Hello again to those who have registered for the 5th Annual Grand Canyon Trail Half Marathon and 5k Run/Walk. 

Below is a boatload of pre-race information. We want you to have a safe and happy experience, so please grab a chair, snag something to drink, and settle in for some reading time! Here's what you'll find below:

• About You By the Numbers, with update on souvenirs
• Tusayan Lodging Discounts and Food Specials
• Planned Weekend Schedule
• Artisan Craft Fair, Photos, Timing, Snacks, Bathrooms, and More
• Staging Area and Start/Finish Map
• Half-Marathon Course Information: safety, maps & directions, and racing advice
• 5k Run/Walk Map and Course Info
• Water and Aid Station Details
• Course Advice from Past Participants
• Awards and Prize Money
• Thank you to Sponsors and Partners

Next week, we'll send a final updated version of this email. In the meantime, for all updated race information, please see the front page and menu bars at the race registration page here.

Questions? Anything we missed? Contact us at randy@runtucson.net.

See you next week!

Randy and Tia Accetta and the crew at Run Tucson

Tucson, Arizona

randy@runtucson.net

tia@runtucson.net

500: total number of souvenir shirts. Please remember that shirt sizing is first-come, first-served at packet pickup on Friday evening and Saturday morning. There'll be plenty of shirts, but the handful of folks who have signed up since October 22nd are asked to wait until after the race to snag a shirt.

500: finish line medals to give out on race day -- not to worry, though, there will be plenty of medals because we're also bringing 60 coaster medals from 2022 to ensure we have enough for everyone!

1000: Clif Bars in various flavors to hand out to you at packet pickup and after the race. Special thanks to Clif Bar for providing such a bounty of race day nutrition!

79: Age of oldest registrant in the 5k, while 76 is the oldest registrant in the half marathon

28: Folks who have already deferred

13.28 or so: distance of the trail half-marathon

8: age of youngest registrant, in the 5k

63.47% or 318 of you identify as female

35.73% or 179 of you identify as male

.8% or 4 of you have identified as non-binary

32 states are represented; in order of registrant numbers: Arizona, California, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Illinois, Missouri, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Massachusetts, Ohio, Michigan, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, New York, Idaho, Louisiana, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, North Dakota, Hawaii, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Virginia, and Wyoming

4 Countries represented: US, England, Check Republic, and Martinique

1 person from Duvall, Washington

1 course record holder, Flagstaff's Shannon Porter

LODGING

Squire Resort at the Grand Canyon - As a new sponsor, the Squire Resort offers a 25% discount to all race participants. Click here for reservations.

The Red Feather offers all participants a discount, so give 'em a call and tell them you're with the race: (928) 638-2414 or go to www.redfeatherlodge.com, click Book Now, click Group Sign In, and then enter the code 17819.

The Holiday Inn is also offering a race discount to all race participants. They've said to email Emily.mace@gcanyon.com to make a reservation.

Click here for additional lodging options in the Grand Canyon area.

FOOD AND DRINK

All-You-Can-Eat Carb Load: On Friday night after you pick up your packet, you can enjoy an all-you-can-eat carb load at the IMAX, $15

• Pasta- Penne Marinara
• Pizza- cheese & pepperoni
• Green Salad
• Cookies

Beer Garden Details: On Saturday, race morning, all race participants receive one free pour from the keg of locally-brewed beer donated by Grand Canyon Brewery.  Must have your race number -- we'll mark your race number. All other pours are $5 apiece.

TFD Fundraising Breakfast: The Tusayan Fire Department will host a fundraising breakfast from 7:30 am - 1:00 pm on race morning. Price for all visitors, spectators, and participants: $8 for adults and $5 for children. What you get:

• Pancakes
• Eggs
• Sausage
• Fruit
• Biscuits & Gravy
• Coffee 

The Tusayan Starbucks: Across the street from the start/finish, Starbucks is offering 10% off to participants on race day. Bring your race number to the Tusayan Starbucks on race day to receive the 10% discount (not including gift cards).

Friday, November 3, 2023

5:00 - 6:30 pm Packet Pickup and Last-Minute Registration at IMAX Theater in Tusayan (official address: 450 AZ-64, Grand Canyon Village, AZ 86023). 

