Mesa Half Marathon Recap: A Fast Course and New PR!

The Mesa Half Marathon wasn’t originally on my race calendar, but sometimes the best races are the unexpected ones.

Thanks to my friends Brian and Lisa, who live in the Phoenix area, the Mesa Half quickly became an exciting addition to my training cycle. While Lisa had to work and Kaitlyn opted to cheer us on, this race was a special one — it was the first time Brian and I got to race together. We had different goals, but the shared experience was one to remember. And for anyone looking to set a new PR, keep reading, because this may just be the course for you.

Let’s get started.

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Mesa Half Marathon race recap

The lead up to the race

If you had asked me about a month or so ago, I wouldn’t have even known about the Mesa Half Marathon.

It wasn’t on my radar until Brian and Lisa mentioned it as a race option. Once I saw it was a net downhill course and has a reputation for being PR-friendly, I was sold. I knew I could run a half marathon faster than my 1:43 personal best, and this seemed like an excellent choice to do it.

With my big focus being the the Pittsburgh Marathon, this would be a great B race early on in my training plan to get an idea of where my fitness is. Training had been going well, but I needed a race-type environment to test me fully. So, the idea of running a half marathon as a test before Pittsburgh seemed like a great choice.

My training schedule had been following a great pattern, which was helping me improve my speed and endurance. It was currently following this pattern:

• Monday: Easy run (usually 4-6 miles)
• Tuesday: Off
• Wednesday: Speed workout (over/under 1km, mile repeats, etc.)
• Thursday: Easy run (4-6 miles)
• Friday: Speed workout
• Saturday: Off
• Sunday: Long run (10-13 miles)

I’m using the Runna app for my training (which I’ll do a review of in the future). And, so far, I have all positive things to say.

The workouts are easy to understand and well-explained. It even syncs up with my watch so I can follow the workouts as I go, instead of keeping it all in my head. The plan it’s laid out for my training looks great, starting with a few build weeks before moving into more endurance and long-distance focused workouts. Plus, it updates as I go. So if I’m hitting, exceeding, or missing the paces it’s setting, it automatically adapts my plan (more on this in a later section).

So, with this plan and my progress, I was excited to see what my body could do.

Race strategy

My Runna training plan predicted I could run a half marathon in around 1:34.

My personal record was 1:43, which I had run about six years ago. So I was pretty confident I could set a PR and beat Runna’s predicted time, especially with how my training had been going. So, I thought I’d aim for a bit faster than a 1:34.

Calculating before the Mesa Half Marathon, I figured this strategy would work:

• Maintain a 7:00-7:30 min/mile for the first half of the race
• Aim for a 6:45-7:00 min/mile for the second half

With negative splits, I figured I could save most of my energy for the second half and turn it on to burn myself out until the finish line. Even if I fell across the finish line, I’d give everything I had (and probably make some social media posts while I’m at it).

Pre-race

We woke up early, around 3:30 in the morning.

We had been receiving texts from the race warning to arrive early as there’d be heavy traffic and limited shuttles. Luckily, Brian and Lisa don’t live far from the start so we headed out around 4:45-5:00. And as we passed the exit for the race parking, there was TONS of traffic. I’m talking backed up to the previous two exits. So definitely get there early if you’re doing this race.

Once we arrived, we hit the port-a-potties, stretched out a bit, and got ready for race start (which was delayed 15 minutes).

When the gun went off, I started off following my race plan from the jump. And I honestly couldn’t have asked for better conditions for race day. There were cool temperatures and clear skies, with the temperature probably in the low to mid-50s at the start. And with my pace picking up (and starting further back from the pacing group I should have been with), I was passing runners at the beginning which gave me an extra confidence boost. You know, any mental game you can play to make yourself seem fast ?.

But, early on, things felt surprisingly smooth, and I knew I was on pace for a good race.

There’s always those moments early on where you’re wondering if you’re pushing too much and potentially burning yourself out in the long run. But sometimes you go with it to push it a bit. Otherwise, how will you know?

Mid-race

As every runner knows, the middle miles of a half marathon are where things get real.

Around mile 8 or 9, the fatigue started creeping in. My legs started to feel more fatigued. And my mind was having the classic runner debate as my legs churned — should I get pasta or pizza post-race?

Needless to say, not the best energy use in the moment. But, I knew I could push through the low point (especially once I chose pizza) and things started to pick up around mile 10-11 and I was within spitting distance of the finish line. Plus, it helped to have the support along the course. From the volunteers at the aid stations to the supporters with some great signs (shoutout to the kid with the Mario powerup sign), it helped give a little boost in the final miles.

The final miles of the Mesa Half Marathon

I hadn’t been checking my overall time throughout the race. I knew what my paces should be roughly each mile, so I knew if I was hitting those then I’d be on pace. It’s an easy way to break the race down into smaller segments and focus on smaller goals without overwhelming yourself with the larger goal.

And, up to that point, I’d been hitting my paces pretty spot on.

So I knew I was in a good position despite the fatigue I’d been feeling in my legs from my 11 to the end. But, when I saw the finish as I made the final right, the Central Governor let go and my legs opened up to end the pain they’d been in for the last 1+ hours.

I crossed. Stopped my watch. Yelled an expletive. Then smiled and got my shiny new medal.

Official time? 1:33:34. A new PR by 10 minutes.

Pacing breakdown

One of the most important factors in achieving my PR at the Mesa Half was executing my pacing strategy. Here’s a breakdown of my mile splits:

• Mile 1: 7:47
• Mile 2: 7:15
• Mile 3: 7:05
• Mile 4: 7:16
• Mile 5: 7:24
• Mile 6: 7:28
• Mile 7: 7:07
• Mile 8: 7:01
• Mile 9: 7:02
• Mile 10: 6:59
• Mile 11: 7:00
• Mile 12: 7:03
• Mile 13: 6:33

Lessons learned and takeaways

The Mesa Half Marathon was an overall success in many ways.

It gave me (and Runna) an early gauge of my fitness level. It gave me a new PR. I got to run a race with Brian for the first time. And I felt fantastic the entire race, which is always a win.

But there are a few key takeaways:

1. Sometimes the best races are unplanned. Adding Mesa to my schedule was a last-minute decision, but it ended up being one of the best choices I made.
2. Trust your training. Trust in the work you’ve put (and are putting) in. It’ll reward you if you follow and trust in your plan.
3. Race-day execution is key. Pacing, nutrition, and mindset all played a role in hitting my goal. Have a strategy and follow it on race day.
4. Runna updated my plan: Since I outperformed the predicted result, Runna adapted my plan to estimate my marathon time at 3:12-3:19 (up from the 3:19-3:25 it was predicting before). So, that’s awesome news!

Now, looking back, do I think I could have run faster? Possibly. I lost some time in miles 1, 5, and 6 in the first half. And I would have liked to have been in the high 6:00-minute mark in the second half for each mile, which all could have made a significant difference.

But, at the end of the day, I’m happy with the effort I put in. And I’m even happier I chose to run the race as it was a lot of fun, and one I can’t recommend enough.

What’s next? The road to Pittsburgh

With Mesa in the books, it’s time to shift gears and focus on my bigger goal: The Pittsburgh Marathon. This race was a perfect checkpoint to gauge my fitness, and I’m excited to build on this momentum.

I do have some races planned before that will be great test races. First up is the Rabid Raccoon series in Pennsylvania, then we’ll see what races I’ll check out as things warm up.

But if you’re considering running the Mesa Half Marathon, I highly recommend it — especially if you’re looking for a fast, scenic course with great race-day vibes.

Have you ever run the Mesa Half, or do you have a race coming up? Let’s chat in the comments!