The Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series

I've run Arizona's P.F. Chang Rock n Roll half-marathon three times, in 2008, 2011, and 2012. It's an easy one for me to get to, living a couple of hours north in Flagstaff, so I'm sure I'll be running this one many more times.

The Arizona marathon and half-marathon courses are generally pretty flat and fast as they lead runners through Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe. January temperatures in this desert climate are cool at the start line -- around 40 degrees -- but usually warm up nicely, ranging from the mid 60s to about 70 degrees as the morning progresses. The courses, which were changed in 2012, both finish on Packard Drive between Arizona State University's Sun Devil and Sun Angel Stadiums across from Tempe Town Lake.

See the video course preview for the P.F. Chang Marathon

See the video course preview for the P.F. Chang Half-Marathon

Visit the PF Chang's Rock n Roll Marathon & Half-Marathon Home Page

Follow the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Facebook page

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Beginning at Tchoupitoulas and Euterpe St., the courses wind their way through the Garden District before heading towards the French Quarter. Runners use historic Decatur St. to run through the French Quarter on their way to Esplanade and out towards the finish at City Park.

See the video course preview for the New Orleans Marathon

See the video course preview for the New Orleans Half-Marathon

Visit the Mardi Gras Marathon & Half-Marathon Home Page

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The Dallas course is flat and fast. Temperatures in March average a high of 68 degrees and low of 47 degrees--perfect weather for a 13.1-mile run.

See the video course preview for the Dallas Half-Marathon

Visit the Dallas Rock n Roll Half-Marathon Home Page

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I loved this course! This was my first (and so far only) full marathon, with more than 30,000 of my closest friends in the marathon and half-marathon combined. The routes for the two races begin at Centennial Park and stick together for 11 miles. Part of the combined route doubles back on itself for a while, so you get to see thousands of runners coming and going. The race courses take you through downtown Nashville, Music Row, along the river, and through Shelby Park, eventually ending at LP Field. And the post-race concert -- being in Nashville -- is usually headlined by a well-known country music act. It's Montgomery Gentry in 2011. When I ran in 2008, it was Lady Antebellum.

See the video course preview for the Country Music Marathon

See the video course preview for the Country Music Half-Marathon

Visit the Nashville Country Music Marathon Home Page

I'm running this half-marathon in June, 2011. It will be my third half-marathon. The route includes a stretch along Mission Bay and passes through Balboa Park, passing San Diego Air & Space Museum. Both the marathoners and half-marathoners finish in South Shores Park.

See the video course preview for the San Diego Marathon

See the video course preview for the San Diego Half-Marathon

Visit the San Diego Dodge Rock n Roll Marathon & Half-Marathon Home Page

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The Seattle Rock n Roll marathon and half-marathon courses share a starting location at Gateway Corporate Center and run the same route for more than 9 miles before parting ways. They come together again at the finish outside Qwest Field.

See the video course preview for the Seattle Marathon

See the video course preview for the Seattle Half-Marathon

Visit the Seattle Dodge Rock n Roll Marathon & Half-Marathon Home Page

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The Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half-Marathon starts and finishes in the same place -- Grant park -- so it's really convenient for family and friends and other spectators who want to see both ends of the race. The course will be changing a bit for the 2011 event, incorporating more downtown city streets.

See the video course preview for the Chicago Half-Marathon

Visit the Chicago Rock n Roll Half-Marathon Home Page

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2011 is the inaugural year for the Providence Rock n Roll Half-Marathon!

I'm happy to see my home state of little Rhode Island is now part of the Rock n Roll running series. The bayside city of Providence has changed a lot since I grew up about 20 minutes south of there, now with a really nice riverfront area and a vibrant downtown and cultural scene, making it much more of a destination than it was 20-some-odd years ago. This race is definitely on my list; although, I won't be able to make it for it's maiden run.

Visit the Providence Rock n Roll Half-Marathon Home Page

The Virginia Beach seaside course takes runners begins adjacent to the Virginia Beach Convention Center, continues through the resort area and Camp Pendleton, and finishes to the north on the Boardwalk.

See the video course preview for the Virginia Beach Half-Marathon

Visit the Virginia Beach Rock n Roll Half-Marathon Home Page

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The Philadelphia half-marathon course begins at Benjamin Franklin Parkway and finishes in front of the art museum on Martin Luther King Drive, not far from the starting line. The course almost makes a complete loop.

