Hello from SAR to the 694 folks who have already signed up for the TMC Arizona Distance Classic on Sunday morning, March 2nd.

Our race planning committee is still working out race day details with the Oro Valley Police Department and others, but we wanted to get this early note out to you so that you can begin to plan an enjoyable and safe race weekend.

Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with all the current information on schedules, maps, parking, restrooms, prizes, weather, race beneficiary, and more.

Location: Innovation Park Drive near the Roche Diagnostic buildings, 1910 E Innovation Park Dr, Oro Valley, AZ US 85755. Please consider car-pooling. Roads and parking close at 6:15 am, so 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 Diagnostic parking lots near the start/finish.

Changing Distance, Refunds, Deferrals: You can change your race distance via your RunSignup registration portal or you can email us through February 26th. 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 - 2:00 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. Shirt sizing is first-come, first-served.
• If you want 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.

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

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

Parking: We'll send more details next week, but there will be plenty of parking at the Roche Diagnostic facility.

Please drive carefully when entering the race grounds and be careful of participants, volunteers, and others.

Please follow the posted rules and be safe. 

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

There will be one portjohn on the course, near Honey Bee Canyon Park.

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

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

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

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

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 for 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

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.

StretchLabs: StretchLabs 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 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.

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

The race is 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.

Divisions and Awards

Final details will be confirmed, but here is the plan for now:

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.