Mount Lemmon Marathon
Encyclopedia
The Mount Lemmon Marathon is an annual marathon
that takes place in the Santa Catalina Mountains
near the city of Tucson, Arizona
, United States
. The race starts near the desert floor and ends at the village of Summerhaven near the top of Mount Lemmon
. It is noted for the entire course being uphill, and has an elevation gain of over 6000 feet (1,828.8 m). Local television station KVOA
described the race as "the only long-distance uphill race in the U.S". It has been described as the most difficult road marathon in the world. Runners ran on the General Hitchcock Scenic Byway and started the race surrounded by cacti near the floor of the Sonoran Desert
, and as they climbed the mountain, runners transitioned into lush pine forests near the top of the mountain at over 8000 feet (2,438.4 m) above sea level. The New York Times noted that there are other difficult marathons including the Antarctic Ice Marathon which is run on snow and ice south of the Antarctic Circle
, the Everest Marathon
which starts at the south Everest Base Camp
at an altitude of 17590 feet (5,361.4 m), and the Pikes Peak Marathon
which climbs over 7700 feet (2,347 m) to the top of Pikes Peak
.
Some of the runners cited the challenge of running continuously uphill for 26.2 miles (42.2 km) as a reason for running the Mount Lemmon Marathon.
The inaugural race was held on October 17, 2010. There were 394 finishers in the marathon, and 390 in the half-marathon. Race organizers expected 2,500 participants covering both events. Finishing in 3:13:42, the mens marathon winner, 25-year-old James Miles, was running in just his third marathon. It was his first win. The women's winner, 25-year-old Emily McGregor, was running in her first marathon and finished in 3:59:13. The next race is scheduled for October 23, 2011.
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
that takes place in the Santa Catalina Mountains
Santa Catalina Mountains
The Santa Catalina Mountains, commonly referred to as the Catalina Mountains, are located north, and northeast of Tucson, Arizona, United States, on Tucson's north perimeter. The mountain range is the most prominent in the Tucson area, with the highest average elevation...
near the city of Tucson, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The race starts near the desert floor and ends at the village of Summerhaven near the top of Mount Lemmon
Mount Lemmon
Mount Lemmon is in the Santa Catalina Mountains located in the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Arizona, United States. It is above sea-level, and receives approximately 180 inches of snow annually. Mount Lemmon was named in honor of botanist Sarah Lemmon, who trekked to the top of...
. It is noted for the entire course being uphill, and has an elevation gain of over 6000 feet (1,828.8 m). Local television station KVOA
KVOA
KVOA is a full-service NBC-affiliated television station serving Tucson, Arizona. It broadcasts in digital on UHF channel 23 from its transmitter on Mount Bigelow, northeast of Tucson. Per FCC regulations, the station identifies itself on television tuners as channel 4 through PSIP...
described the race as "the only long-distance uphill race in the U.S". It has been described as the most difficult road marathon in the world. Runners ran on the General Hitchcock Scenic Byway and started the race surrounded by cacti near the floor of the Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
, and as they climbed the mountain, runners transitioned into lush pine forests near the top of the mountain at over 8000 feet (2,438.4 m) above sea level. The New York Times noted that there are other difficult marathons including the Antarctic Ice Marathon which is run on snow and ice south of the Antarctic Circle
Antarctic Circle
The Antarctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs south of the Equator.-Description:...
, the Everest Marathon
Everest Marathon
The Everest Marathon, the world's highest marathon, was started in 1985 by Jan Turner and Tony Hunt on a trek to and from Everest Base Camp. Jan Turner pioneered the course in 12 hours without aid stations and a full back pack. On their return to Namche Bazaar they set up an impromptu half marathon...
which starts at the south Everest Base Camp
Everest Base Camp
There are two base camps on opposite sides of Mount Everest. South Base Camp is in Nepal at an altitude of , and North Base Camp is in Tibet at ). These camps are rudimentary campsites on Mount Everest that are used by mountain climbers during their ascent and descent...
at an altitude of 17590 feet (5,361.4 m), and the Pikes Peak Marathon
Pikes Peak Marathon
The Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon is a racing event that begins at the base of Pikes Peak, in Manitou Springs, Colorado, and climbs over 7,700 feet to the top of the 14,115 foot peak...
which climbs over 7700 feet (2,347 m) to the top of Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak is a mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County in the United States of America....
.
Some of the runners cited the challenge of running continuously uphill for 26.2 miles (42.2 km) as a reason for running the Mount Lemmon Marathon.
The inaugural race was held on October 17, 2010. There were 394 finishers in the marathon, and 390 in the half-marathon. Race organizers expected 2,500 participants covering both events. Finishing in 3:13:42, the mens marathon winner, 25-year-old James Miles, was running in just his third marathon. It was his first win. The women's winner, 25-year-old Emily McGregor, was running in her first marathon and finished in 3:59:13. The next race is scheduled for October 23, 2011.