Sedona Marathon Event - The Perfect Racecation Destination!

"Disclaimer: I received a complimentary race entry for the Sedona Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!"

If the Sedona Marathon Event isn’t on your bucket  list,  it should  be.  I ran this race last year (see review)  and  loved it enough to come back for more fun this year!

Coming into the finish, with my boy cheering me on!

There is a 5k, 10k, half and full marathon. I chose to stick with the 10k  again since I am still working my way back after knee surgery and the courses are tough!

Bonus: My husband was totally on board to make a weekend out of this again. So cool. It’s pretty rare that I get my family to join me at races these days.

Packet pickup was at the Elks Lodge this year, it’s a tiny expo, but I was able to buy myself a cute Sedona Marathon Event tank  top! The volunteers were SO friendly.

Packet pickup with views!

One of the best things about this race (other than the scenery) is the late start  time. My race started at 9:20. I could take my leisurely time. Although  the race offered free shuttle service, my hotel was close  enough for me  to walk. Yay!

Walking to the start from my hotel...so pretty!

The full marathon started at 9AM, with each race starting every 10 minutes after that.  I met my  fellow BibRave Pros for  a team  photo and wished everyone well. We were all running different distances. Look at all that beautiful Orange!!!

BibRave Pros: Emily, Justin, Brenda, Cassie, Chris and Jeremy (Photo credit: Jeremy Heath)

Once again, the start backdrop was  inspiring. There were record crowds this year, it  was noticeably busier in the start area,  especially as the half marathoners were getting ready to start.

The course has rolling hills,with the worst one for me  at the 10k turnaround. Because you have to turn around the way you came, you have  no momentum going into that  gigantic hill. It  takes the wind right out of your sails. 

They were offering a “free” race tracking app, Race Joy, and I decided to give it a try so that my  hubby could track  me easily. Downloading it and  setting it  up was fairly easy but I was getting concerned that  there would  be  a charge. Race morning I had to activate it 30 min  prior to start, and then hit start as I  cross the line.  Well I couldn’t get a signal  at the start (it just kept spinning).  So I fumbled around  with that for a few minutes, gave up, and definitely lost some  time there.  Frustrating. I also stopped twice to text  my husband to let him know I wasn’t able to use the app and how much longer I’d be. More time wasting. And it appears that I was charged for the app :(

Hills! And this is just for the 10k, can you imagine the full marathon???

I enjoy the  second half way more than the first. I was able to make  up a little of  my lost time and ended with a 1:04:12  time, 2 min faster than last year!

I really think I can get this to an hour or less next time!

The medal is part of a series where each year is a piece of a 4 year pie.  I was disappointed to see that everyone still  gets the same exact medal and ribbon, no matter which distance they ran. This is one of my pet peeves and something I hope they will consider changing for future races. Even a customized ribbon would make it more unique and special to the runner. The 5k  runners actually get  something different  entirely, which is kind of strange.

Medal with Cathedral Rock in the background

The weather was warmer this year (low 40’s) at start, and it warmed up into the low 60’s by noon. 

We extended our stay and went hiking (amazing) and to a nearby winery for wine tasting.There really is a lot to do.  I highly recommend this for  a destination race getaway!