In the last couple years I have run Barcelona, Vienna and Milan. The race organization was just a good if not better as these big city races. Great variety of water, sports drinks, fruit and GU at the stops. Loved the stops at mile 25,24 & 23 as I tend to get a bit dehydrated at the end.

You substitute great scenery for city crowds for the first 20 miles of the race but it was a nice change of pace. I trained in the Middle East but altitude not much of a factor since I recorded a Marathon PB.

This is probably the best small Marathon going and an excellent Boston Qualifier.

This was my third year to run the Utah Valley Marathon. Each year they continue to find ways to iron out any problems and add things to make it better.

The scenery was terrific this year, thanks to more rain than usual this spring, making everything very green. The lush green color was offset by the ample snow still covering the large mountains. The waterfalls in the canyon are plentiful and attractive. The scenery makes for a very pleasant run.

One downside of the course is that there is quite a bit of traffic in the canyon which is noisy. Runners have their own sectioned-off lane with lots of room, but I don't care at all for the fast, noisy traffic several feet away froom me. Perhaps they could have us run on the Provo River Trailway through part of the canyon  that would get us off the road and into a more pleasant environment.

No complaints at all about the organization. Everything went just as it should. The volunteers were outstanding and deserve a major pat on the back. The race organizers deserve praise for the way they've developed this race.

I had a great experience with this marathon. This is my 3rd marathon, however I have run several half marathons and have traveled across the country with running companions who have run other marathons. The organization of this race was nearly flawless. I live in Provo and realized I'd forgotten how spectacular Provo Canyon is. There are enough hills to make it challenging but it is still a fairly fast course. I only have two suggestions to make this race better. I loved the new ending location but I suggest the post-race area for runners be moved to the grass so runners have a chance to sit down while they eat and re-group. Finally, I HATE unisex shirts. This is an annoying new trend in races and I hope Utah Valley will reconsider this choice for future races.

This was my first marathon, and I loved every mile of it! Sure, I have only run one marathon, but the couple of half marathons I have run were not nearly as organized and gorgeous as this one.

Expo: The expo was great! For a smaller race, there were great speakers like Bill Pierce, co-author of 'Run Less, Run Faster,' lots of vendors and short lines for the bib/packet pickup.

The start: It was a little chilly, but there were lots of fires to keep us warm. Porto potties, water, powerade and first-aid stuff were well-stocked. The gun went off exactly on time, and very quickly (no speeches, anthems, etc., not that those are terrible things).

Scenery and Grade: The run itself was breathtaking because of the scenery. The first 7 miles heading out of Wallsburg were mostly downhill or flat. As soon as we hit the highway, there was a bit of a climb near Deer Creak and then some rolling hills throughout the rest of the canyon, but still mostly downhill. I personally liked the rolling hills since they gave different muscles a break.

Aid Stations: There were aid stations at every other mile after mile 3, and then one at the concluding miles. The volunteers were friendly, helpful and energetic! The porto potty situation that seemed to plague previous years was definitely not a problem this year. The porto potty lines at miles 3 and 5 were a little long just because it was early on in the race, but other than that, there were no lines, and there were 3-5 porto potties at each aid station. GU Gels (my fave), water, powerade, and later oranges, otter pops and bananas a-plenty!

Spectators: There weren't a whole lot of spectators throughout the canyon, but the scenery made up for it (some people have mentioned this already). There was a great turn out at the finish line.

Other perks: The sprayers at the ending miles were PERFECT! Lots of food at the finish line, there seemed to be enough space for everyone. I honestly don't know about parking since I live about 4 blocks from the start, and I just walked home, but I didn't hear any other runners complain about parking.

Overall, I think this is a great marathon for first-timers and just a wonderful race in general, especially for a price of $65. Thank you so much UVM!!

The organizers of this marathon nailed it this year. This is a seriously well run marathon. The course is spectacular. I would especially recommend this course for a first time marathoner. Also, kudos to the volunteers.

Provo Marathon was my 50th marathon, and easily one of the most beautiful courses I've ever run. It is simply an amazing race. The view will have you smiling your way through 26 miles ! That being said, I have a few 'minor' suggestions for the race organizers:

1. The expo and packet pickup was a nightmare. It took over an hour to get my number and shirt. The line moved at a snail pace. I noticed this same complaint in reviews of 2009 and 2010. Hope you get it straight by 2012.