See the video course preview for the Philadelphia Half-Marathon

Visit the Philadelphia Rock n Roll Half-Marathon Home Page

The starting line is located at W. Santa Clara St. and Almaden Blvd., and the finish is at the Plaza de Cesar Chavez in downtown San Jose.

Visit the San Jose Rock n Roll Half-Marathon Home Page

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This scenic, USAT&F-certified course is a Boston Marathon-qualifier, starting and finishing downtown in front of the City & County Building on Bannock Street. Runners will pass many of Denver's major landmarks such as the Colorado Convention Center and Larimer Square, the Pepsi Center, Union Station, and Coors Field. The course then winds through City Park, Cheesman Park, and Washington Park and their neighborhoods.

Visit the Denver Rock n Roll Marathon & Half-Marathon Home Page

The L.A. Rock n Roll half-marathon course starts in Griffith Park near the Los Angeles Zoo, continues past the Silverlake Reservoir, down Sunset Boulevard, along the edge of Echo Park Lake, and finishes downtown at L.A. LIVE.

Visit the Los Angeles Rock n Roll Half-Marathon Home Page

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2011 is the inaugural year for the St. Louis Rock n Roll Marathon and Half-Marathon event!

Visit the St. Louis Rock n Roll Marathon & Half-Marathon Home Page

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2011 is also the inaugural year for the Savannah Rock n Roll marathon and half-marathon. The series is growing!

Visit the Savannah Rock n Roll Marathon and Half-Marathon Home Page

This event is definitely on my "to-do" list. Some of the notable attractions along the route (not that I'd be stopping mid-race to check them out) are the Alamo, San Pedro Park, King William District, Southtown Arts District, Mission Concepción, Mission San José, Mission San Juan Capistrano, and Tower of the America. The course is described as flat and scenic.

Visit the San Antonio Rock n Roll Marathon & Half-Marathon Home Page

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Cruise the Las Vegas Strip on foot. The full half-marathon course will both include the Strip and the marathon runners share that same course for nearly eleven miles. Both races start on Las Vegas Boulevard near Mandalay Bay and finish in the Mandalay Bay parking lot, so the two ends are very close together, which is convenient for friends, family and other spectators who want to see both.

The average temperature in Las Vegas at the beginning of December is around 50 degrees, so it'll be chillier at the start (in the 40s) and maybe get up into the 60s by the time you cross the finish line -- perfect running weather, if you ask me.

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UPDATE: I ran this half marathon in December, 2011, which is the first time it's been a night race -- the largest nighttime running event in the world, apparently, with 44,000 runners. It was really cool running the Strip at night, and I generally had a good time, but there were a lot of logistical problems with this race this year, and there are a LOT of complaints online and in the news. Hopefully, the organizers will take all of those complaints and real problems into serious consideration -- which they say they are -- and improve things drastically for next year.

Oh, and it was REALLY cold this year, colder than usual. So if you run this one, especially if it's a night race again, be prepared to suddenly be very cold when you finish. Mylar was handed out, but there weren't enough to go around. So if you carry a little pouch and can scrunch up a space blanket of your own in there, that might be a good idea.

See the video course preview for the Las Vegas Marathon

See the video course preview for the Las Vegas Half-Marathon

Visit the Zappos Rock n Roll Marathon and Half-Marathon Home Page

Follow the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Facebook page

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View course previews for the following races:

PF Chang's Arizona Rock n Roll Marathon
PF Chang's Arizona Rock n Roll Half-Marathon
New Orleans Mardi Gras Rock n Roll Marathon
New Orleans Mardi Gras Rock n Roll Half-Marathon
Dallas Rock n Roll Half-Marathon
Nashville Country Music Marathon
Nashville Country Music Half-Marathon
San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon
San Diego Rock n Roll Half-Marathon
Seattle Rock n Roll Marathon
Seattle Rock n Roll Half-Marathon
Chicago Rock n Roll Half-Marathon
Virginia Beach Rock n Roll Half-Marathon
Philadelphia Rock n Roll Half-Marathon
Las Vegas Rock n Roll Marathon
Las Vegas Rock n Roll Half-Marathon