Rock, roll and run. Ready?
Get set for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon with a quick guide
See our guide to the Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon Sunday, when some 25,000 runners and walkers will take to the streets of Phoenix and Tempe.
An estimated 25,000 runners and walkers will take to the streets of Phoenix and Tempe for the 2019 Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon on Sunday, Jan. 20. • With all those people, not to mention the volunteers and supporters who will be on hand, it can be tricky to navigate the area. There will be road closures and restrictions to protect the runners. This guide and patience can help spectators and motorists get through it.
Start times for Sunday’s races
The marathon, half marathon and 10K all start at 7:50 a.m. as waves of runners (not everyone starts at once) began taking off from their respective start lines.
Runners are grouped according to their previous race times. The fastest runners start first and others are released in groups according to their times.
If you’re coming out to see a specific runner, check with that person for their start time. Unless your person is very fast, it probably won’t be right at 7:50 a.m.
Download the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon app (for Apple and Android phones) to track your runner.
Check out the course maps
The marathon starts at Second and Van Buren streets (near the Arizona Center) in downtown Phoenix. It heads north on Seventh Avenue, then east on Missouri Avenue and Camelback Road into Scottsdale. The race ends at Rio Salado Parkway and Ash Avenue near Tempe Beach Park.
The half-marathon starts on University Drive and College Avenue in Tempe and heads through north Tempe and south Scottsdale before also ending at Tempe Beach Park.
The 10K course starts and ends at the same location as the half-marathon but takes a shorter route through Tempe.
Check out the courses at www.runrocknroll.com/ en/events/arizona/the-races/courses. You might want to scope out a few places where you would like to set up in case your first choice is too crowded.
Find a spot to watch
Most spots along the course will be lined with supporters urging their runners on. The start and finish lines will fill up early, so give yourself plenty of lead time if you want to stake out a prime location there. Keep in mind that it will take time to find a parking spot and walk to your destination.
You might find less crowded viewing spots along the Seventh Avenue segment, or as the race heads down Camelback Road or 48th Street. For the halfmarathon, you should be able to find spots along main roads such as McClintock Drive.
There is parking along these roads, but make sure you are in a legal spot.
Be aware of road closures, detours
There will be some road closures and detours to ensure the safety of runners. Most will be between 6 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on race day. Streets will re-open on a rolling basis as the final runners make their way through.
To check out the full list of road closures, visit www.runrocknroll.com/en/events/arizona/the-races /road-closures and click on “Weekend Road Closure Grid.”
Take light rail to avoid traffic
To avoid traffic stress, consider taking Valley Metro light rail. It will run on a Sunday schedule, with trains coming every 20 minutes to connect full and half marathon runners to the start lines.
Additional trains will be used to meet the increased demand before and after the races. Valley Metro suggests buying the $4 one-day pass. Purchase passes at light-rail station vending machines or retail locations across the Valley.
Light-rail restrictions
There may be slight delays to allow safe passage for runners at Van Buren and Central Avenue and Van Buren and First Avenue.
Service will be suspended between Seventh Avenue and Camelback and Central Avenue and Camelback from about 7:30 to 10 a.m.
Service will continue through race crossings in Tempe, but there may be slight delays to allow runners to pass.
Bus route restrictions
These bus routes will be affected by the race: 0,1, 7, 8, 10, 12, 16, 30, 32, 44, 48, 50, 56, 60, 70, 72, 81, Scottsdale 68th Street/Camelback, Scottsdale Old Town Trolley, Orbit Earth, Orbit Mars, Orbit Mercury and Orbit Venus.
Visit valleymetro.org to see how the routes are affected.
At the finish
If you are headed to the finish line to congratulate a runner, make your way to the designated family reunion area. The site is organized alphabetically, so you can meet your runner according to the first letter of his or her last name.
By going to the family reunion area, you can avoid the chaos of trying to find your person among the 25,000 runners at the finish area.