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May 3, 2024

Deseret News Classic Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Deseret News Classic Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 3.7

Organization 3.3

Spectators 3.2

Number of comments: 95 [displaying comments 41 to 51]

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Nicholas Roddy from West Valley, Utah, USA (8/16/2006) "A great course, with awesome fans" (about: 2004) First Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 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.
S. S. from Salt Lake City, UT (8/4/2006) "Good Course; Hot Weather" (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Deseret News Classic Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 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.
Scott McLellan from Boise, Idaho (7/30/2006) "With downhill training, a screamin' fast course." (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Deseret News Classic Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 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.
D. C. from Salt Lake City (7/29/2006) "Better, but still pretty bad." (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Deseret News Classic Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 Some improvement this year (it started on time and the change of the course is moderately better), but still the worst organized marathon I have run. It is unfortunate, because this race has potential and should be great. Should start earlier to avoid extreme heat in the city, needs better aid stations the last 6 miles, PowerAde at all stations, a few spectators would be nice, better organized finish, clean chip bands, and on and on. Please do it right. We would be happy to pay more for a better run.
Todd Yerkes from Dallas, Texas (7/27/2006) "Tough Terrain for a Texan" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Deseret News Classic Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 The vista from the start was awesome! From the starting area you look down over the course through the canyons and you can see the glow of Salt Lake City. I'm sure there are others but I don't know of any other point-to-point marathon where you can see your ultimate goal from the start. It was very scenic from the mountainous start and then throughout the historic run down the Pioneer/Mormon Trail. Given the extreme downhill grade, my quads tired before the rest of my body. The air was thin up that high. Temperatures were hot even at the top where the starting temp was around 60 and quickly warmed to the mid to high 80s when I finished. I have two complaints. First, I was disappointed with the crowd. Given the size of the July 24th parade I thought that the parade-goers would cheer. The parade watchers seemed indifferent to us runners. Second, why not start even earlier to avoid the 80-degree heat? We had to be up at 3:00 a.m. to catch the buses. With such sleep deprivation going already, I would suggest starting at 4:30 instead of 5:30. I would highly recommend this marathon to an out-of-towner looking for a different experience, not a PR. It's a fantastic way to see the Wasatch Mountains, get a taste of Utah's heritage, and run a summer marathon.
F. H. from Salt Lake (7/26/2006) "Much improvement from last year" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Deseret News Classic Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my fourth year of running this race, and my 20th marathon since 2003. The 2006 Deseret News Marathon had substantial improvements from past years. The race started on time this year, which was very nice due to the heat. There were enough aid stations, along with many nice spectators who provided additional drinks. One even gave me a full cup of red Gatorade with ice in it, which was wonderful. The elimination of the trip back up 8th south to the zoo was a welcome change, along with the loss of the other out-and-back in that same area. The new course was very nice, the neighborhoods we went through were where I got my cold cup of Gatorade. The buses are good; usually they're school buses we get to ride at other marathons. The finish was well done. I was very hot and worn out, and was quickly whisked into the aid station, which helped a lot. When I finished the Salt Lake Marathon last month I was in a similar situation, and just had to stand there on hot asphault at the finish line feeling faint until I had recovered enough to walk away on my own. Great effort with that aid station; the organizers at Salt Lake could learn from you. Only one thing to work on: that would be getting more bathrooms along the course. Each location only had one bathroom, and some of the lines were four deep. It's very discouraging to stand in a line and watch your time goal bleed away because there's only one bathroom. But overall there was significant improvement from last year, and I look forward to trying it again next year. I hope if I have to make a bathroom stop that there will be three to four bathrooms there, instead of just one.
T. C. from Kaysville, Utah (7/26/2006) "Tough on quads, course improved in 2006." (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Deseret News Classic Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 RACE SUMMARY: This was my first marathon. I was warned that the extreme downhill sections would hammer my legs. It did, but I didn't notice as much until the following day. I would recommend that your long training runs leading up to this marathon include some prolonged 5-6% downhill grades. Despite the temptation to sprint down the initial descent, I strongly suggest holding back on the first 6 miles, which comprise an aggressive descent. The course in 2006 was changed as you exit Emigration Canyon. Instead of running up and down Sunnyside Ave. and through Research Park (which lacks shade but has wind), the new course runs along Wasatch Drive, following a much cooler and shadier course (hopefully the Bonneville Golf Course sprinklers will be on as you pass by and be firing onto the street!). The final descent through Salt Lake City is gradual, but mostly exposed. (At least you have a strong incentive to maintain a fast pace the last 8 miles or so.) Just remember the temperature is only going to get hotter the longer you're out there. Starting temp. in the 