THE GOLD WAVE
500 men. 500 Women.
The deepest, fastest amateur marathon in America.
8:40am | 12.20.25
Gold Wave Participants Receive:
- Flat, fast criterium style course
- Great weather (average high of 68 and low of 45)
- Pace groups (in ten-minute increments as necessary from 2:20:00 and above)
- Indoor warmup area
- No long bathroom lines
- No hour-long ride to the start
- Start/Finish in the same spot
- Bag drop-off at the start
- Bag pick-up at the finish
- Opportunity to line up just 15 minutes before the start
- Plenty of room to run
- Two fluid stations per loop
- Family/friends can see you up to 12 times in one spot
- Best swag bag in the business!
Scroll down for full registration process details ⬇
Registration Process:
The Marathon Project Gold Wave will consist of just 1,000 total participants. Athletes of all ages and abilities are encouraged to register. The top 500 men and top 500 women (and non-binary) as determined by verified entry time (marathon or half marathon since January 1, 2021) will be accepted into the race.
December 18, 2024 - Registration Opens. All entrants who have run under 2:45:00 (men) or under 3:10:00 (women or non-binary) for the marathon or under 1:17:30 (men) or under 1:30:00 (women or non-binary) in the half marathon since January 1, 2021 will receive automatic entry and will be charged the race entry fee ($500) as soon as entry times have been verified by race organizers. All other entrants will be placed into a descending order list based on marathon time (or half marathon equivalent based on current World Athletics scoring tables).
*Please note that the automatic standards are not required to be accepted into the race. Anyone who is interested in competing is encouraged to apply.
December 18, 2024 - March 30, 2025 - Initial registration remains open. Interested participants may register at any time and update their credentials as necessary based on new results. It is highly recommended that athletes register during this period as there is no guarantee spots will be available after March 30.
April 1, 2025 - Initial accepted entries list will be released. All accepted entries will be notified via email before the list is made public. Note that the initial list may not include all 1,000 total entries as race organizers reserve the right to accept participants at their discretion and may add entrants as necessary at any time based on credentials.
April 2 - August 30th, 2025 - Should spots remain open, there will be a second wave of registration available during this time where applicants will be accepted or not on a rolling basis. Again, it is recommended that interested participants register during the first wave to increase their chances of acceptance. There is NO GUARANTEE that any spots will be available beyond April 1, 2025.
September 1, 2025 - Final accepted entry lists will be released. The only entry exceptions beyond this date will be reserved for special circumstances.
FAQ
Why is the entry fee $500?
At The Marathon Project, everyone is a VIP! We understand the desire for athletes of all ability levels to set a PR and we aim to provide all of our participants with that opportunity. Limited fields, indoor warmup areas, pace groups, personal fluids and more provide every Gold Wave competitor with the professional athlete experience. There is a cost to provide all of those things, but we take our responsibility very seriously to make our race worth not only your entry fee, but also all of the hard work you put into training.
Why is the race limited to 1,000 people?
The Marathon Project is a premier event designed to give each participant the best possible chance to set a PR. As such, we need to give you room to run. The limited field allows for this. Also, our criterium-style course features six loops which means late in the race there will be some lapping. We need to keep that to a minimum for both those doing the lapping and those being lapped.
Why are there no age-group awards?
The Marathon Project is not an age-group race. It is an open race with entries based purely on time. As such, awards will be given out to the top 25 men, top 25 women, and top 5 non-binary finishers regardless of age.
What is Wild Horse Pass?
Wild Horse Pass is one of Arizona’s premier tourist destinations. Located on the ancient Tribal lands of the Gila River Indian Community, the resort features the Aji Spa, the Kai Restaurant, the Whirlwind Golf Club, the Koli Equestrian Center, the Sheraton Grand and the Gila River Resorts and Casino. For more click HERE.