I did this race for the first time in 2005; I was able to get a cheap direct flight from the NYC area, which made the travel feasible. I will list my pros and cons.

Pros:
1) Fantastic scenery for the first 16 miles of the race; running down and up a mountain was something I have never done in a marathon before.

2) Running along the parade route I also thought was uplifting.

3) The race is on a Monday and also in the summer, which may be beneficial to some.

4) Cooler temperatures at the start helped for part of the race.

Cons:
1) It took awhile for the buses to get to the hotel or parking after the race was over.

2) Race packet was at the start as I did not go to the expo, but we did not know that until the night before in the official race hotel.

3) There could have been food along the course and perhaps a little more Gatorade, but overall it the rest stops were OK. However it always helps to bring some liquids.

4) The 15-minute delay at the start just meant running more in the heat later on. I think even a 5 AM start would have been better than the scheduled 5:30 AM.

5) Others may not agree, but I think the race should have been MORE on the parade route at the end, as the last mile was a little confusing.

6) I could not train on mountains or in altitude and these are a factor in this race so they could impact performance.

If you are looking for a marathon with a local race feel that is a different and can deal with the above cons, it is a worthwhile race to consider. I have no regrets.

Spectacular starting line scenery and a beautiful descent through the canyon compensate for the flat, unshaded, and wearying second half. It?s fun to make the transition from wilderness to Center City. Yes, there?s room for improvement ? it took lots of digging to find out that packets could be picked up the day before the race, and there seemed to be two ?official? websites ? one of which was maddeningly out of date. Just remember that despite the big-city trappings this is a smaller marathon, with a few quirks, and you?ll have fun.

Bob Wood is a great guy. He works SO hard to put this on. I admire him a lot and appreciate his generosity.
They had GREAT food at the end!

I have run this marathon three years in a row, and noticed that the 2004 race had some 'issues.' Thinking the organizers would learn from the 2004 experience, I signed up again for 2005. Imagine my frustration as I had to run down the same two 'out and back' areas, up by the zoo and Research Park, and then finding yet another as we came down the canyon. At least they were on the map this year. Surely in a city as large as Salt Lake, we could find a course that we don't have to run out and back.

The rest stops were inadequate for the hot weather, and the cups of water were as small as the little Dixie cups we used to have in our bathroom. This one was a bad experience for me, getting my slowest time in the 13 marathons I have run in the past three years. I was trying to drink 3 cups at each rest stop, but with only 1 inch of water in the cup, that's not enough. I finally stopped at mile 23 and drank 12 of the fullest cups I could find, then felt a little better. Another six cups at the last one; I think not enough water and Gatorade was a lot of my problem.

The marathon started late, due to buses not getting there on time, making the end time later and hotter. There was no starting time from the chip, so everyone had time added to their overall time. The rest rooms along the course were inadequate since there was only one at each spot, and I lost 10 minutes waiting in the bathroom line. I did appreciate the spectators offering encouragement, and especially my new friend in the canyon who stood outside her house and handed me a large cup of water just to be nice. Other runners were also encouraging, especially those who encouraged me when I was leaning over a garbage can on 13th east. I ran the Park City Marathon in June as part of the Utah Grand Slam, and if there was ever a model of perfect organization that would have been the one.

This was my 41st marathon so I have plenty to compare it with. Take notes from Casper and Ft. Collins on organization. Saturday expo with a Monday race. Most of us out-of-towners thought we had to be there on Sat. to get our numbers only to find out they were available on Sun and at the start. Cost an extra day of motels and meals. Website did not mention a bag drop at the start. Nowhere on the shirt or medal do the words Salt Lake City appear. The website did not mention that there was no chip mat at the start. I lined up way back and it cost me 2 or 3 min on my time. Water stops every 3 miles is insufficient for a race in hot weather. I had an afternoon flight out and panicked at the end when the return buses did not arrive. Fortunately I caught a ride at the last minute back to the motel with a friend. Salt Lake City is really a great city but this race is not a good indicator. Better luck next year. I won't be here.

This was my 4th marathon, 3rd in the state of Utah. Others were in smaller towns, so I expected more from the race directors of SLC. We arrived at the Delta Center at 3:45 thinking we would get one of the last buses to leave to the start so we didn't have to stand out in the cold to long. Then we were informed at 5:15 that we had to wait for 3 more buses. So in a sense, we hade to run an additional 20 mins in the hot sun. At the start of the race, we were informed that there were no timing chip mats at the start, only at the finish. Also during the race, when we had out-and-back streets to run, we saw several people cut across the street, saving several miles. GU at mile 16, 18, or 20. Wouldn't do you much good at that point in the race. There was a clock set up at the half way point, but didn't work. Last couple miles on concrete, made all the downhill running hurt even worse. Could be a really good marathon and I hate to sound to negative. Thanks to all the people that volunteered their time at the aid stations. And a special thanks for the people who gave fruit baskets to the tired runners; I am aware it was of their own doing, and from their own pockets. For $50 there ought to be better support.

First of all, the people/spectators are great. However, you do not see them until after mile 16.

The course was very challenging. As you read in the other comments, the long descent at the beginning and the few ascents later in the race are quad-killers, and a little tough on the calves. The turnarounds were no fun, though.

Unfortunately, the poorest mark goes to organization. There should have been info in the brochure or elsewhere about being able to pick up the bib and chip on the morning of the race. It would have saved on an extra two-night stay since there was an off day on Sunday. There also should have been some info about gear transportation from start to finish. Then there was the delay of the start due to untimely buses. Same discomfort happened for the return trip after the race.

Most disappointing was the cheap t-shirt and medal. The medal should state the date and location. Everyone else I show this medal will have no clue what or where the Deseret Morning News Marathon was.

This was my first marathon, and to say the least my quads are trashed. The hill on mile six took a lot out of me but I managed to run the entire race non-stop. The Gu could have come a little sooner than marker number 16 but my friends, the Kennedys, helped me out with a boost. I look forward to running Memphis next year. Great race, great people.

What a race. The elevation guide is accurate - it is downhill for the first 6 miles (then uphill for a mile and a half, then down...).

The organization seems young; in other words, they missed little but important details. They do break a few cardinal rules of the marathon. Have enough fluids at every station plus 10%. Have the return to parking lots as efficient as possible, leaving a good feeling in the mind of each finisher. These were some of the weaknesses. The weather is a challenge, and there is no way to get around the heat in July in Utah or anywhere in the West. That is why there are not many races in the West after mid-June. But, the people of Salt Lake are wonderful; skip the parade area and find roads that are not concrete and you will have a great race.

Personally, I PR'd this race by :34 minutes so I would say it was a good race just lacking some details.

If you like a hard downhill race, then this is the course for you.

The race started late, which made it more difficult at the end when the sun was out in full force. It was quite hot from the beginning (5:30am).

If you need fuel while you run, you need to bring your own - gels were given out at one aid station.