50's, finishing temp. in the 80's +. PROS: * Beautiful start at 7500' (5:30 a.m.) with the twinkle of city lights below and pink sunrise behind you. * Lone bagpipe player on Big Mountain at starting line was a nice effect. * Enthusiastic volunteers at water stations every other mile. * Mostly shade (or darkness at beginning) for the first 17 miles. * Police blockades of cross traffic during city portion of race were very courteous. * With last mile or so along "Days of '47" parade route gives extra crowd support for a strong finish. * Plenty of post-race food choices for recovery. * I liked having massages available at end of race; however the waitlist was quite long. CONS: * Need more buses after 4:00 a.m. at Delta Center so not as much waiting time at top of Big Mountain. I think early buses were a result from a late start the previous year. (Bring some cover up clothes while waiting for race to start). * There was only 1 gel station at about Mile 17. Could use one at start and several more throughout race. * Would be nice to have some mid-race split-time indicators. * Could use more port-a-potties at Big Mountain start and more than one at each water stop. (Most people elected to create their own port-a-potty.) * Finishing medals should could be a little nicer and state location of marathon. As a long-standing Utah tradition that nearly died a few years ago, I hope the Deseret News Marathon continues and gets stronger each year! I plan on coming back in 2007!
A. Y. from S.D. (7/25/2006) "Summer Fun" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Deseret News Classic Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 40th marathon and much of what's been said below is on point. I find downhill courses challenging, but some of my friends love them. Know what you're signing up for and prepare for it - either run a lot of declines, or plan the day after to stay away from too many stairs! The start of the course is beautiful - thanks to a local runner, who pointed out wildlife to me as we cruised along, I saw deer, elk, and a snake. It was a treat to be out in nature as the sun rose, with just the sound of running shoes on the road around you. I agree that the juxtaposition of running from the mountain into town makes for an interesting contrast. Sharing the holiday with the local runners made the day festive. Packet pick-up on Sunday was a breeze, and high marks for getting us commercial (not school) buses for the trip to the start. The R.D. was very responsive to an inquiry I had. All the intersections were well-staffed with police and they did a very professional job. Volunteers were abundant and great about ID'ing water and PowerAde, and being really supportive. The other shorter races were staggered sufficiently so that we marathon runners (around a 3:30 pace) weren't having to do end runs around walkers 3 and 4 abreast as I've had to do in other marathons. There aren't many summer marathons, and this one is a lot of fun. Given it was threatened by the start of the SLC Marathon, think about supporting it and experiencing a unique event.
H. S. from Sandy, Utah, USA (7/25/2006) "Utah is HOT in July; I thought I would melt..." (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Deseret News Classic Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a pretty fun course. There is one major incline, and two major declines. I think I like the course better than the Salt Lake Marathon. They had great traffic control. The aid stations were good. This isn't really a big marathon - I'm guessing maybe 700 people. The 10K seemed to have many more. It wasn't the hardest marathon, but it wasn't the easiest marathon I have run either. The one major con was the heat. It was oppressive. I thought I would melt. It was 104 F the day before, and I'm not sure how hot it got on the 24th, but I sweat so much my shirt and shorts were drenched. The race starts at 5:30 a.m., and as soon as the sun comes out things heat up. I finished around 9:00 a.m., and I was absolutely drained from the heat. I would recommend training in the heat, because I didn't do that, and I suffered at the end. Other than that I would do this run again; I really liked the course, it's a great tour of Salt Lake City, and the city is all revved up for the big Pioneer Day holiday.
J. s. from Southern California (7/25/2006) "Brutal, Hot, Tough" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Deseret News Classic Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The organizers try to put on a good race and genuinely care about the participants but the race suffers from some fatal flaws, listed below in the order we encountered them. 1. There is no chip-mat at the start nor any other point in the race other than the finish. They told me that problem would be fixed this year but it wasn't. 2. Still not enough outhouses at the start. 3. The initial 3 miles are brutal, BRUTAL, like falling off a steep cliff. You don't feel it at first but they really take a toll on the legs and especially the feet in the form of blisters. 4. There is an enormous hill between mile 5.5 and 7.5 that kills the downhill momentum and erases all the time banked from those first downhill miles. 5. There is a small uphill out-and-back at mile 9 that is not on the course map. 6. In the heat, common that time of year, more aid stations are needed. 7. The finish line area is chaotic; gear-drop bags remained scattered about unguarded near the street, there were no outhouses at the finish and the busses to take runners back to the Delta Center were non-existent. 8. Compounding all these problems is the fact that there is a big parade that day and getting through the city is problematic. To sum up, the biggest problems this race has is the difficulty of the course and the time of year it is run. Although downhill, it is not fast. I've raced other downhill marathons like St. George, Top of Utah, Tucson and Death Valley Trail, and this one is by far the most brutal on the legs, so much so that I would not do it again. Second, we had the misfortune of running this year in record heat (105 high, 88 at 8:30 a.m.). It will always be hot in SLC in July. The race might be more comfortable in the spring or fall, but because of the organizational shortfalls and especially the course, I will not be back regardless.

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