I am a Marathon Maniac and ran this marathon because it was a reunion for our group- I had a wonderful visit to Utah and spent a few days sightseeing, and highly recommend the marathon as a part of a vacation- However, I was disappointed with the actual race-

What was tough for me:

-altitude challenging for someone like me who lives at sea level

-running on a concrete highway (rumble strips and all) with a 30+mph headwind with car emissions emanating next to me was not fun

-start area has lots of bonfires to keep us warm but there was no way to avoid the smoke and it was tough to inhale so much smoke before the race (plus the terrain was grass and mud)

-it was tough for me to get my bag to the baggage truck due its placement; they had to get a 2nd truck b/c the first one filled to capacity

-most of the food/beverages gone by the time I finished (just under 6 hours)

On the bright side:

-treated the Marathon Maniacs like kings and queens; thank you!!!

-gorgeous scenery!

-Marriott staff did the best they could during the renovation to help direct us and help us

-nice expo

-helpful pre-race information

I wish I could say I loved this marathon- I *did* love the Maniacs reunion though!! I'm doing the 50 states so won't run another marathon in Utah but if I did I think I'd look at other ones.

The course is totally stunning. Mountains, waterfalls, streams and rivers, lakes, snow on the mountain, lots of downhill, some significant uphill.

The organization is flawless and the volunteers at the aid stations are terrific.

There are quite a few spectators in the last six miles but not many good spectating spots before that.

My only suggestion for improvement would be to completely shut down traffic by the runners during the section down Provo Canyon. Even though the running lane is sectioned off very well, it's a bit distracting to have cars on the same road.

Great event, great course! I'll be back again.

Well organized event and beautiful course.
Fantastic volunteers from start to finish.
Few if any spectators along the marathon route. However, the large crowd alongside the finishing chute had great energy and were very supportive.
Well worth the drive from Seattle!

Otter pops at mile 23.

Cold, sweet and so great.

Nothing else needs to be said: great marathon.

My husband and I ran this race for our anniversary and had a fabulous time visiting Utah and running the race. Thanks to the comments from previous years, I brought an old sleeping bag with us to the start so we took the earliest bus and then relaxed in a field, near a fire, under the stars as we watched the sun rise and anticipated our race. The organization of getting all those folks to the start was incredible. From the packet pick up, to the bus loading, the bag check, to the aide stations - it was clockwork - with happy knowledgeable volunteers excited to share their beautiful canyon.

The course is breathtaking and should have been fast  you will see from comparing the average finish times over the years that Mother Nature was not with us in 2012. A strong south wind took any advantage the downhill grade gave and the warm temperatures may have kept PRs at bay. Oh well&more time to enjoy the waterfalls and wildlife. This finishers medal was really cool, the tech shirt was great quality and fit. They had a really neat timing system with touch screen computers and little receipt printers that gave you a summary of your time within minutes of finishing. These finish time printouts also provided proof to pick up a really nice long sleeve Boston qualifier tech shirt. There were photographers along the way to capture the beauty and excitement and the photos were online very soon after the race. This is a 5 star race!

The Marriott did a fine job given they are under major renovation and the packet pick-up was simple and quick.Volunteers on the course were great but given the heat more water stops in the later miles would be great. The bus trip to the start was easy and on time and there were a sufficient amount of potties. Bag check was easy, just throw it in the truck. My issue was the course and many people had the same complaint.

The advertising for the course slants it to an easy Boston qualifier, that is not the case unless you are used to mountains and altitude. While it is downhill there is so much uphill that flatlanders will find it very difficult. My husband said it was harder than Boston which he has run twice. It is however a beautiful course, one of the prettiest I have run. As long as you are not trying to BQ, this is a great race. Police support for traffic was excellent and everyone was very nice. It was tough to find water at the finish line, it should be on both sides after the medals. I couldn't find it through the volunteers giving out the medals and it was very hot. I found chocolate milk, fruit, popsicles but nothing else. Pizza would be great. There was a vendor area but I didn't go that far, maybe I missed stuff? Aid tent was great.

