Extremely flat course along the Rio Grande Scenic trail and through pistachio orchards. This was an inaugural marathon, so they might need to work out a few kinks. One of those was that they needed more frequent water stop. I usually carry a hand-held water bottle, but I saw the temperature (35 rising to 55) and decided not to bring the handheld. Big mistake. Las Cruces is high desert (~4200' ASL), and extremely dry.

Also, we had FANTASTIC TACOS twice: in El Paso after arriving and again in Las Cruces after the marathon.

The Las Cruces Marathon is a small, quiet race with huge scenery. You’ll start before sunrise and watch the sky light up over the stunning Organ Mountains—it’s pure magic. The course is peaceful and mostly flat, with long open stretches and very few distractions, which makes it a great race to settle into your own rhythm. There isn’t a ton of crowd support, but what you lose in noise, you gain in clarity. It’s you, the desert, and the sunrise. Race day logistics were smooth, aid stations were reliable, and the vibe was friendly and unpretentious. If you’re looking for a low-key race with soul and scenery, this one’s for you.

Easy logistics for this race. Real bathrooms at the field at the start. It starts and ends on the Field of Dreams track. They have updated the course to eliminate confusion, I found the course very easy to follow. An out and back course along the (dry) Rio Grande River and past pecan orchards. It is very dry so make sure to drink lots of water. Water stops and porta potties were adequately placed along the course. It is a very flat course with minimal turns. You finish running a lap and 3/4 around the track. I liked the 50 State, BQ, and AG award charms that you clip onto your medal, very cool.

Very quiet run. Chilly and windy at times. Super flat course. Very friendly support along the way.

Very easy start line logistics with plenty of parking and indoor restrooms at the stadium. The course is mostly flat. I was glad I prepared for increasing temperatures with a number of easily removable layers. It started out very chilly but warmed up pretty quickly once the sun made an appearance.
The scenery is ok, some mountain views were very beautiful.
The aid stations need some work, at least in parts they were much further apart than advertised. And one I stopped at had run out of cups, I at least had my own bottle to refill.
My husband who was spectating told me another aid station completely ran out of water.
There was almost nothing available for food at the finish line.
The finishers medal is nice. The race shirt is cotton but has no advertising, so I think its ok.
Las Cruces was interesting to visit. We particularly liked the Mesilla Plaza area.

This was the first time for the marathon distance. The race director and volunteers were nice and helpful and I'm sure they'll improve things based on feedback from this year. However, I'll begin with accolades for the start and finish area in the local stadium that had nice warm indoor bathrooms and a great waiting area. The weather was near ideal, and the course is pretty flat. It is the desert and there is a bit of altitude - so the first bump was the very noticeable distance between aid stations - and some only having water was a challenge. I heard a few runners saying "I need water" with nothing in sight. We ran alongside a mostly dry riverbed and among some nice pecan orchards for most of the race as it was an out and back. We finished with two laps of the stadium. The medals were nice - but bump number two was they ran out and didn't have medals for the last hour of so of finishers. Overall, I enjoyed the race and am sure the team will iron out the bumps for next year.

As a RD, i know i have a critical eye for operations and implementation. The course was simple albeit a strong headwind for miles. Finish area was nice using a big stadium providing ample parking and bathrooms. Course should have been marked better. Water stops spaced a bit better and maybe something memorial as the inaugural. You only get one time for the first. Make it worth it!