Mesa Marathon 2027: race buses, start lines, finish and a chauffeured race morning

A race morning with Scottsdale Sprinters starts with the race’s own times, the distance each runner is racing and a rider count. Runners and their cheer crews lead with the Executive Black Sprinter; running clubs and company teams take the Mini Bus (24 Pax) or the Executive Mini Coach; a post-race celebration rides a Limo Party Sprinter, alcohol-free when anyone under 21 is aboard. This guide uses only facts the Mesa Marathon publishes, and turns race day into a written pickup, drop-off and ride home.

Last updated: September 27, 2026

Prices start at $125 an hour for the Luxury SUV (Suburban), which seats 6, on a 4-hour minimum, so the shortest booking is $500 before 8% tax. Every vehicle is booked by the hour at its published rate and minimum, with no per-seat pricing.

When is the Mesa Marathon 2027, and what time does it start?

The Mesa Marathon is on Saturday, February 13, 2027; the marathon, half marathon and 10K all start at 6:30 a.m., the free Kids 1K starts at noon at Riverview Park, and the finish line closes at 1:03 p.m. The race was formerly known as the Mesa-Phoenix Marathon. It offers a marathon, a half marathon, a 10K and a free Kids 1K, and the marathon and half marathon are USATF sanctioned and certified. The marathon calls itself a fast Boston Qualifier, with nearly 1,000 feet of net elevation loss; the half marathon drops nearly 200 feet and is pitched as great for a first half. The time limit is 6.5 hours for the marathon and the half marathon and 3 hours for the 10K. The race’s weather note gives an average low of 46F at the start, and cooler still at the marathon start, so plan layers.

Where do the Mesa Marathon, half marathon and 10K start and finish?

The marathon starts on N Ellsworth Road near the Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club, below Usery Mountain; the half marathon starts on E McDowell Rd between Ogden St and Greenfield Rd; the 10K starts on E 8th St, just north of the baseball diamonds at Fitch Park; all three finish at Paseo Lago Vista and N Riverview, with the finish festival at Riverview Park in Mesa. The marathon runs south on N. Usery Pass Rd with views across the Valley, the half marathon descends from McDowell Road past citrus groves, and the 10K winds through historic downtown Mesa before joining the other two for the same finish. The course is paved asphalt throughout. Riverview Park is at 2100 W Rio Salado Pkwy, Mesa, AZ 85201, beside Sloan Park at 2330 W Rio Salado Pkwy, where the race buses load and the expo is held.

How do runners get to the start line: race buses, parking and drop-off?

Marathon and 10K runners must ride the race buses from Sloan Park, because there is no parking or drop-off near those start lines once the roads close; half marathon runners get no bus from Riverview Park and must park at 3260 North 40th Street or be dropped at 4201 East Oasis Street, near their start, with shuttles back from the finish. Marathon buses load at the southeast corner of Sloan Park, at Sheffield Avenue and Rio Salado Parkway: the first leaves at 4 a.m. and the last at 5 a.m., and runners should be in the parking area by 4:30 a.m. 10K buses load at the southwest corner, at Clark Street and Rio Salado Parkway: the first leaves at 4:45 a.m. and the last at 5:45 a.m., with runners there by 5:15 a.m. All parking around the Riverview Park finish is open to marathon and 10K runners; there are no lots assigned by distance. A runner who is dropped off rather than parking is asked to get out near Riverview Auto Drive, just east of the bus loading area, to keep clear of the congestion. For the half marathon, the race asks parkers to arrive at the 40th Street lot by 5:15 a.m.; after the race, shuttles staged along Sheffield Street at the finish run back to that lot from 8 a.m., the last at 11:30 a.m. With a chauffeur, nobody parks at 4 a.m. and nobody needs a car at the finish: we drop the runner exactly where the race asks drop-offs to go, come back for the family later in the morning, and meet everyone at a pickup point agreed in advance.

Which roads close for the Mesa Marathon?

Street closures begin at 4 a.m. on Saturday, February 13, and reopen in stages, with every street reopened by 1:30 p.m.; traffic cannot cross the race route during the event, so the race advises skirting it on the 202 Red Mountain Freeway, the 101 Price Freeway and US 60, the Superstition Freeway. The race links a detailed map of the route and its closures from its information page, and a traffic and detours PDF. Expect slow traffic around the course all morning. This is the reason to book a chauffeur rather than drive: your driver plans the approach around the closures, and the family is not stuck on the wrong side of the course when the runner finishes.

Where can spectators watch the Mesa Marathon, and where do you meet your runner?

Spectators are welcome along most of the route, and the race recommends spots such as Hawes Rd and E McDowell Rd, N Power Rd and E Thomas Rd, WAXIE Sanitary Supply at 4136 E McDowell Rd, Mesa Dr and E Brown Rd, Westwood High School at 945 W Rio Salado Pkwy and the finish line approach on N. Riverview; runners pass through an enclosed Runner Services area after the finish, and families meet them in the festival area north of the finish line. Confetti cannons are not permitted and bring fines and removal. Spectators must follow the instructions of volunteers and police at all times. Runners cannot re-enter Runner Services once they leave it, so they should collect the medal and recovery items first. Community groups can take over an aid station in the Mesa Marathon Cheer Challenge, with music, costumes and signs; runners vote, and the top groups win a donation to their organization.