Our team of volunteers will be on hand in the west side lobby to help you pick up your race materials, including race number, race shirt, a copy of the course map, and (if you ordered it) your National Park Pass.

Bib numbers will be in last name alphabetical order. Registrants before October 18th will have their name printed on the number like in the example farther below.

YES: you can pick up for your friends and family; this is a small race, so no ID needed

YES: we have unisex and women's sizing in the t-shirt

YES: all shirts are first-come, first-served in terms of sizing

NO: you cannot pick up your finisher's medal before finishing the race – you gotta’ do the race on Saturday!

YES: It will likely be crowded, so please be patient and kind to the race volunteers and IMAX staff.

5:00 - 7:00 pm All-You-Can-Eat Pasta Dinner at IMAX, $15

Saturday, November 4, 2023

7:00-8:30 am: Packet Pickup and Race Check-in at IMAX Theater, Bathrooms open

7:30 am: 5th Annual Fundraising Pancake Breakfast hosted by the Tusayan Fire Department. $8 for adults and $5 for children. 

8:00 am: Half Marathon Start opens, with ongoing trickle start until 8:30 am

• If you plan to take more than 3 hours, please start early

8:30 am: Half Marathon Prize Money Start -- start line closes at 8:30.

• No dogs on the course. We recommend that you do not run with headphones.
• All age-group awards are chip timed, but all prize money is gun-timed at the 8:30 am start, so all prize money recipients must start at 8:30 am.

8:45 am: 5k Fun Run/Walk Starts: The 5k course has a paved section that is chair-capable, but the dirt road portion will be difficult to navigate for chair athletes.

9:00 am: Ongoing: post-race snacks courtesy of TMC and Skratch Labs, and Clif Bars at finish line and beer garden at IMAX.

11:30 am: Half Marathon and 5k Awards at Finish Line

NOTE: All half marathoners need to be through mile 11.5 by 11:30 am.

*Course closure times are tentative depending on weather and safety conditions.

* Remember to start early if you're worried about the deadlines

1:00 pm: Timing at finish line closes, beer garden begins to break down, closing of event site

Artisans and Craft Fair: On race morning, be sure to carve out time to shop for beautiful jewelry and other artwork.

We expect about 12 native and local artisans and entrepreneurs on hand for the 2nd Annual Artisan Craft Fair.

For more information on local artisan efforts, see https://www.grandcanyontrust.org/blog/making-space-native-artists-grand-canyon.

Race Photography: World-famous realtor Damion Alexander will be on his bike capturing candids throughout the morning. We'll send out info on how to access the race photos after the race, but you can find his photos here

CLIF BAR:Thanks to Clif Bar for providing 1000 Clif Bars in various flavors. Each runner can snag one at packet pickup then after the race.

SKRATCH After the Race: Thanks to SKRATCH LABS for being on hand after the race with hydration and other goodies!



Snacks After the Race: Thanks to Tucson Medical Center, we will have individual servings of cookies, pretzels and granola bars, and other sweet and salty carbohydrates. Snag your snacks inside the Annex courtyard.

Social Media: Please tag @runtucson and @TusayanTownHall and @rrca with any instagram posts -- you can use hashtags #grandcanyonhalf or #grandcanyon5k or anything else you want . . .

Bathrooms: You can use the bathrooms inside the IMAX. However, the Forest Service prohibits portojohns on the race course, so there are no on-course bathrooms. Should the need arise, please follow camping best practices of burying or carrying out waste.

Race Number and Timing: Please use the provided safety pins to attach your race number to the front of your race day shirt. You must have your race number pinned to your shirt to receive an official time.

Timing: Greg Wenneborg of Roadrunner Race Timing will do the timing. All results, both live and after the race, will be available at www.roadrunnerracetiming.com.

Special thanks to the IMAX and Visitor's Center for hosting our event. The map below provides an overview of the staging area.

During the past weeks, ADOT (Arizona Department of Transportation) has indicated that we cannot start on Highway 64, so we need to modify the start line by a few steps. Thus, we are moving the start line to the driveway on the northern side of the IMAX. As you can see in the map below, the finish line will also be on the paved driveway on the northern side of the IMAX.

