City: Albuquerque, NM

Category: Spectator Sports

Telephone: (505) 489-9484

Description: The New Mexico Marathon has been an institution for over a decade and is another premier regional runners’ event. It is held on a Sunday in late August or early September, but the marathon starts at 5:30 a.m. to avoid the day’s heat. Competitors at least get to run downhill for much of the route, as it starts beneath the Sandia Mountains at 5,800 feet elevation, and finishes at Tigeux Park in Old Town at 4,800 feet. If the runners have any breath left to appreciate it, the marathon’s scenic course from the Sandias leads down the length of Tramway and across the valley to the Rio Grande in a sweeping counterclockwise circle, with sunrise views over the mountains and balloons rising over the city. The final leg of the route is down Rio Grande Boulevard into Old Town. The spectators can certainly enjoy the vistas, and it’s a spectator-friendly course, with only 4 miles (between mile 18 and 22) not accessible via car. There is also a half marathon and 5k run, which start a little later. The New Mexico Half Marathon route is the second part of the full marathon course, and this is a very fast race. The New Mexico 5k follows the final 3.1 miles of the same route. The race festival and awards ceremonies at the finish have included live music and mariachis, Spanish and Native American dancers, and children’s activities. On the Saturday before, there has previously been a New Mexico Marathon Health and Fitness Expo in Old Town’s Hotel Albuquerque.The same organizers host the annual World’s Toughest 10k in Albuquerque in May, which starts at around 5,000 feet elevation and climbs to 6,500 feet at the base of the Sandia Tramway, with a challenging 12 percent grade in the last mile.