The medal is nice but a long sleeve shirt would have been nice rather than the short sleeve.I am a 50 stater so I won't return but it is a very nice marathon. By all means, make a dinner reservation at Communal, 1 block from the finish. Liked it so much I ate there two nights. Fit for foodies with fresh local meats and vegetables.

This is one of the most beautiful marathon courses I've ran (and I've ran 22 marathons). Being from Minnesota, I was concerned about the elevation but it did not seem to be a factor for me, although I heard some people from Arizona complaining about it during the first few miles. This course had many more uphills than I would have thought, but it was nice to change things up with some uphills and downhills. For those that are looking for a lot of crowd support along the course, this race may not be for you.

I really liked being able to see the finish line for the last couple miles...this way there was no being fooled by 'helpful' spectators or volunteers telling you the finish is 'just around that corner.'

The organization was great, from the expo, through the race, all the way to the finish.

One area for improvement would be the shuttle buses prior to the race. So many bus drivers got lost on the way to the start (which actually ended up working out a little since it gave us more time in the warmth of the bus). The organizers did their best to try to keep us warm with bonfires in the starting area, but I didn't want to smell bonfire for the next several hours so I avoided the warmth of the fires.

Finishers medals were nice and the t-shirts were ok. The t-shirts were sized a little funny though, there was a huge difference between the small and medium.

I am trying to do as many states as I can so I won't be back to run this one again...but I would definitely recommend it!

Love the course ! I traveled from Mississippi to run this race in my 50 state quest. This was Marathon 51 and one of my favorites ever! The course was amazing and a true joy to run. I initially had one complaint - no photographers! Ugh, a beautiful course and I ended up with only one picture of me running, and it was a half a mile from finish line - in front of a bank. BUT, I got a nice update from the race director who was extremely disappointed with their photo service and has changed to another service. So, I guess my one complaint has been addressed. I do plan to return and run this race again with my wife and daughter. Its gorgeous. (Note: For 50 state runners, this race is usually on a Saturday. The Bear Lake Idaho marathon is on Friday, and Wyoming has a marathon in June on a Sunday. If you time it right, you can run three states in three days, all within a few hours drive.)

I enjoyed the actual race very much but I have some problems with the 'details'.
For starters I chose this race as my birthday race but couldn't find a single thing pertaining to the race with the date on it. I know this is a minor detail but I run a lot of races & like to make collages or boards with the memorabilia so this missed detail was pretty annoying.
My major complaint has to do with the hours leading up to the start. Yes, it's a long (26 mile) drive on a winding road but the busses that we were encouraged (forced) to take dropped us off soooooo early. It was dark (to be expected) & very cold (less expected) with only fire rings in the road for light & warmth. No where to sit, see or stay warm. After a while, no where to breathe since the wood fuel ran out about an hour too early folks were just grabbing anything (boxes w/tape on them, plants ripped out of the ground) that might burn. Standing on pavement in the cold for 2hrs breathing toxic fumes was not the best start to an endurance race. A simple fix? Advise runners to bring WARM clothes & something to sit/lay on for hours. Or at the start, or expo, hand out the foil blankets that other races give you when you finish.
Once we got going it was wonderful!

An almost perfect marathon. I won't repeat the course description, except to agree it is mostly gorgeous. Every detail was taken care of from start to finish. I'll add: wonderful RD and volunteers, small expo in host hotel with good rates and buses 1 block away, and 2 blocks from finish, with some good Italian and other restaurants within walking distance. Special shout out to the KT tape guy who taped my ankle and to Margies(?) Italian on the corner of Main Street, perfect size in field and separate start for half so it's just marathoners (rare these days) flat last 10K, wonderful finishing area in middle of street and 2 parks on either side. Kudos for the giant ice bath in the whirlpool jacuzzi, I'd never seen that before, and the instant times, and the BQ l.s. shirts upon proof of BQ time (a first for that too). lots of food, etc. etc. All round, a wonderful marathon that I'd highly recommend and run again if I weren't the 50 states.