Let's Go . . . Race Week is Here!

Thanks for signing up!

You're on the roster for the 8th Annual Grand Canyon Trail Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5k on October 24, 2026

We are so excited about this event and we can't wait to get up to Tusayan and meet all of you this weekend.

As you can see in the About You section below, you're coming from 38 states and 6 countries. It's a joy and privilege to bring you all together!

Some of you have received versions of this email over the past months, but below you'll find updated pre-race information that will help you have an enjoyable and safe race weekend.

We have added race maps, staging maps, and other details. Grab a beverage and a comfortable chair so that you can take your time reading this lengthy pre-race email, with more details than you can shake a stick at!

Table of Contents

Race Weekend Schedule Update, including Packet Pickup Details
Links to Race Weekend Information: what to pack, what to wear, what to eat, route details, etc
Weather, Changing Events, Race Route Maps
Miscellaneous Race Weekend Details
National Park Update
About You By the Numbers
Thanks to Town of Tusayan, Sponsors, and Partners

No Refunds, Last Call for Deferrals

Unfortunately, at this date there are no refunds but you can still defer until 2027 for a fee of $25 per registrant. You can follow the directions on your RunSignup registration platform. The deadline is midnight October 21st, Arizona time..

Volunteers: We can always use volunteers, so if you know anyone who wants to help with Friday evening or Saturday morning packet pickup, or other race day tasks, they'll get a free t-shirt and a race number to use at the free Fire Department Beer Garden. Race number is also good for a free IMAX showing. Volunteer Registration is here.

There are a lot of moving parts, so please let us know by Wednesday if there's anything we can help with. If not, we'll see you up there!

Safe travels!

Randy and Tia Accetta

randy@runtucson.net | tia@runtucson.net | www.runtucson.net | Run Tucson News

Updated Race Weekend Schedule

Packet pickup will be more crowded than this photo from the inaugural race indicates so please be patient as we manage the crowds.

Friday and Saturday Packet Pickup Details

Our team of volunteers will be on hand in the west lobby of the IMAX to help you pick up your race materials, including your souvenir race number and your colorful, long-sleeved race shirt.
Shirt sizes are available on a first-come, first-served basis. We ordered shirts based on estimated sizing, but we're not sure how each of you will fit the actual sizing of the shirt, so we cannot promise that everyone will get the perfect size.
If you need to change your distance, just tell the volunteers and they will help manage that process. We cannot provide refunds for distance changes, but we may charge more for the longer races.
We'll also have a grab-bag of gloves, caps, shirts, and other souvenir items for sale.

Friday, October 23, 2026

4:30 - 6:00 pm Packet Pickup and Last-Minute Registration at IMAX Theater, 450 AZ-64, Tusayan, AZ 86023

Packet pickup will be at the WEST entrance of the IMAX. If you enter from the east by the Pink Jeep desk, just make your way through the souvenir store or the restaurant to the west side of the building.

5:00 - 7:00 pm $15 for All-You-Can-Eat Pasta Dinner at IMAX Explorer's Cafe

Ongoing Friday Night and Saturday: Free Ticket to IMAX Showings: Grand Canyon: Rivers of Time and Deep Sky at the IMAX, showings on the half hour. See https://explorethecanyon.com/imax-theater/

All registrants get one free ticket, with additional tickets at a discounted price
Bring your race number to the front counter

Saturday, October 24, 2026

7:00-8:15 am Packet Pickup and Race Check-in at IMAX Theater

7:30 am: Marathon and Half-Marathon Start, at IMAX Parking Lot, North side, facing east

All Age Group Awards are chip-timed, all prize money is gun timed. Start line closes at 7:40.

7:45 am: 5k Fun Run/Walk Starts, at IMAX Parking Lot, North side, facing west

NOTE: For better course management, we may update the schedule to include two 5k waves, starting speed demons first, then waiting until they finish for the second wave to head out.

Ongoing Live Results at www.roadrunnerracetiming.com

8:00 am: Begin Local Artisan Craft Fair and Post-Race Activities, with Grand Canyon Conservancy,

Begin Tusayan Fundraising Pancake Breakfast
Breakfast is $8 apiece with proceeds going to the Tusayan Fire District and Tusayan youth programs.
Free Beer for Runners: All race participants receive two free beer pours. Must have your race number -- we'll mark your race number for each pour. All other pours are $5 apiece.

10:00 am: All Marathoners need to be through the Half-Marathon check-point

11:00 am: Tentative time for Half-Marathon and 5k Award Ceremony, with Marathon Awards to follow

12:30 pm: Official timing at finish line closes with breakdown of event site, depending on weather conditions and requirements of TFD/Kaibab National Forest Forest

This means that there is a 5 hour limit for both the marathon and half-marathon.
Course closure times are tentative depending on weather and safety conditions, determined in consultation with the Tusayan Fire Department, Kaibab National Forest, and the Coconino Sherif Department.

