How can such a scenic, well-organized race drop the ball so badly by handing out such a crappy medal, hanging off of a red shoelace? After completing a tough race, there's nothing better than receiving a great medal to inspire you to come back next year. That "medal" in no way reflects the unique, artistic place that is Park City. If the organizers are unfamiliar with what a good medal looks like, they should check out any other race in Utah.

As a flat-land person, I fully expected the elevation to negatively impact my time. It may have to some degree but not nearly as much as expected and should not prevent anyone entering this well-done event. If you have a chance, there is plenty to do in Park City, so come early to adjust to the conditions.

Reading about the course in advance is very important because it will help you to run this race well, both physically and mentally. Only when you approach the highest point of the race do the inclines start to get a little bit more challenging. In general, the course is a gradual uphill incline until around the 14-mile point when the inclines get a little more challenging. Once you hit around the 16-mile point the course is very favorable in terms of being downhill WITH THE EXCEPTION of the 16% grade uphill around mile 18. The hill makes Heartbreak Hill in Boston look flat. The hill is the real deal. However, the hill is only two blocks long.

August temperatures seem to go up like an elevator during the day in Utah at this time of year, so for slower runners, conditions could get a lot warmer at the end of the race (or at least they did in 2009). Staying hydrated in this very dry climate is important. The aid stands were well done. I'd recommend over-hydrating at the start of the race to avoid cramps late.

The race medal won't be my favorite one, but it was consistent with the green environmental focus of this race and to stay local for sourcing (as opposed to buying from China). The race was even planning on feeding the left over banana peels to pigs on a local farm, so they should get credit for creativity.

Overall, I was very satisfied with the race organization. It is on the small side, so if you are a three-hour marathon runner, you should expect to run the race alone. I will always remember the hot air balloons rising in the distance at the start of the race, and the beauty of the mountains, but my legs will probably remember the 16% grade hill.

i usually run on the beach (East Coast), so having a chance to run in an area with beautiful mountain scenery was awesome. I was concerned about the altitude, but this did not seem to be a factor. I kept my beginning pace very slow for the gradual uphill to Deer Valley (about 16 miles). The downhill into town to McPolin Barn (21 miles) was great. The last 4 miles were tough in the flat, hot, reserve park. For us flat-landers, expect a minute/mile off of your usual pace. I recommend staying at Newpark Hotel; it's right at the start/finish, and you can be in the hot tub drinking beer, watching the end of the race.

The course if beautiful - tough, but very scenic. There aren't many spectators out, but the few that were out were great! The course was marked well for the most part, but there were a few parts where I probably would've gone the wrong way had I not seen the people way in front of me. Aid stations were well stocked - water, Gatorade, and Hammer Gels were standard. Some of the stations at the end of the race had fruit, PB&J sandwich bites, and trail mix. The volunteers were amazingly supportive and cheerful. The flower they hand out with the medal was a nice touch. The food and drinks at the finish line were great too - bagels, chocolate milk, OJ, water, Gatorade, fruit, and pretzels.

The only complaint I have is about the swag bag and medal. I know that's not the reason we run marathons, but the medal looked like a high school student made it in jewelry class. The shirts were the ugliest race shirts I've ever seen (neon green with neon orange accents), and the swag bag was practically empty - a pro-bar, magazine, and a magnet. That may sound dumb, but I was disappointed with the medal and goodies.

The Park City Marathon has a great course with spectacular views. Fellow runners were fantastic. The spectators, unfortunately, were not out in the numbers I generally see at a marathon. The volunteers were friendly, helpful and, basically, just great.

Finally, I don't mean to complain, but the medal is really about half a step above what I'd find in a Cracker Jack box. It has a cheap, quarter-inch ribbon that was so short that it barely fit over my head. When I'm told I'll get a medal, I expect a medal, not a trinket from a craft store. I mean, really, what did my $65 go for? This is a circuit race, so there were no shuttle buses needed, etc. I'm a bit puzzled.

In all, I would highly recommend this race. The volunteers and scenery are what this race is about.

This was my first PC Marathon, and 158th race in total. I would strongly recommend it for the scenery, organization and ease of access. It's an easy 30-minute drive from SLC, and the host hotel was comfortable and situated in a resort area, within walking distance of a variety of restaurants and a Whole Foods, and only a few meters from the start and finish line. The scenery on the course was breathtaking, while the altitude was not too bad. There were a few hills, but nothing unusual. They had adequate water, Gatorade, gels and porta-potties. Temps were cool (50's) at the start, warming to high 70's by three hours in. I wore racing flats, but would recommend training shoes, as about 10 miles were on fire roads with rocks. See you in 2010!

I'm from Texas, and I was a little worried about the altitude, and the hills. It really wasn't that much of a factor for me. The cool (high 40's), still, morning air was a perfect for running. I took it fairly easy in the first half of the marathon, knowing that there were some pretty good climbs. One section of the course allows you to pass by runners going the opposite direction - very cool to see the leaders for a change, and some friends along the way.

The finishing area was nice and grassy - it was great to walk around in bare feet after a marathon! (We don't do that in Texas... too many pointy things!)

The glass finisher medal is unique. But it's not one of my favorites (I can't hang it on the back of my door with my others, as it will break).

If I lived near this race, I'd probably run it every year. I highly recommend this one.

This is the first marathon I've run. It was a lot harder than I had anticipated, but well worth the effort as anyone who has run a marathon can understand. This was a beautiful course. It started out pretty tame, but soon we were on trails for about 8 miles, it seems. Hot air balloons were rising above the mountains as the sun came up. We wound back into Deer Valley ski area - gorgeous! Then onto old Main Street for a quick uphill to Park City Mountain Resort. Eventually we ran back to the start/end. Beautiful handmade glass medals. Ran with my best friend... one of the best experiences of my life. Will be back in '09!!!

Park City is certainly a great destination for a marathon. The course is a loop that starts from its lowest elevation. Going out, there is a brief, challenging climb that culminates on a rails/trails path that is relatively flat and steady. Turning toward Park City at about mile 10, the course starts climbing at a slightly more pitched rate, but it's still very manageable. At mile 14, the course takes an abrupt turn up the hill toward Deer Valley Lodge - the top of the course. This section, about 2.5 miles, is by far the most challenging. Once at the top, however, one begins the descent, runs through Park City, a last brief hill, then from about mile 18 it's a long, gradual downhill to the finish, retaining its beauty the entire way.

There is enough variety in the course to ward off boredom. I do think many of the previous concerns about this being a "very" difficult course are overstated. I've run Antarctica and Catalina, both of which are in a class far beyond Park City in difficulty. Even Run with the Horses, run the same day, is over 1,000 feet higher and with more challenging hills along the way (although not as sustained.) The only thing to understand is that this course is a high mountain course. If you've never run at elevation, be warned that your pace will be much slower than back in Florida or New York. Still, you can't beat the beauty of this area.

The medal is unique. The organization is pretty much flawless. The finisher's area had chocolate milk. :) All in all, a very good experience.

Hands down, this is one of the most beautiful courses in America. Yeah, it's no cakewalk, but that's why we all suffer through 26.2 anyway, right? Amazing run. I'll be back as long as I can put one foot in front of the other!!