A course strategy – and overall race strategy – is a must for optimal performance on race day. Whether this is your first REVEL race and your goal is simply to finish, or you are veteran aiming for a PR or BQ, you should have a well-planned strategy for how you intend to manage the Mt. Lemmon course!

The head coach of REVEL’s Online Coaching Program, who has run a Boston Qualifying time in all the REVEL marathons that he has run, has prepared detailed descriptions of the Revel Mt. Lemmon Marathon and Half-Marathon courses.

Managing the Course Based on Segments

A critical component of your race strategy is the course profile itself. Where are the sharp descents? Where are the climbs? Where does the course “flatten” a bit?

You want to plan your race with course segments in mind, and with an overall strategy for varying paces throughout. Your varied paces will be dictated by the elevation losses and gains, and you want to know before the race where those variations will occur.

Generally, the Mt. Lemmon Marathon course can be divided into four sections:

Miles 1-4: Fast Start

Miles 5-6: Short Slowdown

Miles 7-20: PR Territory

Miles 21-26.2: The Flat Finish

Similarly, the Mt. Lemmon Half-Marathon course can be divided into three sections:

Miles 1-7: PR Territory

Miles 8-10: Gradual Slowdown

Miles 11-13.1: The Flat Finish

You can study the courses yourself on the REVEL website. You can zoom in, use the interactive elevation chart, and get a feel for what lays ahead of you on race day. If possible, you should drive the course before race day to get a feel for what the segments look and feel like. Knowing what to expect, and when, is helpful when preparing your course strategy. 

The marathon and half-marathon courses are summarized below based on the segments described above.

The Marathon Course

Miles 1-4: Fast Start

Starting at over 8,100’ elevation, the first 4 miles of the course lose more than 1,120’ of elevation. That is a severe drop, and you will need to resist the urge to chase people if they pass you. Although you want to take advantage of gravity throughout this course on the downhills, you need to manage the sharp drops by easing into your pace, settling in for the long haul, and letting gravity pull you along at a comfortably fast pace. You might feel a bit winded from the altitude, but you should not feel as if you are running “too hard” or “too fast.” If you do, then you should ease back a bit and aim for a “comfortably hard” pace.

Miles 5-6: Short Slowdown

Right around the mile 4 marker you will notice that the course starts to climb a bit at times. The climbs over the next two miles are short but noticeable. You will feel yourself slowing down a bit, which is fine. Also, the overall elevation is still fairly high (around 7,000’), and you might find it difficult to breathe due to the added demands of climbing – fighting gravity.

Consider this section to be a short “breather” where you can ease off a bit, assess how your legs are doing, and prepare for the upcoming section that is remarkably fast. You still have many miles to go, and you want to conserve your energy for the miles ahead. As you reach the mile 6 marker, you will be about to start the next segment of the course, which is one of the fastest downhill sections of any marathon, anywhere. Just be patient, and you will be ready to run some significantly fast miles ahead.

Miles 7-20: PR Territory

From the mile 6 marker to mile 20, you will lose over 3,770 feet of elevation. That is an average of 270’ per mile, with a downhill grade of -5% per mile. You will encounter small, short climbs here and there, but they are minor in comparison to the overall elevation loss. If you are keeping tabs on your splits every mile or every few miles at marked intervals, don’t be surprised to see that you are running well ahead of your goal pace. At the same time, be wary of a sensation of “running too fast.” If you feel out of control, or if you feel yourself working “too hard” while running downhill, then slow down.

Miles 21-26.2: The Flat Finish

Make no mistake: it gets tough for the final 10K, which loses a total of 325’ of elevation. Compared to the early miles of steady downhill, you will, without any doubt, notice how in miles 21-26 it is harder to hold your pace. Coupled with the late-race fatigue that typically sets in at this point of a marathon, the flatter terrain will make it feel like climbing. Moreover, the very minor climbs that do appear in this segment will slow your pace noticeably. Just hang in there, keep your legs moving, and work hard to get to the finish.

Summary of the Marathon Course

The Mt. Lemmon Marathon course loses more than 5,500’ of elevation from start to finish. With an average loss of more than 213' per mile (a grade of -4%), this one of the fastest marathon courses you will ever run. Over the 26.2-mile course, you likely will surprise yourself with your "faster than normal" pace on the downhill segments.

The Half-Marathon Course

Miles 1-7: PR Territory

Starting at 4,770’ of elevation, the course drops 1,928’ from the start to mile 7, which is an average loss of 275’ per mile. That is a comfortable and manageable descent, and you will want to manage the downhills by easing into your pace, settling in for the long haul, and letting gravity pull you along at a comfortably fast pace. You should not feel as if you are running “too hard” or “too fast.” If you do, then you should ease back a bit and aim for a “comfortably hard” pace.

Miles 8-10: Gradual Slowdown

Not long after you pass the mile 7 marker, the course noticeably starts to lose less elevation. It does not quite “flatten out” yet, but you will go from losing 275’ per mile to losing 64’ per mile. That is noticeable, and you will gradually start to slow down. You will need to “switch gears” to a slower pace based on even effort and should be prepared to run markedly slower than whatever pace you averaged in the first 7 miles.

Miles 11-13.1: The Flat Finish

The final 5K of the course is relatively flat. The total elevation loss is roughly 80’ for the entire final 3.1 miles of the course. Compared to the early miles of steady downhill, you will, without any doubt, notice how it is harder to hold your pace for these final miles. Coupled with the late-race fatigue that typically sets in at this point of a half-marathon, the flatter terrain will make it feel like climbing. Moreover, the very minor climbs that do appear in this segment will slow your pace noticeably. Just hang in there, keep your legs moving, and work hard to get to the finish.

Summary of the Half-Marathon Course

The Mt. Lemmon Half-Marathon course loses more than 2,200’ of elevation from start to finish. With an average loss of around 170' per mile (a grade of -3.2%), this one of the fastest half-marathon courses you will ever run. Over the 13.1-mile course, you likely will surprise yourself with your "faster than normal" pace on the downhill segments.

Paul Carmona is the Online REVEL Coach who has designed training plans specifically for REVEL downhill courses. He is a 22-time REVEL Marathon Finisher and has run multiple Boston Qualifiers on every REVEL course that he has run, with his current streak at 20 BQs in a row at REVEL marathons!