Groom Creek Classic Half Marathon 10K & 5K

September 21, 2024

Prescott

Trail

Distances

Half-Marathon, 10k, 5k

Starting Time

8:00 AM

Fees

$70 – $80

Perfect For

Ready to sign up?

1-100

Some Hills

Forested

High: 80°

/ Low: 52°

The Groom Creek area is a popular backcountry recreation spot for camping, hiking, rock climbing, hunting and horseback riding, thanks in large part to its plentiful hills filled with Ponderosa pine, which provide ample shade for hikers wandering through the innumerable trails through nearby parts of the Prescott National Forest, which spans more than 1.2 million acres across the middle of the state.

The race serves as a fundraiser for the Groom Creek Fire District, which is dedicated to protecting the people and homes who live in this area that lies about 6 miles south of Prescott.

Runners will start all four races near the headquarters for the Groom Creek Fire District on East Friendly Pines Road. The half marathon takes runners east along East Friendly Pines Road out to South Senator Highway, where they turn right and head south for roughly the next mile and a half.

At the intersection with Upper Wolf Creek Road, runners turn right again and head west, staying on Upper Wolf Creek Road for about the next four miles. After a very gradual uphill for the first mile and a half or so, the course then starts a long and gradual downhill descent over the rest of the first half of the route, heading downhill all the way west along Upper Wolf Creek. It’s not until about halfway between the mile 5 and mile 6 markers that the downhill portion flattens out, and then runners head slightly uphill from there to the mid-way race turnaround point on South Indian Creek Road. Once runners make the turnaround there, they then follow the exact same route in reverse for the second half of the 13.1-mile race, all the way back to the Groom Creek Fire District offices where the race finish line will lie. Along the way, it’s all paved surfaces as runners make their way through the tree-lined forest roads, with plenty of views out onto the mountains all around.

Groom Creek Classic Half Marathon 10K & 5K Results

Overview

Set for its 20th annual running here in central Arizona — at an elevation of about 5,400 feet above sea level, surrounded by both the woodlands of the nearby Prescott National Forest and the Bradshaw Mountains — this race unfolds through the hills that lie just south of the city. The Groom Creek area is a popular backcountry recreation spot for camping, hiking, rock climbing, hunting and horseback riding, thanks in large part to its plentiful hills filled with Ponderosa pine, which provide ample shade for hikers wandering through the innumerable trails through nearby parts of the Prescott National Forest, which spans more than 1.2 million acres across the middle of the state. The race serves as a fundraiser for the Groom Creek Fire District, which is dedicated to protecting the people and homes who live in this area that lies about 6 miles south of Prescott. Runners will start all four races near the headquarters for the Groom Creek Fire District on East Friendly Pines Road. The half marathon takes runners east along East Friendly Pines Road out to South Senator Highway, where they turn right and head south for roughly the next mile and a half.

Course Description

Past Results

Groom Creek Classic Half Marathon 10K & 5K Results