Weather, Switching Events, and Maps

Weather Update and Course Impact

On race week, it looks like it will rain off-and-on all week, then clear up with sunny skies but a cold morning in the 30's, rising to a sunny 50's by mid-day.

Depending on the severity of the rain, this means that the trail may be a tricky combination of mud in places and frozen dirt ruts in other places.

Especially with the possibility of overnight ice, be mindful of footing on the rocky sections. We've put together advice on how to run the marathon here and how to run the half-marathon here.

Details on the 5k route can be found here -- much of the route is the paved Arizona Trail Greenway, so be sure to manage the curves and hills safely, especially if there is ice or slushy puddles in the early morning.

If It Rains on Race Day: We will work with the National Forest Service to make the final decision, but we anticipate producing the race even if it is a rainy day. The rain may make the rock surfaces slick and unstable, while making the trails muddy and not very much fun to run through. We will plan for our regular staging locations, but if the rain is too much we may move the breakfast and awards and other post-race activities indoors to the IMAX.

We reserve the right to cancel the race if there is dangerous flooding on the course.

Clothing and Footwear: We recommend bringing various layers so that you can make race morning decisions. Trail running shoes, rain jacket, long sleeve shirt, and appropriate headgear/armwear. There is no formal bag check.

Switch Race Distance

If you want to change your race distance at registration, please talk with the volunteers at packet pickup. We cannot provide refunds, but conversely, if you move from the 5k to the Half or Full, there may be an additional fee.

Mid-Race Switch from Marathon to Half

The Marathon is two laps, so if you want to stop at the Half, you can just stop and get timed for the half.
If you stop after one lap, be sure to check in with the timer so that we know that you are not going out for the second lap.
There is a 5-hour limit for the marathon, so all runners crossing the first lap after 2.5 hours will be asked to stop.

Mid-Race Switch to Marathon

IMPORTANT: For safety reasons, there are no accommodations for those who decide to keep running a second lap. If you are in the Half and decide to keep going for the Full, you will be disqualified, removed from the race roster, and will no longer be considered part of the event. You can go wherever you want in the National Forest, of course, but you will not have access to race-provided support.

Miscellaneous Race Weekend Information: Links to Key Event Information & More Race News

We'll post updates at the race registration page here.

Links to Advice Pages

Trail Racing Advice: Click here for some tips on running and racing on the trails.
Click here for advice on what to pack, what to wear, and what shoes to wear.
Click here for some nutrition and hydration advice for altitude racing
First time at a running event? Click here for a general FAQ for running event first-timers

Route Detail Links

Marathon Route details are here.
Half-Marathon route details are here.
5k route details are here.
Staging area maps are here.
Water Station details are here.
Spectators: Spectators are welcome to go onto the loop course on foot or bicycle, but we ask that you do not drive onto the narrow Forest Service roads. Spectators can drive Route 328 to see runners in the final few miles of the loop. MSpectators can also see marathoners at the IMAX and along on Main Street as they begin their second lap.

Directions to Tusayan

Check out this race page with driving directions and other information on the area.

Route Distances, Awards

Please remember: the marathon is closer to 26.7 miles and the half is closer to 13.3 miles. The 5k is pretty close to 5k but not quite perfect.
Click here for information on current course records
Click here for the plan for the awards. Prize Money for top runners, age group goodies from the Grand Canyon Conservancy and the Town of Tusayan.

Results and Timing

You'll be able to find live results at our race registration page and at www.roadrunnerracetiming.com.

To help ensure accurate results, please pin your race number to the front of your race day garment low on the front of your torso, using the pins provided.

Miscellaneous: dogs, walking sticks, headphones, chair athletes, strollers, and more

Pets: Permits and insurance do not allow for dogs and other animals on the course.
Walking Sticks: You are welcome to use walking sticks, but please be mindful of your fellow participants.
Headphones: While we appreciate the value of running with headphones, we request that you do not run with headphones on.
Chair Athletes: While we support adaptive athletics, the half marathon course is not suited for chair athletes. The 5k course has a paved section that is chair-capable, but the dirt road portion may be difficult to navigate for chair athletes.
Running Strollers: strollers are welcome in the 5k but please be mindful of the following:
The route includes steep paved downhills and uphills on the narrow Greenway path
The route includes a section on the forest road that is open to traffic.
Please be mindful of safety -- stay to the inside, away from traffic and away from bicycles and others

Photos

Our long-time race photographer is Damion Alexander, from Tucson. Damion will be out on the course riding his mountain bike and snapping photos of you. His gallery of race photos over the years can be found at his smugmug page here.

