Lost Dutchman Half Marathon
Apache Junction, Arizona
Sunday, February 15, 2015

I race walked the Lost Dutchman Half Marathon in Apache Junction, Arizona on Sunday, February 15, 2015. The temperature ranged from 59 to 68 degrees with mostly cloudy skies and little breeze, which made great conditions for the event. The course was out and back on roads that were completely closed to traffic and were located in a rural area at the base of the Superstition Mountains. Police and volunteers were located at every intersection ensuring that traffic did not enter the course and letting traffic through intersections as gaps developed in the field of 1100 participants in the various events. I only saw one intersection where the course crossed highway 88 where there was a significant back-up. Water stations were located every mile and Gatorade was available at every second station. There were plenty of student volunteers with accompanying adults to ensure the stations functioned smoothly and efficiently. This was the 14th edition of the event and I have done the marathon once and the half marathon twice. When I did the marathon in 2005 Apache Junction was a small rural town. This is no longer the case as it now has over 37000 people and would be considered a suburb about 30 miles east of Phoenix. The event is still very well organized and fun to do. The people of Apache Junction are still very friendly.