You will all finish with mixed terrain: coming down the paved path, crossing the gravel lot, then turning onto the paved driveway.

This material can be found on the race website here.

Route Safety:

1. The course is a mixed surface course. The majority of the route is on hard-packed and soft surface dirt, with some rocky terrain. The surface also includes a paved asphalt section, a concrete sidewalk, and a gravel lot. You'll want to wear your trail shoes.
2. The course is marked with Forest Service flagging and chalked arrows. The mile marks are marked with chalk in the middle of the trails and roads.
3. All forest roads and trails in the Kaibab National Forest will be open, so please be mindful of others that may be using the trails and roads.
4. In case of a medical emergency, ask a volunteer to call for medical help or call 911. Phone service is pretty good in the forest but we cannot promise reception at all locations.

4 Things to Know About the Course

1. Half-Marathon Water Stations: at approximately Mile 4, Mile 8 and 11.5. Volunteers will be on the course to support you, but please be prepared to be self-sufficient on the race course and pack what you think you will need.
2. Permits and insurance do not allow for dogs and other animals on the course.
3. While we appreciate the joy of headphones, we request that you do not run with headphones on.
4. The Half-Marathon course runs a bit long and we think it's almost exactly 13.3 miles. The route has a total ascent of 555.58 ft and has a maximum elevation of 6,729.3 ft. 

Half-Marathon Course Overview: The Half-Marathon course is a clockwise loop, designed to put the demanding sections of the race early, when you're more chipper.

In 2019, the course was dry and dusty but last year we had a snowstorm on the week of the race, so the route was wet and muddy in locations. In 2023 we anticipate dry conditions and thus a fast surface.

Start: The race will start in the IMAX parking lot on the north side of the building. You will go head east through the parking lot, then turn right (south) on the sidewalk on the west side of Highway 64. Please stay on the sidewalk. There are a number of parking lots on this portion of the course, so please watch for vehicles turning onto Highway 64.

After about 400 yards on the sidewalk, you will hit the Long Jim Loop roundabout. At Long Jim, turn right and cross onto the bike path. After another couple of hundred yards with a dip and a climb, you'll hit the Tusayan outdoor rec facility with a basketball court on your left; turn left past the courts and follow the white chalk arrows pointing you onto the dirt roads of the Kaibab National Forest.  

Racing Advice:  No need to go like crazy in the first half mile. Be patient on the first concrete and paved sections, then when you hit the dirt, there is plenty of room to open it up. 

Miles 2-4 are on Forest Service Road #2607. Some sections of this stretch are pretty rugged, with a bunch of "rolling uphill" and some challenging footing (see the photo from near Mile 3 below).  Follow the white arrows on the ground. 

As you can see in the photo below, the footing may make this a slower portion of the course, so watch your footing, manage the early stress, and wait until the dirt smooths out near Mile 4. 

Racing Advice: Be mindful of your footing on this rugged section, manage the uphill, and be patient.

Wanna' get a sense of what race weekend is like? Click here for the collection of 1,482 race photos Damion Alexander took last year!

From approximately Mile 4-8 the trail smooths out and drops in a "rolling downhill" manner -- the footing is easier and you can probably get in a nice little rhythm, especially once you get onto Forest Service Road 2604. Near Mile 7.5 you'll go under the historic railroad tracks, then go under them again near Mile 8-- it's a fun little figure-S of a section with some small cliff faces on either side.

Racing Advice: take advantage of the smoother footing and the gentle downhill portions on this stretch. It's still early in the race, but this is a good time to pick up your racing pace by using the downhill.

Mile 9-10 rolls gently uphill from the Coconino Wash towards Road #328, with lots of soft surface and some technical parts of the trail. 

Racing Advice: people get tired at this section of the course, so pay attention to the terrain and enjoy the beautiful scenery. If you feel strong, though, this is a great place to push the pace.

Mile 11-12 is mostly on the well-travelled dirt road #328. The road is open to the public, so please stay to the right-hand side instead of scattering across the roadway.

