Thanks so much to Chris the RD and folks at Ascent, volunteers and sponsors for putting on this spectacular marathon. No grumblings from any Marathoners about the initial 9 mile climb because the rewards of the stunning vista of Colorado National Monument were well worth it. Plus all the runners were friendlier and more talkative with the shared task and intimacy of the relatively small number of racers of going up, across and down the Rim Rock drive.

A five star rating for course and spectators/fans, not the human kind of spectators because there were very few on the Rim Rock route, but for the Marathoners themselves taking in the artistry of Mother Nature. Plus the first time I had mountain goats as spectators. Won't be seeing that in the NYC Marathon any time soon.

If you're a believer in compression wear, this one of the races to give them a try with the long jarring downhill you have coming back down the Monument. Definitely work on running your tangents as the Rim Rock Drive is very twisty with a number of switchbacks.

Water and electrolyte drinks all plentiful, as well as clothing drop at aid stations. Some aid stations with gels and pretzels. Volunteers were great. Took a little time to get clothes dropped at aid stations to make it back to finish area. Chicken soup was soooo good at the end.

Medal is simple but still classy. Race shirt is nice and functional tech material.

I loved this race. You have to be mentally and physically ready for the elevation gain in the first half of race. Make it to halfway point and you are rewarded with a fast, downhill stretch with fantastic views of the Colorado National Monument. The volunteers at the Aide stations were great and there was plenty of food, gels, and liquids. As mentioned by others, the final 2 miles back to Fruita along the highway is tough but at that point you can feel the finish. The finisher medal was very cool and the refreshments at the end were wonderful. On a cool, early winter day, the hot chicken soup and sandwiches were perfect. We'll be back!

This was a terrific race if you are looking for the complete opposite of a big city race with thousands of runners. There were maybe 200 runners in this race. Very well organized and the support on the course was fantastic. It was the most demanding marathon I've done, with a huge climb and then a long down hill. Be ready for the rolling last 2 miles - which are more mentally tough after the big up and and down - they're also outside of the park on a highway. Colorado National Monument is a beautiful site and there is no better way to experience it than on foot.

A well organized and beautiful race. I like to run alone or with my dogs and this experience was perfect. Coming from Ohio I did not have much trouble with the elevation since I spent the week before in Colorado. I was amazed at the support at the aid staions and the cheers from park rangers and people driving by and giving support. Every marathoner should put this race on their to do list.
The only negative was the bus getting us to the start with less than 15 minutes to get your chip and potty. When I opened the door to exit the porta-pot they said 30 seconds to start.

This was a great marathon! There are no spectators, but you have to give some if you want these breathtaking vistas. You can either choose a big city and get the huge crowds, or try a marathon like Rim Rock and get just an amazing view of Western Colorado and the Colorado National Monument. I drove in from SLC the night before, so morning of registration was great. Hotels are located like 5 minutes from the start, which is also very helpful. Aid stations were great, with pretzels and snacks and Heed (which I can't stand but I guess some people like).

Only negative:
The only port-a-potty I could find wasn't until mile 13 or 15. I think there may have been one or two scattered here and there, but there has got to be a way to get more port-a-potties. Even at mile 13 I had to wait in line because there was only one. They need to fix that.

Views were fantastic! It was almost surreal running around Rim Rock on the highway. The climb at the beginning was tough, but it was well worth it. The last half is pretty much downhill, which was a nice change from the climbing at the beginning. I thought this was a great race, and I normally prefer the bigger, city marathons. It is nice to change things up a little bit and get some incredible views. I would highly recommend it for 50 Staters. I might even do it again. You even get pint glasses at the end, but it would have been even better if you could have filled those pint glass with beer.

They even had a chiropractor and massage therapists at the end. I was very pleased with this marathon overall.

The race director did an excellent job, especially since this was a first-time marathon.

Very, very cool race. At first, I was looking forward to the great monument scenery. But the snow was AWESOME, and yielded to lots of fog, which made the monuments appear very ghostly. Finally the weather got sunny near the end.

The course was awesome, and the aid stations were very good - lots of enthusiasm there. The course by itself doesn't lend itself to tons of spectators, so the crowd support was naturally pretty thin. To be fair, a lot of courses don't lend themselves to crowds/support.

