With the exception of a brief downhill stretch at the start and an uphill as runners make their way to the finish line, Somerton’s Yuma Territorial Marathon & Half Marathon features a mostly long, flat straightaway out-and-back course along the shoulder of Arizona Highway 95, from the casino resort at the Cocopah Indian Reservation out through Somerton and back. The half marathon takes runners from the Cocopah Resort south and then west along Highway 95 to the turnaround point just past Lakin Drive; from there, those running the half then head back along 95 to the finish line back at the resort, while those running the full marathon continue on along 95 down to the full turnaround near Gadsden Estates. Runners in both races will see some of the southwestern desert’s most starkly beautiful scenery, with its wide-open spaces and desert resorts.