Damion is more than a race photographer: he helps set the course and he rides sag, so if you see him be sure to smile!

Finally, Damion is also Realtor with Long Realty, so if you're interested in moving to Tucson, track him down!

Grand Canyon National Park Update

Visit the Canyon: The staging for the race is in the Town of Tusayan, about one mile south of the entrance to the South Rim.

In a previous Run Tucson newsletter we discussed the recent flooding, but you can click here for updated general information on the Grand Canyon National Park. Over the years, many race participants have visited the Canyon on Friday before the race, or after the race on Saturday, or even on Sunday after a good night's sleep.

Click here for current alerts on trail closures, water shut-offs, lodging and the like.

If you don't want to hike or run: our friends at Pink Jeep will help you with a driving tour -- you can track them down here. Mention that you are a participant of the Grand Canyon Trail Marathon, Half Marathon or 5k to receive a 15% discount off of your tour price.

Lodging in Tusayan: Because of the South Rim lodging closures, the Tusayan area is selling out of hotel rooms, including at our host hotel. For additional details on availability, click here for information on the hotel discount to our friends at the Red Feather Lodge, steps from the start/finish line.

About You: By the Numbers

5k Runners and Walkers Waving in 2021

At this writing, 694 of you have signed up. You'll be traveling to the South Rim area from 38 states and 3 Canadian provinces, plus Australia, France, Russia, Brazil, the Netherlands, and now Denmark!

At this writing, 65 of you have signed up for the full Marathon and 302 in the Half-Marathon. A total of 303 have signed up for the 5k Run/Walk, including an additional 23 Children's 5k (remember: children receive a separate shirt and no medal). And 22 of you have moved to the Virtual category. 4 groups have signed up for the Marathon Relay.

States Represented In Order of Participants: Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah, Texas, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Georgia, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, Florida, New Jersey, Missouri, Washington, Minnesota, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Idaho, Alabama, Maryland, Kansas, New York, Montana, Louisiana, Alaska, Oregon, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Connecticut, Virginia, Michigan, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Washington DC

82 is the age of the two eldest registrants, Loretta from Tucson and Neil from Palm Springs. 3 is the age of the youngest registrant, from Hurricane, Utah.

132 of you have donated to our race charity partners:

$1281 to the Grand Canyon Food Pantry

$1218 to the Tusayan Fire District

$205 to the Tusayan Youth Program

Click here for donation details -- support for these important local organizations is always appreciated.

Teams

Victory in Motion 15

Garner 14

Paul's Posse 13

Skol!!! 7

Midwestie Bestie 6

Sedona Gooners 6

Band-Aid Bandits 5

Black Ops 5

Hannah's Happies 5

Los RunNers 5

Meet Me at National Parks 5

Out of Breath Hiking Society 5

QueenCreekFam 5

Arosemena Family 4

The Run Collective 4

The Fellowship of the Run 3

Vandekerckhove's 3

I wish my sister came up with a cool name since it was her idea 2

Late for Pickup 2

Merrill's in Motion 2

MIL3S TOGETHER 2

The Roberts family 2

2026TMCEmployee 1

Nanookasaurs 1

SoulFit 1

Strong Baddies 1

TEAM BLACK DEATH HAWK KING SCORPION RULERZ 1

Team Marsala 1

Blister Sisters 0

H&M 0

as of October 17

Packet pickup, 2025

Jose Delgado being hunted by eventual Half champ Shannon Porter, 2022.

Notice that the Tucson runner is wearing long sleeves, tights, hat, and gloves, while the Flagstaff runner is wearing a long sleeve shirt.

About Us: Thank you to the Town of Tusayan, the Tusayan Fire District, and our race partners!

Partners and Beneficiaries

The race was created nine years ago. Laura Chastain, at the time from the Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce, reached out to us at Run Tucson to come up to Northern Arizona and put together this event.

Run Tucson partners with the Town of Tusayan, the Tusayan Fire District, the Grand Canyon IMAX Visitor Center, the Kaibab National Forest, and other South Rim area community members.

We are so very grateful to the Town of Tusayan for everything that they do to celebrate running, walking, and the beautiful South Rim area.

Special thanks to all of you who have donated over $2,500 to our event beneficiaries, the Tusayan Fire District, the Grand Canyon Food Pantry, and the Tusayan Youth Program.

The timing company is Roadrunner Race Timing, based here in Tucson. The owner, Greg Wenneborg, is a former HS and college coach, and a three-time Olympic Trials Marathoner.