IMS Arizona Half Marathon – Ugly, Meet Boring

The IMS Arizona Half Marathon is a combination of extreme ugly meeting really boring with a tad of super unsafe thrown in for good measure.  This post is going to be quite short because I don’t have much to say about it other than, is flat and fast.  And that it looks like it no longer exists and that I’m shocked (sarcasm).

Staircase From Heaven

Race #25.  This isn’t statistically relevant and I know I am very geographically biased but take a glance at the race map.  Doesn’t it look like a staircase down and to the right?  Yes.  This race ends at the “The Big Toaster” in Glendale, AZ.  The stadium’s official name is University of Phoenix Stadium and it is supposed to look like a barrel cactus and a coiled snake.  Why would you want to make the stadium look like “the surrounding area” if the surrounding area is ugly?  Don’t know.

The exterior of the stadium is comprised of metal panel and glass in a form resembling both a barrel cactus and a coiled snake – two shapes very true to the stadium’s desert surroundings.

All that said I think it looks a lot more like a big toaster.  This area is also offensively hot.  I prefer Chris Berman’s naming far better than the official name.  I personally think the name fits the stadium and the area far better.

ESPN’s Chris Berman calls it “The Big Toaster.” Others say it looks like a spaceship. Cardinals fans are just happy that University of Phoenix Stadium offers air conditioning and a closed roof (if the team chooses), unlike the glory days at the old Sun Devil Stadium.

The Race

I remember the race.  Vaguely.  The race was hot, dusty, boring, and frankly dangerous.  We simply ran down the sides of roads as traffic whizzed by.  Glad to have this one in the books.  Goodbye Glendale, may our paths never cross again.