FKT: Marcy Beard - Ruby Road Marathon - 2024-10-27

Athletes
Route variation
Standard route
Multi-sport
No
Gender category
Female
Style
Supported
Start date
Finish date
Total time
5h 10m 28s
GPS track(s)
Report

Wow, that was surprisingly fun!  I wasn't sure what we'd find with this (mostly) dirt road marathon in the middle of the southern AZ desert.  Turns out, there's a lot to see.  Twists and turns, changes of scenery and topography, some geology to ponder, and a nice mix of climbing and downhill.

The road was in excellent shape for running and driving (husband John crewed for me every 4 miles).  It helped having a neck buff as a mouth covering for the occasional dust-producing passing vehicle.  For the most part it was a pleasant road-running experience.  Even got a couple "good job!" greetings from passing motorists who had possibly seen me more than once.

Temperatures were warm (I could have waited a couple days for the next cool front but this was sort of the best timing at the moment).  Liberal use of ice in my bottle and under my hat helped a lot.

That last little uphill to the finish was a bit of a butt kicker; good to know about for anyone racing the clock to the end.

We enjoyed our tour of Ruby Road - recommend!