Racing Advice: there may be some "washboard" sections on this portion of the course, so be mindful of footing. There are a couple of hills with false summits, so be ready for uphill misery. But there is also some significant downhill -- you should be able to make good time on these portions of the course. 

The last mile+ is on a paved multi-use path, part of which is the famed Arizona Trail.

Racing Advice:  There is a lot of downhill, which should give you a pretty quick finish to the finish line with nice shade and the chance to push pace a bit. With about half-mile to go, there is an uphill section that crosses Long Jim Loop.

Final Steps: As we've said, we had to change the start/finish this year -- so you will come downhill on the paved path, then cross through a gravel dirt lot, before taking a left turn onto the asphalt parking lot immediately at the finish line.

Water and Aid Stations: We want you to be self-sufficient on the race course, so please bring your own hydrating beverage with electrolytes and sodium.

We'll have water and aid stations near Mile 4, 8, and 12.

Again, please be sure to have electrolytes and salt with you to help combat the effects of the altitude -- perhaps a sports drink, such as Skratch, Nuun or something along those lines. Perhaps consider bringing energy gels or salty snacks such as pretzels.

(One of our friends packs sushi with him on long runs, but we think that might be a bit much . . .)

We'll have plenty of food and water at the finish line, with support from the Tusayan Fire Department, Coconino County Sheriff, and others as needed.

Advice from Jose Delgado, 40:

One thing you like about the course: I love how this course rolls its way around the Kaibab National Forest. The trails are runnable. The backdrop is gorgeous. And all the runners are super supportive of each other. 

One thing to be prepared for: Absolutely anything, when it comes to the temperature. It might be cold at the start but can heat up quickly out on the course, so think about wearing some easy layers.

Top race day tip: Don’t go out too fast (especially if you’re coming from lower elevations). It’s easy to get carried away with the early miles and end up paying the price later, so try to be patient and ease yourself into this race. Oh, and don’t forget to smile when things get hard.

Advice from Anna Martin

Past Finishing Time: My past finishing times have ranged from 2:28 to 2:36. 

One thing you like about the course: I love the opportunity to run through forests. The landscape is so different from Tucson, which keeps the 13 miles exciting. 

One thing about the course to be prepared for: Be prepared for lots of different terrain. There’s sidewalk, roots, rocks, pine needles, gravel road, pavement, and some very soft trail sections I’ve heard called “moon dust.” Because of this variety, I’ll personally be opting for cushy road shoes instead of trail shoes. 

Top race day tip: Save some energy for the last mile. Since it’s paved, you can really fly into the finish.

5k Advice from Beth Crane, 76:

5K course was enjoyable, because it was in the trees and the surfaces were soft and absorbing. Perhaps look at the course beforehand so that you can use the tangents to cut the corners. Don't forget to drink water, given the altitude

Half MarathonPrize Money and Age Group Awards:

The first male and female will each receive $150.

Second place will receive $100.

Third place will receive $50. 

Course record bonuses of $200 will go to the man and woman who break the male and female course records.

In the Half-Marathon, we hope to offer a grab-bag of prizes for the top three male and female in 10-year age groups. NOTE: we'll call first-place winners up to choose their awards, then 2nd place, then 3rd place.

5k Fun Run/Walk: first place man and woman overall receive a grab-bag prize, while first place in 10-year age groups will receive awards.

Please note that you must be at the 11:30 am awards ceremony to receive prizes -- age group awards will NOT be mailed.

Special thanks to the town of Tusayan for providing the grab-bag of awards.

Half Marathon Men's Record: 1:18:33, Jonathan Hiley, Tequisquiapan, Quetaro, Mexico, 2021

Half Marathon Women's Record: 1:24:33 Shannon Porter, Flagstaff, AZ 2022

5k Men's Record: 17:04, Jeffrey Smith, Grand Canyon Village, AZ, 2021

5k Women's Record: 24: 54 Tonya Kiesow, Williams, AZ, 2021

Thanks to the Town of Tusayan for partnering with us on this great event!

Thanks to the Kaibab National Forest for the permits and support.

Thanks to the Tusayan Fire Department for hosting the pancake breakfast and providing race day support

Remember: from the race start, we're less than a mile to the South Rim entrance gate, then a few short miles to the South Rim.