The Ogden marathon has the potential to become a destination marathon simply because of the wonderful course. The gentle downhill lends itself to a fairly fast, relatively easy course.

I was disappointed in the awards. No money was spent to reward overall winners. The overall male received the same shirt certificate as did any one of the age group placers. I placed third overall and got more for my efforts a few weeks later for placing third in a local 5K race. That is definitely not my motivation for running a marathon (how dumb would that be?), but where's the love?!

The course is wonderful and those who choose to run the marathon are especially friendly. Well-organized for its size. Plenty of Powerade at each of the aid stations, which are well-placed and easy to anticipate. The volunteers are wonderful. It's mostly a gentle down or flat course. There's one hill at about mile 14 that's about a half-mile long, and one sharp downhill as you drop down past the spillway of the dam, but other than that it's pretty easy. The scenery is splendid. Dress for inclement weather; you can expect some along the way. This year there was some rain and hail. Last year it was wind. I think it just adds to the experience.

Organization seemed intent on garnishing sponsor dollars rather than pampering the marathoner. Also did not like the relay marathon on the same course. Start and finish areas deficient of what runners need. Not enough potties at start or on the course. I WON'T waste my time and money on this marathon next year.

I ran this race because of the favorable reviews I read at this site, and I can confirm that this is an exceptionally nice and relatively easy (well, you still have to run 26.2 miles) marathon. For the first 18 miles you run through Ogden Valley, a rural area with campgrounds, horse farms, a big reservoir lake, and two small towns; around the valley are snow-capped mountains. Mile 18 through 22.5 covers scenic Ogden Canyon, which is even prettier (with a waterfall at the end!). The last few miles are on a bike path next to a creek (though I think they call it a river) and finally down a pleasant street to a park in the middle of town.

The course starts at 5200 feet and finishes at 4300. There are a few gradual uphill sections, but nothing steep.

This year the weather was somewhat unpleasant -- it varied between mist, drizzle, and light hail, with occasional periods of calm. You can't fault the race officials for the weather, though -- every marathon has bad weather days (just look at this year's Boston!).

I'd run one other marathon where relay teams were allowed. Didn't like it. Didn't like this one either for the same reason. I don't care for the relay runners (faster) running me down when I'm fatigued. Don't care for the confusion and clutter they cause at the exchange points either. Ogden has a great course. So-so organization. They needed more porta-pots at the starting area. I think I'll look for a different spring marathon for '05.

The previous comment says it all. This marathon went as smooth as possible - the organization thought of everything. The scenery along this course is as beautiful as Big Sur, Lake Tahoe and all the others I've run. Definitely a PR course if you can keep your eyes off the scenery. Thanks very much to Bryan Green and his group for a terrific experience.

This was my first marathon, and I plan on running it again. The people are VERY friendly. Plenty of water/port-a-johns along the way. Beautiful scenery, and downhill most of the way. They could post information on the website further in advance is my ONLY complaint.

The course is very beautiful and scenic. Only one hill to speak of, and the downhill is pretty gentle on the legs (not steep). If you want lots of people cheering for you while you run, don't do this marathon. It's in a rural setting with far more cows and horses watching you than people. But the scenery is really spectacular, the organization is good, and makes for an overall nice time. With about 1,000 runners, there was always someone to run with and visit with. The rain and hail was no fun, but the trade-off was cool temperatures that made the run more comfortable. Overall, a good marathon event with no real negatives.

Good coordination for the start. Beautiful course. Fans were nice, but really spread out due to the country course setting. The expo was downright embarassing. Need more goodies there for sure. The finish table of replenishing snacks was hardly replenishing. I remember some anemic oranges and bananas, and not much else. That was really disappointing. There was ONE station on the course that offered Clif Shots (there needed to be more). This station was after mile 20. No good.

Anyway, I love the area and the course was beautiful. I thought that the Top of Utah Marathon was better. More importantly, the new SLC Marathon was a stunning success. That may be why the Ogden race paled in comparison...

I didn't like the relay runners clogging the race course. There weren't enough toilets at the start. Finish area was pretty good. Course had significantly more uphill than advertised.