My 9th marathon but first Desert News. There were pros and cons to the course. The cons - way too fast of a decline and the route was nowhere near the parade. The pros - plenty of spots for friends and family to cheer you on.

Yes the shirt was ugly and the medallion was uber cheesey. Not to sound 'unpatriotic', but the typical red/white/blue striped ribbon holding a flakey gold thing reminded me of the awards you see for some kids soccer league. But even with all that I rather enjoyed the race and I'll be out there again next year cussin' as I head up to Hogle Zoo with a 20 mph headwind.

I ran the race because I thought it would be the last Deseret News race. I wished the course had not been changed and the steep hill by the hospital was rough at the end of the race. I would have much rather made the loop on big mountain in the old course than have such a steep hill near the end. Weather got hot, but who can control that? I think these challenges are part of a marathon, I liked the challenge. Lets keep a Deseret News Marathon on July 24. For me, it has been something to look forward to for the past 20-plus years. I'm glad you are planning another race, I'll see you there. By the way, thanks for all the hard work you do. And thanks to all the volunteers for being there to help--we need you!

This was a good first marathon. The scenery was outstanding. The people who gathered around the course were the best. I can't thank them enough for cheering the runners on. I wonder if I could of done it without them. Overall, it was great.

The only negative things I can say about it were how the raced ended and the fact that I was listed as a female racer. With all due respect to all the female runners out there, I was unable to proudly show my friends and co-workers the paper listing the final results.

All in all, it has done nothing to discourage me from running in another race.

This was my first marathon and I decided that I was going to enjoy every minute of it. I had a great experience! I believe that life is what you make of it. So enjoy...

I was intimidated by the hills; however, intense training paid off. I recommend this marathon to anyone up for a challenge.

This was the most poorly organized race in which I have ever participated. The packet pick-up was a mess - I should of seen the warning signs.

Unless you finished the race in less than 3 1/2 hrs, it is a dangerous race in which to participate. In the last six miles, the air temperature was well over 80 degrees, and the only fluid at the aid station was water that was very warm. That is a dangerous and irresponsible situation. Apparently, the 2,000 10K runners had cleaned everything out before the marathoners could get there. No ice, no popsicles, nothing at the end. When asked about it, the race organizers simply said, 'Sorry, it was hot, how could we keep anything cool in such heat?' That is negligence, and a dangerous situation in which to run a marathon.

I think the race organizers were simply interested in raising money. They were inept, incompetent and dangerous. Do not run this race unless you plan on finishing under the 3 1/2-hour mark.

I want my money back! This was the worst race I have ever run. I don't even know where to begin complaining. The packet pick-up was a joke. I stood in line for an hour and when I finally got to the tables they were so un-organized that they couldn't find my number. When they finally did find it, they were out of t-shirts. I doubt I'll ever get one mailed to me. During the race the mile markers were off and they didn't even have markers the last 5 miles. The aid stations were terrible - no Powerade, no gel, just water. The finish line was area was the worst I have ever seen. No food (except a few brown bananas), no sports drink, no bread, nothing to eat or drink. They had no massages available, so what did I pay $40 for???? I am still trying to figure that out. The awards were very late getting started and the results were all screwed up. They're still incorrect. Now they're talking about keeping the marathon; well, they better get some new race directors. I will never run that race again, and won't let anyone I know run it either. This is a marathon; it's supposed to be a big event and I take it seriously, so why didn't the race organizers?

I have no complaints about the course. Yes, it is tough and starts early, but we all knew that when we signed up. I am very disappointed with the organization of this event. The packet pickup was nowhere near the start, finish, or anything remotely related to the race. The aid stations didn't have Powerade until mile 7, and not all aid stations had Powerade after that point. If they did, it was watered down. The finisher's medal was nice, except for the fact that it says 'Deseret News Marathon and 10K'

If I wanted a medal that said '10K', I would have only run the 10K.

I could voice some of the same concerns noted below, but feel it is all a matter of perspective. I had a great time. The course is much better than in the past. Whine about a little hill at 18? This is a marathon - its good for you. Mile markers should have a helium balloon 10 feet up so they are not missed, but I have run races with much smaller signs.
All in all, I liked the race. The people I met on the course were in good spirits. I've done 30 marathons and I shall not let a few minor distractions prevent me from having fun. Running down the parade route is fun. I too have had years were I had to take the alternate route, but again no complaint. It was a good day and I hope someone picks up the banner and keeps this alive.

There was a lot of pre-race hype that this might be the last Deseret News 24th of July Marathon, which I think generated more participation. About two weeks before the marathon, organizers hinted that it may continue in the future. I suppose we will have to wait and see.

The course itself is challenging but rewarding. Beginning the run in the darkness at 5:00 a.m. helps to deal with what is a pretty steep initial ascent.

I would have rated the course 5 stars, but was disappointed that the course was modified to insert some pretty steep hills (beginning at the 17-mile mark - when the July heat begins to take its toll).

I agree with some of the other postings that participants could prepare better for this marathon if the positions of the aide stations were provided before the race, and if they were set at more regular intervals.

I hope this marathon continues.

I think I will be one of many who complain of the race this year. The course, I like. The view and scenery are beautiful. I loved that, BUT...

- I paid to have my race packet sent to me - it never came. I had to pick it up. But by then they were out of T-shirts. Even though they have a history of ugly shirts, I still paid too much money, and I want my ugly shirt.

- Aid stations were sporadic with only water, and then watered down Powerade only towards the end. Last time I ran it, they had all sorts of energy stuff at every aid station - not so this time.
**The people at the aid stations were great though.**

- The mile markers were off and not at every mile. There was no way I was doing a five-minute mile after averaging an 11-min mile. Then, towards the end, there were hardly any mile markers, which is discouraging for me when I depend on them to make me feel like I?m making some progress.

- Like many others, I didn?t like the new course change which requires a pretty steep hill climb late in the race. Then just when you have the park and the finish line in site and you can feel the pain coming to an end - they shoot you off in the opposite direction for 3 blocks before you can head back to the park. Then you make a 90-degree turn into the finish line, which is quite anti-climatic. THEN, with what energy I had left, I hobbled excitedly over for the finish line goodies only to find brown, rotten bananas with flies all over them. I found out, though, that all the good stuff was gone even before the 10K runners finished.

- I was told there were massages to be given out afterward. But not so this year, either.

Even if it was pretty much a sponsor-less year, I would think they could do a little more with the 40 bucks from 2,000 people than watered down Powerade and rotten bananas.

So basically, it?s a great race to run, but don?t expect any help from the people who put the race together.