2. HUGE disappointment in the photographers! I literally ran through 26 miles of jaw-dropping beauty and saw two race photographers, one in downtown Provo ( the background - a bank!). And one at the finish line. Really ?!?! I've run boring drap races and ended up with 40 pictures of me running yet in what is easily the most beautiful course I've seen, a HUGE lack of cameramen! Thumbs down on this!

Still the race is great. The people of Provo are wonderful. The support is outstanding. It really should be a 'Don't Miss' Marathon.

This was my first marathon, have since run 2 more, and I'm about to do another this weekend. The course overall was great. The uphill portion at mile 6-9 was not overly taxing on a native flatlander such as myself. The downhills more than made up for them. Traffic on the valley road was hardly noticed, and once you got into town the traffic control was great. Yes, my bus got lost too, which had us nervous; but fortunately we were early enough that it didn't matter. I will agree on the comments/complaints about the start and finish areas; they do need work. Also, double the porta-johns at the aid stations; I didn't want to sacrifice time and wait either. Finally I caved in at mile 25 when I saw one that wasn't occupied. Great race overall - just needs some tweaking. I plan on returning in 2012 to make it my Boston Qualifier!

I have no idea what people are complaining about. I felt this was a very organized race that in a few years has grown up to be a very well run race. Each year there are like 5 times as many runners as the year before. It can't be that bad if it keeps growing as fast as it does.

The course is extremely fast, and this is I think the only marathon in the country with a Boston Qualifier rewards program.

Pros: fast, downhill course. Caveat: we got lucky with the drizzly, cool weather. This could have easily been 20 degrees warmer.
Cons: overcrowded, disorganized start (porta-potties in the starting corral?).

Terrible post-race area: food was pizza and french fries. They were out of chocolate milk; all of it was given to half -marathoners. No shirts, but waiting in line for shirts after a marathon is not great idea. Cheap, generic medal.

This marathon overall provided a wonderful experience. The following are intended to be comments and suggestions (not criticisms) for future participants and the race directors.

Course:
Beautiful course. Yes, I heard the traffic in the canyon between miles 6 and 19, but it did not take away from the experience. I also very much enjoyed the design of the last 6-7 miles straight down N. University.
Course Suggestions:
1) Create a new starting point for the race. It has now grown to be too large to start at this specific place; getting the buses there in time is tough and it will only be harder in 2011.
2) Do not change the finish location at Provo Towne Centre Mall. Obviously it is not as scenic as finishing at a park. However, it is very rare at marathons/ultras to have the luxury to be able to drive a car and park it early in the morning and only walk about two minutes to catch a bus and then walk across a parking lot for only another few minutes after finishing to get to your car (as opposed to public transportation or race shuttles). There is nowhere else in Provo to be able to manage this many cars/people.

Volunteers/Spectators:
Not many spectators between miles 1-19 until leaving the canyon. The ones on N. Unversity were very supportive. A big thank you to the volunteers. They stood in the rain and wind for hours and completely supported the race participants with dedication and a good attitude. All of the aid stations were well staffed. I am very grateful.
Volunteer Suggestion:
1) Be prepared with extra staff/fluids for a hotter day in 2011 and increased need/demand for fluids compared to 2010. This will almost certainly happen.

Organization:
The race grew between 2009 and 2010 at a pace that even surprised the race directors. They were caught off-guard a little bit and this led to a few "growing pains," which they had not completely predicted. However, this is to be expected. Overall, the marathon was well organized.
Organization Suggestions:
1) Mandate that everyone takes a bus to the starting line. No private cars. The race is too big for private cars with one or two participants in them. This held up the buses and contributed to runners starting late.
2) Start the race on time - no matter what. A late start has implications on hotel check-out later on, course closure times, police, etc.
3) Porta-potties: Move them away from the starting line. It caused a true obstacle at the start. Also, have more than one at each aid station.
4) Consider changing the date to the first weekend of June (see average temperature data by National Weather Service).
5) T-shirt: Only 500 made it to the race in time. This meant most finishers did not receive one on June 12th. The t-shirt is important for many of us. It was paid for with the entry fee (i.e. nowhere does the word "finisher" appear on the shirt). Pass it out at packet pick-up - not at the finish line. It is not welcome to stand in a line for this during recovery time after finishing.

Summary:
I have been lucky enough to run marathons and ultra-marathons on three different continents in the world. This is a great race. The race organizers took no salary for all of their time. They are extremely honest people with high integrity and they support a wonderful cause. They will no doubt learn from everyone's suggestions. They and the volunteers deserve a huge thank you for a great job. This race will be sold out in 2011.