I loved running this marathon. I ran it three times. It was also my first. I ran it when I was 10 years-old, and loved it so much that I came back for two more years. This course was scenic, the race was well organized, the fans were great, and it was well worth it.

This was my first marathon, though I have done other organized races in the past. I have to say that the organization of this is top notch. So well done, from the expo, to the registration, to the end - it was great. A minor con to it was the end of the course. It seemed to wind around a lot through residential areas, and just seemed monotonous. The first half can't be beat as you are able to fly down the beautiful canyon with the mountains and fall colors. I loved the heated tents at the top. The aid stations were well placed; however, for slower runners like me, most of the GU and fruit was gone by the time I got there, and same with the end of the race - the Fat Boy sandwiches were gone by they as well. I was disappointed in how expensive the pictures were that we were emailed about a few days later - $50 for a single 8x10? Have a spectator take some good shots for you.

I would definitely do this again. The only things I would personally do differently is book a hotel earlier and do some hill training; the downhill killed my quads and knees. Otherwise, great event and race. Great memory for my first, and hopefully not last marathon!

Course:
The first half is running marathons at its absolute very best during the fall. There are views and the sounds of a beautiful canyon, stream, small lake and mountains. After 14 miles, you exit the canyon and run another 4 miles on straight roads through a peaceful setting with shade trees. The next 8 miles have an amazing number of twists and turns through residential areas, downtown and the finish at the park. Although the turns are many, they are all painted and well marked. They were also staffed with at least one volunteer.

Volunteers:
Committed, enthusiastic and helpful. Could not do it without them. A huge "thank you" for getting up early on a cold morning and making this race possible.

Organization:
Attention to many, many details made the organization of this marathon far above the norm. They truly understand and are sensitive to what participants need.

Suggestions (NOT criticisms):
1) The warming tent was extremely helpful before the start, but too small for all runners to really be able to enter. Consider making it a little bit larger.

2) It would be nice if there was any way to take a few of the turns out of the course between miles 18-25 and still be allowed to have this race on a Saturday morning. Nevertheless, I loved the course overall and the finish at the park where there were lots of shade trees and room to recover.

3) Even though we successfully tested the system exactly as we were instructed prior to the race, my family did not get the advertised text messages from miles 13 and 20 - only a text message when I finished (which they saw).

4) Different T-shirt color next year. Get rid of the neon yellow and neon orange from the past. I saw many people at the packet pickup/expo holding up the shirt and laughing at it, while making comments about the neon yellow. I haven't worn it yet and probably won't.

5) Finisher medal. Well designed, no advertising and very much appreciated.

6) Thank you for the extra aid stations for the final miles. Very well thought out with runners in mind, and I am very grateful.

This is a "five-star marathon" without any hesitation. It should be sold out in the future. A huge "thank you" to all who made this marathon possible.

A very well done and well organized marathon! The first part of the race runs through a canyon, and it is beautiful! Afterward, the race wanders through Logan and maybe another little town. The race was well marked and well supported. There were porta-potties at every mile so I never saw a line waiting for a porta-potty! The volunteers and the police were very helpful and supportive. There were ample hotels near the finish. I would recommend this race!

Often times one negative will outweigh the many positives of any marathon... but the thing is, there is not a single negative to report! From early online registration to the post-race recovery area, it was all good.

Early online registration was reasonably priced and the registration process was very simple. If you are used to shelling out at least$100, registration for this marathon was a welcome relief.

The marathon expo and pre-race pasta party were at the Marriot Springhill Suites hotel where I stayed, so I did not have to drive all over town to get from event to event. And by the way, there was no price gouging at the hotel. I paid $105 per night for a very nice room.

The expo was medium-sized and did not swarm with runners. There was enough space in the room to successfully maneuver from booth to booth. Most of the vendors were smaller, local types, and there were even some interesting and unusual products available. If you are used to seeing the same vendors selling the same products, this was a refreshing change from the norm. Picking up our race numbers and long-sleeved t-shirts was very simple. The lines moved quickly and the volunteers were very friendly and helpful. The timing chip was embedded in the race number so there was nothing to attach to our running shoes. The long-sleeved t-shirt was a bright yellow.

This was the first time that I had ever attended a pre-race pasta party and I am glad that I did. The price was reasonable and the food was good. There were two different types of pasta and a two different types of sauces available. Neither of the sauces were overly spicy or seasoned. Salad, bread, drinks and goodies were also available. There was a spin-the-wheel-for-a-prize game, in which all participants were allowed one spin, and everyone was a winner. The prizes were quite nice... not lame, as some might expect.

On the morning of the race, there was a bus that stopped at several hotels in town to transport the runners to the finish line. Since the race was a point-to-point, there was bus transportation from the finish line to the starting line. The drive to the starting line took about 40 minutes. The bus dropped us off in front of the porta-potties, which were numerous and available. An hour before the start, the temperature was about 40 degrees. A heated tent area was available for the runners to stay warm.

