I really enjoy the new course. We all know it's going to be hot in the middle of July.... Is there a reason you can't put in a few more aid stations at the end of the race? The last 4 miles, we really need something every mile.

Way to go and a big thanks to the Locomotion Aid Station! They had cold sponges and COLD water(I think there was another one at 24 too)!

Also, where was the Gatorade that was supposed to be at every other aid station?

The police support was awesome, and as always, the aid support crews were great! We couldn't make it without those huge numbers of volunteers, and we really appreciate them and their words of encouragement as we run by!!

Please look into having more aid those last few miles!

Pros:
1. Good intersection control by the police.
2. Nice people and kids having fun at the water stops.
3. SLC is a nice town to visit.
4. About the first six miles are the only real fast miles of the course. The rest are give-backs in grade and hills. It's not a screaming fast course at all.

Cons:
1. No chip timing mats at start or on the course, so they're irrelevant. Saw a couple people taking advantage of this on the course.
2. There were hundreds of bicycle riders screaming around on the course taking advantage of the marathon closed course.
3. One set of lights at the starting area, so using the porta-potties was a joke.
4. Over a one-hour wait at the finish area for a bus back to the pick-up point.
5. Horrible race shirt, and the medal was mediocre at best. Don't think it even had a date on it.

Holding the race on Pioneer Day really did nothing to enhance the marathon experience. The businesses are generally closed and everybody is off work. Yes, there are a few people for the parade, but it's such a small part of the course that it doesn't really matter. Put the race on Saturday or Sunday like most marathons and dedicate the efforts toward the race and not the parade.

This is a 5:30-6 hour most marathon. If you are slow, this isn't going to work for you and it says so in the brochure. Expo has little to offer - no directions, no special care and a cotton shirt that doesn't even say "UTAH." Didn't know till I got to the mountain that you could have had check-in bag, although many said at the end that their stuff was not returned.

The start of race is at 5:30 a.m. down the mountain in the dark with corkscrew turns, with hills from about mile 4 to 7. Missed many mile markers in the dark and such. Hot water cups given out... ugh... on a 90+-degree day. If you don't make it in before the parade is over, you'll be going "against" all the paraders exiting "Pioneer Day." Streets were hot, muggy and sticky from all the foods at the parade... and directions were nonexistent at the end. One policeman sent me the wrong way.

The medal ceremony lacked pomp; we just lined up and they dispensed with the medals. Wonder if those who placed will be mailed their earned medals? I think this marathon needs a little TLC, especially if out-of -towners are willing to come spend money in the town
and enjoy Salt Lake City. Visit Temple Square - very peaceful and beautiful.

This was my 4th marathon and a prep trial for St. George in October. Easily the toughest and most disorganized race thus far. Despite starting purposefully slow(er) the first couple of miles and training on serious hills/declines for the last 6 months at an elevation over 6,500 feet, my legs were "traumatized" by the first 3.5 miles of this race - too steep to start a race, in my opinion. I believe we knocked off 1,600 feet in elevation by mile 4. The "old" course at least let you warm up going uphill the first couple of miles before hitting the steep declines. Not having any aid stations until mile 5 was not ideal either, due to the muggy/warm conditions in '07 (it was 82 degrees at Energy Solutions at 3:35 a.m.). As such, I developed slight cramps and tightening in my legs by mile 9 and things only got worse later when I hit the valley at 18. The last 6 miles were extremely tough and I didn't notice anyone else really finishing "strong." Tougher than advertised course for sure, can't imagine a PR here unless you ran the course regularly in training and got ideal weather conditions (highly likely in SLC in late July).

While the race did have some nice post-race food and medals as well as good traffic controls, it lacked organizationally too much for me to consider a return. A recap of these shortcomings:

1. They bumped the bus departure times by 30 minutes in the pre-race packet vs. the online stated times. Good thing I read this at 10 p.m. the night before the race, but getting up at 2:30 a.m. for a 3:15 bus departure seemed a bit much.

2. Often the aid stations that were stated to be at every odd mile beginning at 5 did not correlate with the mile markers. At some they were a third to half a mile further away.

3. WARM DRINKS (H20 AND POWERADE) + WARM/HUMID DAY = SUSTAINED VS. FLUCTUATING MISERY

4. One gel station, which was stated in the packet to appear at mile 19 and showed up around 16.5? No additional gels at 19.

5. WEAK CROWD = I thought the crowd along the parade route was a joke. I heard rarely a clap and no enthusiasm - and it wasn't like I was the last, finishing near the top 100 runners. The crowd was actually draining vs. motivating. Sparse, too-little crowd prior to the parade route at mile 24. Wow... disappointing.

