will ensure that you never run with your back towards the oncoming traffic on Rancho Vistoso

Divisions, Awards & Souvenirs

The first 1,200 registrants will receive an official event shirt and a souvenir finisher’s medal.

Prize Money

• Half Marathon Prize Money, courtesy of Ridgway Private Wealth
• First place overall male and female: $100
• Second place overall male and female: $75
• Third place overall male and female: $50
• First place 40+ male and female: $50

Quarter Marathon and 5K Prize Money, courtesy of Ridgway Private Wealth

Overall male and female: $50

Prize Money winners are taken out of the age group awards.

Half Marathon Age Group Awards:

• Top three males and females receive awards in 5-year age groups, starting 15-19, then 20-24 and so forth in 5-year increments through 80+.
• First place: $25 Running Shop gift certificate.
• Second place: $20 Running Shop gift certificate.
• Third place: $15 Running Shop gift certificate.
• The Half Marathon is on the Southern Arizona Roadrunners Grand Prix calendar for most age groups (ages 15-74). See here for details.



Quarter Marathon Age Group Awards

• Top three males and females receive awards in 5-year age groups, starting under-15, then 15-19 and so forth in 5-year increments through 80+.
• First place: $20 Running Shop gift certificate.
• Second place: $15 Running Shop gift certificate.
• Third place: $10 Running Shop gift certificate.
• The Quarter Marathon is on the Southern Arizona Roadrunners Grand Prix Calendar for ages 14-and-under and 75-and-older. See here for details.

5K Age Group Awards

• Top three males and females receive awards in 10-year age groups, under-20, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80+.
• First place: $20 Running Shop gift certificate.
• Second place: $15 Running Shop gift certificate.
• Third place: $10 Running Shop gift certificate.

See award rules and details here.

We’re thrilled to announce that St. Luke’s Home is the beneficiary of the TMC Arizona Distance Classic!

Donations of at least $100 earn discounts to the TMC Arizona Distance Classic!

The mission of St. Luke’s Home is to provide enriching, affordable care and support for residents ensuring their well-being and participation in an assisted living community.

St. Luke’s Home has long been part of the Southern Arizona Roadrunners community and we’re grateful to them for all they do for the region.