The new course came to be out of a necessity -- due to roadwork on Interstate 10 in West El Paso and security concerns at Fort Bliss, the marathon needed a new home.
The marathon directors took advantage of this situation to develop a new course that promises to be picturesque, fast and fun. It will give runners a Boston-qualifier route with a net downhill of 261 feet, panoramic vistas of two countries and a first-hand look at landmarks of the largest border metroplex in the world.
Starting at the east El Paso campus of the The Hospitals of Providence, the course will head east on Tierra Cortez Avenue, letting runners enjoy sunrise over the New York Mountains to the southeast, Hueco Mountain to the northeast, and miles of rugged desert for as far as the eye can see. Then, they will loop around on residential streets and do a quick turnaround to Edgemere, and begin heading west toward the city's center. From there, they will have the sun at their backs and a panoramic view of the city center ahead.
To the west, runners will have a head-on view of the Franklin Mountains, which cut the city in half, and the Juarez Mountains in Mexico to the south. The mountains will provide a perfect frame as the sun's first rays arrive over two countries and the runners begin a long, gradual descent toward Downtown.
The course will go by Fort Bliss' southern flank as well as various parks, three high schools, St. Anthony's Seminary, the Five Points neighborhood, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the International Museum of Art and the Rio Grande campus of El Paso Community College campus before reaching Downtown.  Finally, runners will take a victory lap -- the last 1/4 mile -- around the perimeter of Southwest University Ballpark, home of El Paso's AAA baseball team, the Chihuahuas.
 
Elevation Drop:  El Paso Marathon will have a net elevation drop of 261 feet, making for a fast course to attract more runners hoping to qualify for the prestigious Boston Marathon.