Complex sentence: Runners ran on the General Hitchcock Scenic Byway and started the race surrounded by cacti near the floor of the Sonoran Desert, and as they climbed the mountain, runners transitioned into lush pine forests near the top of the mountain at over above sea level.
Split into simpler sentences: Runners ran on the General Hitchcock Scenic Byway and started the race surrounded by cacti near the floor of the Sonoran Desert. As they climbed the mountain, runners transitioned into lush pine forests near the top of the mountain at over above sea level.