MesaNow
City of Mesa News
City of Mesa News
Nearly 10,000 runners are expected for the 14th annual Mesa Marathon on Saturday, Feb. 14. The race, which is a key early-season Boston Marathon qualifier, is along a course recently recognized as the best marathon in Arizona by Race Rave's "Best Marathons in the U.S." poll for 2025. This year's race is not only on Valentine's Day, but participants can also celebrate their accomplishment of crossing the finish line as well as Arizona's 114th birthday on the same day.
The scenic, downhill course begins near the white Phoenix sign on Usery Mountain and drops nearly 1,000 feet to the finish line at Mesa Riverview Park, offering sweeping desert and valley views along the way.
Race-day road closures will be in effect from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m. An interactive detour map is available at gis.mesaaz.gov/mesamarathon, and roads will reopen as runners pass and cleanup is completed.
"The Mesa Marathon continues to grow and brings runners and tourism dollars from across Arizona and the country. It's a great boost to our restaurants and hotels in Mesa." said City Manager Scott Butler. "We know the race affects traffic, and our employees work hard to reduce impacts and help residents get where they need to go."
Mesa's Transportation Department will offer one-on-one route planning assistance the week before the race (Monday-Thursday) and on race day. Residents can call 480-RUN-MESA or email barricade@mesaaz.gov for personalized detour help.
Several Valley Metro bus routes will be detoured on race day, including routes 30, 48, 96, 104, 112, 120, 128, 136, The Fiesta Buzz, and the Downtown Buzz. Riders are encouraged to use the Valley Metro app, visit valleymetro.org/rider-alerts or call 602-253-5500 for updates.
The Mesa Marathon, founded in 2012, offers four races: the marathon, plus the half marathon, 10K and the free Kids 1K run. Half marathoners will experience nearly 200 feet of net elevation loss along the gentle downhill route towards Riverview Park, while 10K participants experience a scenic course that begins at Fitch Park and winds through historic downtown Mesa. The Kids 1K run is a free, non-timed race for children 12 and under at Riverview Park. The Kids 1K is limited to the first 500 registrants.
For more information about the event or to register, visit mesamarathon.com. The event is produced by Brooksee.