This is a race you run for the experience, not for a PR. It's a gas, and I'd recommend it to anyone. I'd bet it grows steadily as the news gets out.

Only downer is the port-o-potty situation. Gotta fix that one, for sure.

After having run Rim Rock Run (22.6 miles) many times, I was delighted that this run became a marathon. The scenery is breathtaking and the miles sail by unnoticed. I had just run the Chicago Marathon the month before, so my time was not as fast as usual, but I would expect to add no more than 10 minutes to your average total marathon time. The serenity and beauty are well worth those few extra minutes!

This was not my first marathon, but it was my first time running Rim Rock, which used to be a gate-to-gate 37K across the Colorado National Monument. This was the inaugural year at marathon distance, so I knew it would be a learning experience for both runners and race crew/directors.

As a Grand Junction local, I'd been expecting a cold but sunny day, so imagine my surprise when the forecast was for snow in the land of 360 days of sun a year! When race day morning rolled around, there was a full-blown snow squall that started about an hour before the start, and the race crew was busy at work to make sure the course was kept safe for the racers. Buses were also kept open for people to sit and wait if they so chose, instead of standing in the snow. One minor complaint about the start: not enough port-a-potties. Other than that, timing chips were handed out in a hassle-free fashion, and no real problems or issues at the start. We started a few minutes after the scheduled starting time but this was entirely due to the weather conditions, and the race crew making certain that no major issues or dangers were present on the monument, so I actually appreciated that safety was an important concern.

Despite a limited view from the monument due to weather, the course was still absolutely beautiful, and it was about as close to the feel of a trail run as you can get in road racing, with the quiet course and snow-dusted trees and bushes. While spectators were few and far between (not a problem for me - screaming, wall-to-wall fans/mega-marathons aren't my cup of tea), the aid stations were all outstanding, and manned by enthusiastic and organized volunteers. The climb up was indeed challenging, yet fun; the top of the monument rolls enough to keep you honest even after the big climb is over. Runners are rewarded with a screamingly fast last couple of miles down to the gate on the Fruita side. From there to the finish, the run along Highway 340 is physically and mentally tough, with cars whizzing by and no more downhill pitch. The turn into the park was a welcome sight, where family and friends could easily spectate.

There was a nice assortment offering of post-race food and beverages, massage tables/booths, and some door prizes/giveaways. While it certainly wouldn't stop me from running the race again, it would be cool if some age group categories existed beyond the top three open and masters - not to get "stuff" or medals/ribbons, but just as a goal that runners could shoot for (especially on a course that's not "flat and fast"). Again, that's just a suggestion and not something that I'd consider to be a problem with the race.

If you enjoy small yet well-organized marathons, or prefer scenic and quiet rural courses to large, big-city races, check out the Rim Rock Marathon. With the organization being as good as it was with new race directors/new distance in 2009, I expect that it'll be an awesome experience in 2010.

Fabulous course with the inaugural event (2009) starting in a snowstorm. A beautiful route through the stunning Colorado National Monument.

A long climb soon after the start (~15 KM) leads to a rolling section followed by a longer descent with a flat few KM to finish - save those quads.

Hard for spectators as the route turns into a one way road going the opposite direction during the event. However, they'll enjoy the amazing views if they do venture out on the course.

You'll want to train for this climb/descent to enjoy this.

Great small event, and friendly organization - highly recommended.

This is a beautiful course run through the Colorado National Monument in western Colorado. The course is tough with the first 8 miles being a significant uphill. Miles 8-13 were still at a slight incline, then the course levels off and rolls along the top of the monument until mile 19. Quads beware at this point, as you start a screaming down the fast descent until you hit the main road at mile 24. Great organization: it was snowing like crazy that morning and they did a great job of getting us onto the shuttle buses for the start line, and an even better job getting us OFF the buses to start the race in the snow. Luckily, I have been to this park many times and I know how scenic it is. However, this year, the snow made it impossible to see the canyons until around mile 15. Great aid stations with water, HEED, gels, and actual food (the type you find at ultra events). This is a small race with not many spectators other than the super friendly volunteers. If you want a small race with the potential for great scenery, give this one a try. Make sure you train for those hills, though!