Nearly 10,000 runners are expected to participate in the 14th annual Mesa Marathon on Saturday, February 14. The event is recognized as a key early-season qualifier for the Boston Marathon and was recently named the best marathon in Arizona by Race Rave’s “Best Marathons in the U.S.” poll for 2025. This year’s race coincides with both Valentine’s Day and Arizona’s 114th birthday.
The marathon course starts near the white Phoenix sign on Usery Mountain and descends nearly 1,000 feet to finish at Mesa Riverview Park. Participants will experience views of the desert and valley along the route.
Road closures related to the race will be in effect from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m., with an interactive detour map available at gis.mesaaz.gov/mesamarathon. Roads will reopen after runners pass and cleanup is finished.
“The Mesa Marathon continues to grow and brings runners and tourism dollars from across Arizona and the country. It’s a great boost to our restaurants and hotels in Mesa,” said City Manager Scott Butler. “We know the race affects traffic, and our employees work hard to reduce impacts and help residents get where they need to go.”
Mesa’s Transportation Department will provide one-on-one route planning assistance before and during race day for residents who need help navigating road closures. Assistance is available by calling 480-RUN-MESA or emailing barricade@mesaaz.gov.
Several Valley Metro bus routes—including routes 30, 48, 96, 104, 112, 120, 128, 136, The Fiesta Buzz, and Downtown Buzz—will be detoured due to the event. Riders can use the Valley Metro app or visit valleymetro.org/rider-alerts for updates.
Founded in 2012, the Mesa Marathon includes four races: a full marathon, half marathon, a 10K run that starts at Fitch Park through downtown Mesa, and a free Kids 1K run for children aged twelve or younger at Riverview Park. The Kids run is limited to the first five hundred registrants.
More information about registration can be found at mesamarathon.com. The event is produced by Brooksee.
