Hello to the 800 or so folks from 22 states and three countries who have already signed up for the TMC Arizona Distance Classic on Sunday morning, March 2nd. Thank you for being part of this event!

To help you have an enjoyable and safe race weekend, please familiarize yourself with all the current information on schedules, maps, parking, restrooms, prizes, weather, the race beneficiary, and more.

Location: Innovation Park Dr near the Roche Tissue Diagnostics buildings, 1910 E Innovation Park Dr, Oro Valley, AZ, 85755. See maps below.

Driving: Because the roadways are used for the race itself, nearby roads and parking close at 6:15 am. Please be sure to allow plenty of time to arrive, park, and get situated.

Parking: Participants are expected to park by 6:15 am in the Roche Tissue Diagnostics parking lots near the start/finish. Please consider car-pooling.

Changing Distance, Refunds, Deferrals: At this late date, you can change your distance by checking with the volunteers at packet pickup. If you need to change your race distance on race day, you must check with the timer at the race start, otherwise you will not be in the results. There are no refunds or deferrals, so if you can't make the race, please send a friend to snag your race goodies for you.

Find a Participant: You can click on this RunSignup link to use the search feature to find a participant.

Questions? Contact Race Director Randy Accetta at randy@runtucson.net

Saturday, March 1st, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm: Packet pickup at The Running Shop, 3055 N Campbell Ave, #153, Tucson, AZ, 85719. 

• 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.
• To change your distance, please tell the volunteers at packet pickup on Saturday or tell the timer before the events on Sunday.
• In person registration via cash, check, or RunSignup online.
• Check out The Running Shop merchandise, including race nutrition and sale items.
• There will also be AZDC souvenir sales, jackets, shirts, and more, at discounted pricing.

Sunday, March 2nd, at Roche Tissue Diagnostics, 1910 E Innovation Park Dr, Oro Valley, AZ, 85755.

• 5:30-6:45 am: Packet pickup and registration
• 6:15 am: Parking closes, so all vehicles must be on site by 6:15 am
• 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 a 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 in order to be in the results.

More Race Weekend Activities

Saturday and Sunday, 10 AM–5 PM at National Parks Store, just north of start/finish

Discover the elegant Mata Ortiz pottery of master ceramicist Jorge Quintana. Enjoy daily pottery firings at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm (weather permitting) and artist demonstrations. Pottery and Zapotec rugs will be available for purchase.

No reservation required.

Saturday and Sunday Zipline and Burgers: Take advantage of a 15% discount for zipline tickets and 10% off burgers at the super-fun Arizona Zipline Adventures, in nearby Oracle.

When booking online at https://www.ziparizona.com, apply the code AZFUN at checkout and bring in your number/registration info to validate the discount! Offer valid on the weekend of March 1-2, 2025.

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.

NOTES:

• Make sure your race number is pinned to the front of your shirt.
• If you think you will be out for more than 2.5 hours, bring sports drink or other electrolyte drink.
• Chip Time means that your time official begins when you cross the start-line mat and that your official time ends when you cross the finish-line mat.
• Prize money and overall awards are awarded based on "gun-time" while age group awards will be awarded based on chip-time

NOTE: The only vehicle access to the race site is from Tangerine. Official race parking is in the Roche Tissue Diagnostics parking lots. Please follow traffic and parking laws and regulations.

Below is the staging map with locations for portojohns, parking, food trucks, and more. Official race parking is in the Roche Tissue Diagnostics parking lots.

Route Details

The route will mostly follow the "inside" lane and shoulder of Rancho Vistoso Blvd, with vehicle traffic allowed on the "outside" lane. Please be mindful of nearby traffic and intersections. No bicycles, skateboards, roller skates or pets are allowed on the courses.

Restrooms: There will be 13 portojohns on Innovation Dr near the starting line, so please allow enough time to use the restroom before you begin the race.

There will be one portojohn on the out-and-back course, near Honey Bee Canyon Park.

Half Marathoners will have access to this portojohn at approximately 5 and 9 miles.

Aid Stations: We expect to have three water stations on the routes:

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

A portojohn is available for the Half Marathoners at approximately 5 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 nearby traffic and 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.

Finish Line Staging Area

Souvenir Merchandise: SAR will have various AZDC merchandise items for sale at super-low pricing.

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

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

Stretch Labs: Stretch Labs will be on hand for post-race recovery activities.

Skratch Finish Line Hydration: Thanks to our friends at Skratch Labs for coming out on race morning. Skratch Labs makes sports nutrition designed to help you perform better without offending your gut or your taste buds because we use real food, starting from scratch. Feel free to stop by their table for hydration, fuel and coupons either before or after their race. 

Food Trucks and Expo: You can visit with vendors and purchase additional food and drink from local food trucks.

For elevation maps, see below and https://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.

Beware Runner Congestion

The roadway is wide enough for all, but this out-and-back roadway may become congested, so it is best if you always stay to the left and avoid blocking the roadway with large groups.

Please be kind, please listen for runners passing you, please stay to the left and avoid blocking the roadway with large groups.

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

The race is out-and-back. The first mile plunges downhill for a mile, then turns around and climbs back past the starting line.

The next 5.5 miles follow the flowing hills of Rancho Vistoso Blvd, 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.

On the return, top runners may come across Quarter and 5K finishers, so be mindful of route congestion.

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

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

Divisions and Awards

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

Half Marathon 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: $30 Running Shop gift certificate.
• Second place: Arizona Distance Classic drinking glass and headband.
• Third place: Arizona Distance Classic running visor.
• Awards will be handed out on race day at the awards ceremony. Awards may be picked up through March 31, 2025, at The Running Shop, 3055 N Campbell Ave. Awards will not be mailed.
• The Half Marathon is on the Southern Arizona Roadrunners Grand Prix calendar for most age groups. See here for details.
• Prize Money winners are taken out of the age group awards.

Quarter Marathon 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: $30 Running Shop gift certificate.
• Second place: Arizona Distance Classic drinking glass and headband.
• Third place: Arizona Distance Classic running visor.
• Awards will be handed out on race day at the awards ceremony. Awards may be picked up through March 31, 2025, at The Running Shop, 3055 N Campbell Ave. Awards will not be mailed.
• The Quarter Marathon is on the Southern Arizona Roadrunners Grand Prix Calendar for ages under-15 and for 75+. See here for details.

5K 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: $30 Running Shop gift certificate.
• Second place: Arizona Distance Classic headband.
• Third place: Arizona Distance Classic running visor.
• Awards will be handed out on race day at the awards ceremony. Awards may be picked up through March 31, 2025, at The Running Shop, 3055 N Campbell Ave. Awards will not be mailed.

Final age group awards may vary.

We respect the right of all athletes to compete regardless of gender identity, and all registrants may choose either the male, female, or non-binary division.

All awards are based on a participant’s choice of category at registration. Due to a dearth of participants, there are currently no top finisher awards for the non-binary division.

No double dipping. In case of finish time and place disputes, participants are responsible for verifying their finish time, turn-around time, and overall placing; the race organizer will make the final decision.

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 quality of life for low-income seniors to age with dignity 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.

Weather: most likely in the low 50's at the start, possibly rising to mid-70's later in the day.