About 10 minutes before the start, the runners began to line up in the starting area. Drop bags were available and a bus transported the bags to the finish line where they would be waiting for us later. For the most part, runners lined up according to the honor system and there were no walkers, baby stroller pushers or Team-In-Training participants where they did not belong. Unlike so many other events, there was no half-marathon... this was strictly a marathon. There were about 2,000 runners lined up and the race began on time.

The course was beautiful. It was so refreshing to be running on a closed road down a canyon with nothing but nature and other runners. Overall, the course would drop about 1,000 feet from start to finish, but the downhill was very gradual and I cannot recall any steep downhills. The morning air was crisp, clean and cool as we ran on a windy road next to a stream.

For the first 20 miles or so, there were water/sports drink stations every two miles. After that, they were at each mile. In addition, there were porta-potties at each station. Finally, for at least the first 10 miles or so, there were drop-boxes in case runners wanted to toss in gloves or sweatshirts as they warmed up during the marathon and no longer needed the clothing. The boxes were clearly marked so that runners could retrieve their discarded clothing at the finish line. The aid stations were well-staffed and organized.

After about 14 miles, the course turned off into a rural area and the roads were no longer closed. Spectators became commonplace and they cheered loudly. As we came closer to the city, there were more spectators and the cheering got louder. Traffic was controlled quite well, and even though we were running through various small towns, one did not feel as if they were running in an urban marathon. Throughout the marathon, there was a small-town feeling.

As we made a final turn onto the straightaway, spectators lined the course and the cheering was intense. An announcer called our names and home towns as we approached the finish line.

After crossing the finish line, we were awarded a nice finisher's medal and our picture was taken. We then moved into the recovery area where water, sports drinks and goodies were made available.

In this age of for-profit marathons where large fields and high entry fees are the norm, the Top of Utah Marathon was a refreshing, rewarding event. It is certainly an event that each marathoner should experience at least once.

The first 14 miles are run down Blacksmith Fork Canyon in the Cache Mountains - spectacular vistas and not-to-be-missed scenery. The road is closed to traffic and descends at an easy 1 to 2% grade. In the cool, dry mountain air, racing doesn't get much better than this. The remaining 12 miles of the course are more ordinary, with some flat stretches, some hills, and lots of twists and turns in the final miles before a very nice finish chute into Merlin Olsen Park in downtown Logan, UT. The Park was very nice - a pleasant setting to recover from the race with lots of grass and room to stretch out in.

Race organization was superb, with lots of attention to small details; a warming tent at the start, glow sticks from the porta-johns to the starting line, well-stocked and frequent water stops, etc. Volunteers were friendly and enthusiastic. My only minor complaint was that, with all of the turns in the course over the last 8 miles, there were a few without cones or course marshals. These turns were marked with spray-painting on the road, but in at least two cases, I felt it would have been easy to miss them.

Highly recommended race for anyone looking for a fast, scenic, early fall race with great organization and runner support.

This was a wonderful race to run for my first marathon. The scenery was spectacular. Also, the water and aid stations were wonderfully placed and stocked great.
There were plenty of spectators along the route. My only wish is that there would have been more cheering from them.
Overall, this was wonderful event and I would recommend it to anyone.

Good race and course management. Course turns were well-marked by arrow and moose outlines. The last 6 miles had several turns. Effective traffic control on roads and at intersections for runners' safety.

The abundant fluids, at closely spaced aid stations staffed by enthusiastic volunteers, were greatly appreciated as the day heated up. Finish line announcer did a professional job with vital stats. I couldn't find the food court nor was I directed there by volunteers, but I was handed a cup of water at the finish.

The results were posted expediently. There was a ceremony and wooden moose carvings awarded 5 deep for age divisions. Prize money and moose statues were awarded to the top 5 men and women finishers.

The $14 pasta meal was basic chow. A band played and some runners got a chance to spin a wheel for prizes. The expo was not a big deal. The gender specific lime green shirt is very vivid. The moose-inspired finishers' medal was a whimsical touch.

My major complaint pertained to all of the bicycles on the course after mile 14. Allowing bicyclists to ride alongside runners is disruptive and hazardous.

Here are the things I really liked about this marathon:

The course was nice; the first half was downhill and scenic, with nearly no traffic, and the second half was flat. It was really nice to have bathrooms every mile and aid stations every mile on the second half. When we arrived at the starting line it was early and freezing; amazingly there was a huge heated tent that we could wait in so we didn't have to freeze for an hour.

Here's what I didn't like as much:
The shirts were ugly, tennis ball-yellow; great visibility, but not a good color for everyday wear. The race bags had nothing in them but a couple of ads - no samples or anything. The road was not blocked as advertised, so there were cars coming down the canyon, and in town there were many spots where there was traffic in all lanes and we had to run basically in the gutters. It felt kind of dangerous.

Overall, though, I thought that just the level of support (e.g. frequency of bathrooms and aid stations) made for a really good run. I will probably do this marathon again next year.

Make sure to bring a coat to the top.