I just ran this race; it was my first marathon. I was excited to find out my official time only to discover that mine was not displayed. Something must have not worked with my chip and the results show I didn't run it.

The course is excellent - very scenic and with nice, sloping declines. I wasn't impressed with the number of spectators; there were only a significant number at mile 14, and the finish. Great race for a PR. The organization for the race was excellent and everything was run smoothly.

This a worthwhile marathon to put on your agenda. Probably not as fast a course as it is billed as being. It's fast, but there are faster courses. I don't think I could PR at this race. The first part is gently rolling downhill, and it's very pretty in this section. At mile 13 or 14 you hit a series of rolling hills, not steep, but it rolls all the way to the finish. I like the course better than the Salt Lake Marathon, and the course is definitely easier than that one. The one negative part about the course is it has you snaking back and forth, corner after corner, up and down through town and the outskirts of Logan. I was dizzy and lost by the end.

It's a medium-sized marathon with maybe 2,000 entries. Logan is an interesting, small, college town. I went to what I gather was a college hangout (The White Owl?) the night before and got some local color. The fans are great, and it was inspirational coming out of the canyon and running through a gaunlet of fans. The organization was flawless, with the exception of the expo being shoulder-to-shoulder crowded, and not enough potties at the start. They had great aid stations, and at the end of the race they had live music, good refreshments, ice cream, cookies, salty crackers. When you cross the finish line, they announce your name and home town. I also appreciated the medics who helped me out of the finish corrals. I could barely stand up, and they walked me over to the aid tent.

They have a great finisher's medallion, one of the cooler ones I have gotten. They also give a nice NordicTrak Dry-Tech shirt. I would run this again, but it was absolutely FREEZING in 2006, so be prepared. I had to scrape ice off my car on the way to the start. It was in the 20's at the start and the temp shown on the bank in downtown Logan said 48F near the finish.

Beautiful course - especially the first 14 miles going through the canyon. It was downhill for much of the first 18 miles, but it's gradual and not too hard on your quads. The event is very well organized and supported by the local community. Come ready for cold weather or hot - it can go either way. No spectators for the first 14 miles (Canyon Road is closed to all but runners and volunteers)... but plenty of crowd support once you get into town.

I have done a bunch of marathons, and the Top of Utah Marathon would rank as one of my favorite out-of-state marathons. The scenery was spectacular, and the weather was perfect for the race, although a few people thought it was too cold (you can't please everybody). There were port-a-potties at every mile, smiling volunteers every couple miles, and an overall good vibe to this race. The race was almost all downhill or flat. Every runner I talked to along the way was friendly. There was not a lot of food at the end of the race, but then again, I don't run a marathon for the post-race food. The crowd support was average at best, but the way that the race was set up, there could be no spectators for the first 14 miles anyway. I would highly recommend this race to anyone who needs to do a Utah marathon for the 50 State Club, or for anyone who wouldn't have to travel too far to run this race in Logan, Utah. This marathon was a real winner!!!

Really well organized and beautiful. One year we ran in snow the entire way (2001?). This year will be very cold at the start so newbies please wrap up and then throw your warm-ups in a bag before the start. The medals are A++++ better than any other marathon out there. The 24-mile hill/slope is a grind. This year's race will be my 49th overall marathon with St. George two weeks later being my 50th. Three thumbs up for this race !!!

-JC

I ran this marathon a few years ago. I have run three more marathons since and by far, this has been the best one. It's beautiful (fall colors) and is a fast run. Great run to PR on your time.

I enjoyed this race tremendously. Loved the course. The weather was ideal and the treats at the end were much better than the Salt Lake Marathon's.

If you run this race, be prepared to keep track of your own time. They've never posted mine. Fortunately I ran with Ari Theodore and his time WAS recorded.

James 'Mac' Read indicated that my time would be posted, but it never has been. I expressed concern to the head of the timing company PRIOR to the race about the dorky 70's leg band with the chip we had to wear instead of the normal chip that's zip-tied to one's running shoes. He assured me his was a better system. He was wrong about that.

You could certainly tell this marathon was organized by runners. It had everything you might need, especially things to distract you - the mountains and views. Plenty of aid stations with great volunteers and lots of porta-potties along the way - no worries. EVERY runner was made to feel special, including us at the back. If you need crowds to get you motivated, this isn't the run for you but if you like nature, definitely do it. I ran with a camera and thoroughly enjoyed the scenery. The only glitch was there need to be more than 2 shuttle buses picking up from the hotels to get runners to the park for the start line buses. We made it but there were tense moments when full buses kept going by us. Overall, great job and I will come back and do this one again.

2005 was my third TOU. The altitude was no problem for me coming from Illinois, unlike the PC Marathon. The expo and packet pick-up were in small areas and a little crowded. The shirt is nice but sizes seemed to run large. The lines getting on the buses were a little unorganized, but no real problem at all. The overall organization of the marathon was excellent.

The spectators at the mouth of the canyon were great! You reallly don't need crowds in the canyon but it's great to have them cheering you on as you enter the valley. The aid stations were numerous and well stocked. I really liked the small changes to the course. Well done. The finish area was organized and well stocked with food.

One thing that would make this an even better marathon would be more involvement from the community, particularly USU, with more cheer groups (cheerleaders?) and bands (frat boys doing the Blues Brothers?) over the last 6 miles. Regardless, the Top of Utah is a great marathon!

Great race, course, KILLER SHIRTS AND MEDALS!! great pasta dinner. Course is a little long (26.55), but well worth. We will all be back next year!!