2027 Mesa Marathon - Feb 13

2027 Mesa Marathon - Feb 13 Countdown

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Race Information

Race2027 Mesa Marathon - Feb 13
CityMesa
Date2027-02-13 at 06:30
Field Size~3,000 runners
Time Limit6 hours 30 min
TimezoneAmerica/Phoenix
Official SiteMesa Marathon
RegistrationRegister · 149 USD

Race Day Weather

Average Temperature12°C / 54°F
Humidity30%
Wind12 km/h
Rain Chance5%
Typical ConditionsCool dry desert morning, warming through the race

What to Prepare: February in the Sonoran Desert delivers dry, cool starts (around 7-10 C / 45-50 F at the 6:30 am gun) that climb into the mid-teens C / upper-50s F by mid-race. Low humidity and light wind make this one of the most consistent racing climates in North America. Pack arm sleeves you can shed at the start corral, and bring sunglasses and a visor: the desert sun is bright and direct by 9 am with almost no shade on course.

Based on historical averages for race week. Use our Weather Score Calculator and What to Wear Guide for personalized advice.

Wind Impact on Race Day

Wind at 12 km/h can affect your marathon pace by 5-15 seconds per kilometer. Headwinds slow you down exponentially — a 20 km/h wind costs more than twice a 10 km/h wind.

Calculate your wind-adjusted pace →

Course Profile

Course TypePoint-to-point
Elevation Gain50m
TerrainRoad
ProfileNet-downhill point-to-point with roughly 1,000 ft (about 305 m) of total elevation loss, starting near 2,063 ft below the Usery Mountain Phoenix sign and finishing around 1,197 ft at Riverview Park in downtown Mesa. The first half rolls gently through Sonoran desert before opening into long, runnable downhill miles. Because the start-to-finish net drop (about 866 ft) sits well under the 1,500 ft mark, the course stays clear of the B.A.A. 2027 downhill index, so qualifying times count in full; 16.3% of 2026 finishers ran a Boston-qualifying time.
Boston QualifierYes — Check your BQ time

Prepare for 2027 Mesa Marathon - Feb 13

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Mesa Marathon Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the 2027 Mesa Marathon and is the date confirmed?

The 2027 Mesa Marathon is officially set for Saturday, February 13, 2027, marking the event's 15th anniversary. Mesa runs on a Saturday in mid-February each year (the 2026 edition was Feb 14, 2025 was the prior weekend). The full marathon starts at 6:30 am, with shuttle buses from Sloan Park to the point-to-point start running from roughly 4:00 to 5:15 am.

Is the Mesa Marathon a good Boston qualifier under the 2027 rules?

Yes. The B.A.A.'s 2027 downhill index only adds time to courses whose start-to-finish net drop is 1,500 ft (457 m) or more. Mesa drops from about 2,063 ft to 1,197 ft, a net of roughly 866 ft, so it stays comfortably below the threshold and qualifying times are accepted in full with no penalty. It remains one of the most productive BQ courses in the country: 16.3% of 2026 finishers ran a qualifying time (up from 15.6% in 2025). Check your target with our Boston Qualifying Calculator.

How much does the Mesa Marathon drop and how steep is the downhill?

The full marathon loses roughly 1,000 ft (about 305 m) overall, with a net start-to-finish drop near 866 ft. It is a gentle, runnable descent rather than a quad-crushing canyon plunge: the first half rolls through open desert, and the long downhill miles arrive in the back half. That said, sustained downhill running still loads the quadriceps eccentrically, so build downhill repeats into your final 6-8 weeks to bank-proof your legs. Model the splits a net-downhill profile allows with our Pace Calculator and visualize the drop with our Elevation Profile tool.

How do I register and is there a lottery?

Registration is first-come, first-served with no lottery through the official site, and the marathon is capped and has historically sold out, so entering early is the safe play. The full-marathon entry is $149 in the current window (early-2026 pricing), with tiered increases as the field fills toward race day. The event also offers a half marathon and 10K on the same morning.

What is the time limit for the Mesa Marathon?

The course has a generous limit of about 6.5 hours (officially 6 hours 33 minutes, based on a 15:00 minutes-per-mile pace). Runners who fall off that pace at the mile markers are picked up by sweep vehicles. With the downhill assist, the cutoff is forgiving enough for first-time marathoners while still rewarding BQ hunters up front.

Where does the Mesa Marathon start and finish?

The point-to-point course starts below the painted Phoenix sign on Usery Mountain (Usery Pass area, N Ellsworth Road) on the desert edge of Mesa and finishes in downtown Mesa at Riverview Park. Because it is point-to-point, there is no parking at the start; all marathoners ride the early-morning shuttles from Sloan Park to reach the higher-elevation start line.

How big is the Mesa Marathon field?

Mesa is the largest marathon in Arizona by participation. The full marathon draws around 3,000 finishers (3,008 in 2026, 3,192 in 2025), while the full event total across the marathon, half, and 10K runs to roughly 5,500-7,500 participants each year. The full-marathon field is large enough for pacing groups and good course energy without the congestion of a major-city start.

Is the Mesa Marathon related to the Phoenix Marathon?

It is now called simply the Mesa Marathon. The event was previously branded as the Mesa-Phoenix Marathon (and at one point carried a title sponsor as the BMO Mesa-Phoenix Marathon), which is why some older results and listings reference Phoenix. It is the same race, held in Mesa in the East Valley of metro Phoenix; today the official name and branding are Mesa Marathon.

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