#47 • NEW MEXICO • ALBUQUERQUE
Duke Marathon Race Review (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
Time of Year: October 2025
Race Cost: $140 (with T-shirt) – registered in May 2025
Weather & Temperature: sunny, LOWS – mid 40s, HIGHS – low 70s
Hotel Information
Andaluz Albuquerque Hilton
125 2nd St NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102
Classic hotel with pretty lobby that includes a restaurant and bar. Fitness center across the street. Basic room with carpeted floors, closed windows, and central A/C unit. Good walls that prevented outside noise. The air vent in room couldn’t be turned off or changed.
* No parking / valet is $24 a day
* Distance from Expo: 400 meters
* Distance from bus pick up/finish of marathon: 400 meters (2 blocks)
* Hotel provides a shuttle to the airport
Other Hotel Options: DoubleTree (host hotel)
Expo Information
Albuquerque Convention Center
401 2nd St NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102
Features:
* Packet pick-up
* a dozen vendors
20 minutes to collect packet & visit vendors
Race Day Information
Sunday, October 19, 2025
Weather & Temperature:
* Start: 48°F
* Finish: low 60°s
* blue sky, no clouds
7:00am start @ Albuquerque Convention Center (7:15am start for half-marathon)
* climate controlled area available for stretching and any pre-race preparation
* indoor restrooms
* did not see a gear check or hear that there was one available
* crowd was laidback and made it easy to get to the start corral
* starting line was 200 feet from the start
Course Information
Miles 0-13
The race started before the sun was visible and so you are able to run the first six miles without direct sunlight. You start at the Convention Center and proceed down Central Avenue (Route 66). Then you proceed down the Paseo del Bosque bicycle trail that runs next to the Rio Grande River. From mile 6-10 there was enough shade on the bicycle trail that most of the time you were not exposed to sun until the sun rose from behind the Sandia mountains. After mile 10 most of the course was in direct sunlight with little tree cover or other shaded areas. You continue running on this bicycle trail for the first 13 miles.
Miles 13-26
The race then takes you into the city where you run Los Rancho de Albuquerque neighborhood – a gentrified area of the city. You proceed back to the bicycle path for miles 18-21, before detouring back into the city to run through Old Town. Around mile 24, there was an awkward part of the route where you did a loop that took you on Tingley Drive and then around Rio Grande Park. This section was confusing and even some of the volunteer staff mis-directed a few of the marathoners back onto the loop instead of pointing them back to Central Avenue to finish the last mile and a half of the race.
Final stats
The Race Finish was located at Civic Plaza, next to the Convention Center. The finish was completely open which was nice – only a small finisher shoot was segregated. Everything was close and easy to access. There was plentiful seating in shaded areas in the Civic Plaza or you could go inside to the Convention Center if you wanted a climate controlled area.
The post-race party was at Civic Plaza included snacks and a few vendors. Sorry, no free beer. They used the Convention Center next door for restrooms, shade, and parking.
Overall Review
Overall the race was a medium-sized race – 513 people for the full marathon. I personally prefer courses in nature so the portion of the race that followed the River was great. However, part of the bicycle path was was next to a two lane road where traffic was still going. Additionally, this part of the race through the the Los Rancho de Albuquerque neighborhood was mediocre since you were essentially running in a gentrified neighborhood without much to see. Old Town was fun to run through but it was short and not worth the multi-mile route through random suburbia.
Out & About
Places I visited around town
…or wanted to but ran out of time!
What restaurant will help me carbo-load the night before the race?
* Farina Pizzeria and Wine Bar
* Grove Café
* Sawmill Market
* Flying Star
What grocery stores are in the area?
* Silver Street Market
* Be aware – many homeless in area
* 200m from Andaluz Albuquerque Hilton hotel
* Water; Energy drinks; Bananas; Oranges; Bread; Chocolate
What other restaurants are in the race area?
* Il Localetto Rossi (Italian)
* M’Tuccis Bar Roma (Italian)
* Curious Toast
* 66 Diner
* Mesa Provisions
* Antiquity Restaurant
* Char
* DWNTNR
Where can I celebrate finishing the marathon with a drink?
* Marble Brewery
* Gravity Bound Brewery
* Sidetrack Brewing
* Ex Novo Brewery
* Thirsty Eye
* Red Door Brewing Co