6. Chip, but no chip time available?

7. The packet stated no aid stations before 5 (true) and none after 21 (false, actually an aid station around 23). Why would you not purposefully plan an aid station in the last 5 miles of race when you know the heat and suffering will be intense for most?

8. Online course maps for the marathon gave you no idea of the severity of the elevation drops and climbs; a detailed mile map with elevation chart would be helpful.

All in all, my evaluation is that there is a reason that this race tops off at around 700 participants and is the least popular in Utah out of the Top of Utah marathon, St. George Marathon, and Provo and Moab Half-Marathons.

Highly unlikely that I will be back....

The course is mostly downhill for the first 14 miles, with one notable uphill up to Little Mountain. The hardest part of the course has go to be the last few miles. There's no shade, it's through downtown SLC, and there's traffic and people everywhere. With the exhaust and the cigarette smokers, and heat, and the parade crowd - plus being tired - it was tough. I liked the finish line - nice grassy area to lie down in (and puke if necessary). Watch the parade, and go to the rodeo afterward. Good race overall; save something for the last few miles.

The Good: 1) The police support all along the way for traffic control and words of encouragement.
2) The great EMT's on bikes that let me use some tape at mile 7 who checked on me the rest of the way.
3) The parade crowd that cheered you on that last little bit.
4) Cool medal.

The Bad: 1) No chip timing at the top but giving out chips for racers to wear... WHAT??
2) The lame t-shirt. (Could have used that chip money here.) People that run marathons like running gear, so put that T shirt money into running gear.
3) The disorganization from pre- and post-race staff as well as the attitude you get when you ask questions at the end... like: Where in the heck are the shuttle buses????
4) Warm water and Gatorade at the stations. Ice is cheap - use it. Coolers will make it last awhile.
5) The road bike guys who fly by you at 50-plus MPH going downhill and about three inches away from you.

The Ugly: My feet.

Overall: Race was as advertised - easy at the top and your spent at the bottom. Hard on your feet and sticks. Very disorganized.

Having run 7 DNM races (6 of which were in the 1980's), I find this new course not as interesting. The old course had larger starting area (Washington Park), and we got to see some of the faster runners as they came down from the turn-around at about mile 4. Starting at Big Mountain is very steep, and takes its toll on the knees. It's also a little scary running downhill when it's so dark. Easy to twist an ankle. Uphill in the dark is easier. Temperatures were hot, but that's just what it is in July.

It was an awesome course, and the fans were great - I saw chalk writing the whole way down the canyon. The volunteers were not at their post every other mile, however, which was quite unfortunate.

The Des-News was my 9th marathon. I think this is the oldest running marathon in Utah. My understanding is they changed the course a little for 2006. I don't know what way it went in previous years, but in 2006 the 1st part down the canyon is the same as always on the historic Donner/Mormon Trail route. At the zoo you turn south through the Bonneville Golf Course, then stay on Wasatch Dr. SB. At Thunderbird Dr. (2300 S.) you turn east and head to Foothill Dr. (SR-186). The NB right-hand lane was blocked for runners on SR-186, and the traffic control was really good. You pass Rice-Eccles Stadium and take a right at 1300 East, then left at South Temple on downtown to the parade route, and finish in Liberty Park.

I really liked the course; it's not the easiest course, but it's not the hardest either. The only bad part about it was that it was too hot, way too hot. There were some runners that got in some serious medical trouble with the heat. The traffic was a little annoying on Foothill as well.

They had decent refreshments at the finish - popsicles, Gatorade, bagels, bananas - and they had live music and a climbing wall for the kids. The T-shirt says Historic Route and has a picture of a skull of a dead ox, which was kind of how I felt at the end. I almost had to spend some time in the medical tent because I had a little heat exhaustion. The medal was pretty standard-issue, but a good addition to my collection.

I would run it again. I like the course better than the Salt Lake City Marathon. If I was going to choose a marathon in Salt Lake City, I would choose this one. It's small, runs a good course, and you can watch the parade and rodeo afterwards and celebrate Pioneer Day.

COURSE: Potential to be the fastest course you've ever run, but only with months of downhill training. Most will find it to be a quad killer. Close to 3400 feet of elevation drop. The last major hill at about 18 miles was removed this year. From 0 to 5+ miles there was a steep descent, 5+ to about 9 have the toughest uphills (including a 1-1/8th mile hill), 9 to 18 are downhill (with a short steep hill around 18) and 18 to 26 are mostly flat with some light rolling declines.

ORGANIZATION: Most of the prev. problems were corrected this year. Plenty of buses. Started on time. Could have used more porta-potties at the start. Course well marked.

SPECTATORS: Few spectators for the first 18, with a lot the last mile.

PERSPECTIVE: Have run 20+ marathons & ultras, placed in my age group, but slowed drastically at 18 miles. Even so, I loved this race and want to try again with more downhill training.