When and where is the Mesa Marathon expo and packet pickup?

The Health & Lifestyle Expo is on Friday, February 12, 2027, at Sloan Park, entered through the Home Plate Gate; it opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 5:30 p.m., and there is no race-day packet pickup for the marathon, half marathon or 10K. Each runner brings a valid photo ID or a copy of the confirmation email to collect the bib, timing chip and shirt. Someone picking up for another runner needs that runner’s ID (a photo or copy is accepted) or the confirmation email, and a written note authorizing it. Runners who cannot attend can choose bib mailing at registration, for a fee.

What should Mesa Marathon runners bring on race morning?

Bring the bib, warm layers to shed and the race bag from the expo: each start has a gear check truck, bags must be on it by 6 a.m., and the race asks runners not to leave phones, wallets or car keys in checked bags; start chutes open at 6 a.m. The race supplies disposable gloves and a mylar blanket in the race bag for the cold start. Clothing shed along the course is collected and donated to charity. With a chauffeured morning, the phone, wallet and keys can stay in the vehicle with the family, and the dry clothes wait at the finish instead of in a gear truck.

Is the Mesa Marathon good for kids and families?

Yes: the free Kids 1K at noon is for children 12 and under, limited to the first 700 registrants, and starts at the northeast corner of Riverview Park, near the playground, beside the finish festival; for a family ride, our house rule applies: If even one passenger is under 21, the trip is alcohol-free for the whole group, adults included. Strollers are allowed in the Kids 1K, at the back of the pack, but not on the race buses or in the marathon, half marathon or 10K. The race asks Kids 1K families to reach Riverview Park from the west on Rio Salado Parkway, then Clark Street or Sheffield Avenue to Cubs Way to park. Families ride the Executive Sprinters, never a party unit, and no family package carries a drink service. The finish festival’s beer garden is the race’s, for runners of legal age; we sell no alcohol.

Is the Mesa Marathon the same race as the Phoenix Marathon?

No: the Mesa Marathon is the race formerly called the Mesa-Phoenix Marathon, and the Phoenix Marathon is a separate race; runners who complete any distance at the 2026 Phoenix Marathon and any distance at the 2027 Mesa Marathon earn the Desert Double medal. This guide covers the Mesa Marathon only. Check the Phoenix Marathon’s own site for its date and course.

What does a chauffeured race morning cost?

A race morning is billed by the hour at each vehicle’s published rate, from pickup to drop-off, with its minimum hours: the Executive Black Sprinter is $145/hr and seats 14, the Executive White Sprinter is $145/hr, and a Limo Party Sprinter (16 Pax) is $175/hr; race entry is sold by the race, and prices are before tax. Split across the group, the hourly rate becomes a per-person figure. 14 riders in the Executive Black Sprinter for 7 hours is about $73 each before tax. A club of 24 sharing the Mini Bus (24 Pax) for 7 hours at $185/hr is about $54 each. That is arithmetic on the published rates, not a flat race fare. The hours run from the pickup at your hotel or home to the last drop-off, and the vehicle can wait between the start-line drop and the finish, so the morning is one booking. The ready-made packages on this page are priced the same way, with the extras they carry, and show the total before anyone books.

Which vehicle fits a runner, a family or a running club?

A runner and the cheer crew lead with the Executive Black Sprinter, our pick for race morning, or the Executive White Sprinter; running clubs and company teams too big for a Sprinter take the Mini Bus (24 Pax) or the Executive Mini Coach (29 Pax); a post-race celebration rides a Limo Party Sprinter or the 28-seat party bus, alcohol-free when anyone under 21 is aboard. The table uses current published names, seated capacities, hourly rates and minimums, in four groups. Runners and families: the Executive Black Sprinter and the Executive White Sprinter. Clubs and teams: the Mini Bus (24 Pax) and the Executive Mini Coach (29 Pax). Celebrations: the Limo Party Sprinter (12-13 Pax), the Limo Party Sprinter (16 Pax) and the Party Bus (28 Pax). VIP: the Maybach Jet Sprinter, the Ultra Luxury Party Sprinter, the Maybach Shuttle Sprinter and the Luxury SUV (Suburban). A VIP party larger than the Maybach Jet Sprinter rides in two vehicles, one booking each for the same day and times: the Maybach Jet Sprinter with the Maybach Shuttle Sprinter seats 17, and with the Luxury SUV (Suburban) it seats 15.

How does a chauffeured race morning work, and how far ahead should you book?

Your chauffeur picks the runner up in the dark, drops them near Riverview Auto Drive for the Sloan Park race buses or at 4201 East Oasis Street for the half, brings the family to the finish later in the morning, and drives everyone home from a pickup point agreed in advance; availability varies by day and vehicle, so send the day and the group early. The first request needs the distance each runner is racing, the pickup address, a likely passenger count and whether the family rides to the finish separately. A club or team does not need every name to begin. During the final 48 hours, confirm addresses, phone numbers and the meeting point for the ride home. Reach the reservations team at (623) 986-6339 or reservations@scottsdalesprinters.com.