TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Garmin Marathon returned to the streets of downtown Tucson Sunday, drawing thousands of runners for a race that wound through the heart of the city — from anxious first-timers to seasoned competitors, each chasing the finish line in their own way.
For Ruben Britt, months of early mornings and late-night runs had all been pointing to this day. At the starting line, he was not trying to contain it.
"I'm fired up, man!" Britt said. "I'm happy to actually run after all the training."
As the crowd filled in and the energy on the course built, Britt said the atmosphere only pushed him further.
"I'm excited, a little anxious, a little nervous, but that's good stuff. And yeah, it's just like the energy here is like unlike any other. So we're ready to rock," Britt said.
For Kyla Marcelin, a first-time marathon runner, the lead-up to race day came with real doubt. She said she worried that her pace would work against her.
"I was really nervous because I felt like I wasn't fast enough because I'm not a fast runner. But as I've trained more and just like sat in the fact that this is just going to be a lot of fun, I've been feeling a lot better," she said.
Running a marathon had always been on Marcelin's, and she made sure her family was there for race day — tracking them down on the course so their energy could carry her forward.
"It feels really good. I did have to hunt them down because I was like, 'I need their energy,' and I'm feeling really good seeing them," said Marcelin.
Friends and family lined the course from start to finish, helping runners push through the difficult miles. At the finish line, the effort gave way to relief.
"My knees hurt, my chest hurts but I feel so accomplished," runner Kendra Maxwell said.
"You got your friends here and family here to help you finish strong," said runner Donterrio Davis.
After thousands of steps through the streets of Tucson, two runners crossed the finish line first. Ivan Estrella won the men's division, and he summed up the path to the top in straightforward terms.
"Just be consistent with your work. Consistency in that everyday grind. That's how I got here," Estrella said.
Libby Nisbet took first place in the women's division and said the support around her made all the difference on a day that came down to pushing through.
"I was really just trying to finish. But I had a lot of support here and my whole family came to support. So they really carried me through."
While this race is over, Nisbet is planning on running for the Boston Marathon now that she's qualified. It's been a long road to the Garmin marathon, and the community has worked hard, and crossed the finish line together.
"I do this because I want to push myself," Nisbet said. "So when you get to the really hard parts, that's when you say, okay, this is what I'm here for. This is the point. That's when you try to push yourself and see what you've got, see what you're made of."
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JJ McKinney joined KGUN 9 in July of 2025 as a multimedia journalist. He graduated from Colorado State University in May of 2025 with a degree in journalism and media communications and a minor in law. With a background in investigative reporting and documentary filmmaking, JJ is dedicated to giving a platform to the voices of his community. Share your story ideas and important issues with JJ by emailing jj.mckinney@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
