As always, this year's marathon went off without a snag. The organizers went the extra mile to make us feel welcome. The descent is not so dramatic as the elevation profile would suggest. In fact, with the slight rolling uphills and flats on the 'descent' section, combined with a strong headwind this year, any advantage was lost. However, the changes made to the course on the 'flat' portion seemed to have made that section easier. I would have liked a greater assortment of refreshments after the race, including some outside the gated area, so I could continue drinking after getting my (very nice) post-race massage and picking up my drop bag. Nice trophies too!

This is just a great race!!!! Organization can not be beat. Aid stations were exceptional with friendly volunteers. The course is beautiful, Logan Utah is a beautiful town. The course was changed from last year and this was very positive. I will be running this race for years to come. If you are a veteran or a first timer you need to run this race you will not be dissapointed.

This was my first marathon and it was awesome. I definitely recommend it for anyone wanting to get that first marathon under the belt.

I ran the marathon in 2004 and had a fabulous experience, with good organization and a great course. I'm set to return in 2005 as part of the Utah Grand Slam, and went in today to register, still in August, a MONTH before the race. Imagine my frustration to find the race fee has gone up from $45 to $75!!! Imagine the further absurdity that I see on the registration form that if I wait a few more days the price goes up to $125!!! Then I got dinged an additional $5 for using their registration service. If it wasn't part of the Utah Grand Slam, I would back out of this marathon, due to the HIGHWAY ROBBERY in the registration fees. I won't be back next year.

This was my first marathon, and I could not have been more impressed with the course, organization, or fans. Spectators were a big help for the last 8 HOT, painful miles. Temperature was very warm after coming out of the canyon, making life difficult for all!! I would recommend this to ALL runners looking for a first marathon!! 15 fast miles, and 11.2 flat miles! I would recommend training on a lot of downhill. It will pay off in the end. Your legs will thank you!!

Thanks for the great race. The running club is a great support to me. Whenever I had a question, someone always happily answered my call. Such great people with encouragement that has helped me continue to run and become better. Thank you.

I would recommend this as a first marathon - it was a great time, and if the weather is good, this is the perfect marathon!

I travelled to Logan from Ontario, Canada to run my first marathon for three reasons. 1 - The area is beautiful. 2 - I wanted a smaller event for my first Marathon run. 3 - Previous comments on this site.

I was not disappointed. Like many others the heat and wind along with the first 2/3 of the run downhill combined to make the last few miles an adventure in discomfort and willpower. I met my goal of 4:30 but was well ahead of it after 20 miles. The last 10 Km were difficult. The people, the area, and the course were great. I will return sometime, perhaps in 9 yrs to run a marathon at age 70. (My long-term goal!)

This was my first year running the TOU Marathon and the course was as expected - fast for the first 16 miles or so and then fairly flat. Yes, it was a lot warmer than expected and I saw a lot of suffering the last 8 miles as a result, more so than other marathons. Everything was well organized, and the wind was a help for some of the latter part of the race.

My big concern on this race was the accuracy of the actual distance. I ran with my usually trustworthy GPS system along with my brother, and both of us found it strange that the distances recorded for the race were 26.69 miles vs. 26.2. I was right on pace the entire race to run my 3:50 but ended in 3:54. I contacted the race director to see if the course may have been mismarked, and he indicated that he thought it was a little long as well, and that the USTA may have done this to ensure the race ended at the park (they only have to guarantee that is is AT LEAST 26.2, but OK to go over). If that's the case, that's an extra half mile!! Because I actually was careful to cut corners in the canyon I thought I actually might come out a little short of 26.2 distance wise, but that clearly was not the case. So, I can live with this but if I had missed qualifying for Boston by 4 minutes or less, this would be very disconcerting.

Don't stop to use the toilet after mile 18, if you do you'll regret it and will be awarded much pain.

The race was well organized from the start to the finish, although with the heat they could have started a little earlier. The wind wasn't much of a problem, but coming from Nebraska I'm used to a heavy headwind.

This was my first marathon and didn't prepare with my long runs like I should have, only going 14 miles at best. However, being an experienced runner I was shooting for 3 hour pace and was well within my goal range until mile 18, when I had to stop to use the toilet. Because of the long downhill experience my entire right leg tightened up and I had to do the run/shuffle/walk for the final 8 miles. The first 18 miles took 2 hours, and the last 8 miles took 1 hour and 30 minutes and was possibly the most painful experience of my life.

Although I'm sure I would have tightened up eventually, stopping to use the toilet accelerated the pain.

Overall a good experience. Pre- and post-race events were fun. Beautiful scenery. Cute girls. What more could you ask for?? Except maybe being able to walk the next week!!