Marathon Details - Deseret News Classic Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > UT > Salt Lake City > Deseret News Classic Marathon

Deseret News Classic Marathon & Half Marathon, 10K, 5K

Salt Lake City, UT USA

July 24, 2024

http://www.deseretnews.com/marathon

More Info:	News
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Contact

Name:	Bob Wood
Address:	Deseret Morning News Marathon 30 East 100 South Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Phone Number:	801-333-7473
Email:	Email the organizers



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Reviews

Course 3.7

Organization 3.3

Spectators 3.2

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Number of comments: 95 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 10 > ]

D. A. from Ann Arbor, MI (7/31/2022) "El Gringo Killer" (about: 2022) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Deseret News Classic Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I ran this marathon in July 2022 as part of my quest for 50 marathons in 50 states. Of the 10 marathons I've run thus far, this was my least favorite. As mentioned by others, one must take a bus ride from SLC up to Big Mountain (departing around 3:30am). Waiting for an hour in the dark atop the mountain for the race to start at the early hour is a bit of a drag. Lots of sleepy-eyed runners staring into the night. Much of this run is a descent. I began to feel the impact by mile 6. This was a bit of a surprise. I knew then that this was going to be a bigger challenge than I had expected. The route descending from Big Mountain is quite nice and provides many stunning views. However, once you hit SLC, it's a bit of a downer. The route follows a major arterial with rather heavy traffic for the early hour. There's a set of cones that provides one lane for runners, and local police direct traffic. However, it's a bit touch and go with traffic control and I had a near miss with a car. That was a first during a marathon. Again, as mentioned by others, there were far too few aid stations. The temperature was 90 by 8am and the lack of hydration stations was a bit dangerous. At one point, around mile 20, I contemplated a stop at a gas station for hydration. It was that bad. All in all, one of the more challenging marathons I've run (my slowest time during a marathon). The expo was small and easy (my preference). I estimate about 300 runners participated in the marathon. Minimal spectators at best. Nice medal and a shirt.
R. M. from Salt Lake City (7/26/2021) "Great to be back - post pandemic" (about: 2021) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Deseret News Classic Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Quick note of thanks to organizers and volunteers for getting this great marathon back after the pandemic (let's hope its after!) Beautiful course as always.
J. F. from California (7/25/2017) "Great race, great people, but hills misrepresented" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Deseret News Classic Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first year running this race and I actually came here to read reviews in case they were helpful. I did not find most comments helpful. I saw many people complain, about lack of support, poorly marked course, no spectators, very few port a pottys. I only have a few legitimate concerns - the first of which was the lack of discussion about the hills. This course is probably 3/4 downhill, but not only is the big hill misrepresented, it starts before mile 5 and goes up (with one break) till approx. almost mile 8. There is another incline in the out n back portion that I wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't clear we were running DOWN after the turn around. After that, there are at least two more, one longer one running up the street before you turn onto Foothill or University, and another steep one before you turn out of the neighborhood. I think both were prior to mile 21, so maybe 19 and 20. The other concern was almost complete lack of info on the DN site itself, no mention of these other 'bumps' and no photos of the current year medal and shirt. As far as other things? Great start area! People complained about that too! There was a nice tent, drop bag area, lighted, music, adequate port a potty, water. Decent footing on the road, field of runners was small enough (just over 300). Saw a lot of gripes about no spectators... 16 miles down a gorgeous canyon, why do you need spectators? Find a friend, sign them up and make them run with you. Solves problem. People complained about lack of aid, lack of volunteers, etc. Aid was great, great volunteers, security and course marshalls too. I easily get lost, no worries here. Everyone at the expo was friendly, helpful. The runners themselves were friendly. I did find it odd that my friend and I couldn't seem to find anybody at start who had ever run it before. Is this a one and done marathon? Most people were running the half. Great finish, announcer even said our names right, nice swag, XS shirts (this is a big deal) and even better, with early registration and a discount, it was only $54. Sad that we didn't get the BQ we were after but it was another trip and a new race. Thanks for the memories, DN!
S. B. from salt lake city (7/26/2016) "Where's the water the last 4 miles?" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Deseret News Classic Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Started running this in 1981 when the course was better though more difficult. Have run it nearly 20 times. Every year there are fewer aid stations. I had to pick up a half empty water bottle laying on the parade route. Was ready to beg water from a pedestrian. Last - why arrive at the top with over an hour to start when we are all there? Get this started already or load the buses later.
F. H. from Salt lake city (7/26/2016) "Great race - other than the bathroom problems" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Deseret News Classic Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 2016 was my 14th consecutive year of running this marathon. Great course, beautiful area to run. The Friday packet pickup option helped me. Great volunteers, and thank you to my new friend on Foothill drive who gave me a full bottle of ice cold water that i carried through the rest of the race. Good organization, on time start, all of the key ingredients of a race were in place with one glaring exception. There are just not enough bathrooms along the course. There is nothing more discouraging than standing in a bathroom line watching your time goal bleed away before your eyes. What i saw over and over again was one lone bathroom, with someone in it, someone waiting to get in, and someone behind them waiting for me to join them in line. I will concede that i saw one or two places this year with two bathrooms instead of one, but there were lines there also. Marathons are not just leisurely runs for me, they are aggressive personal battles against a specifically designed time goal. Of all of the races that i have done, this is really the only one where i have missed my time goal during several years. The reason i don't end up meeting it it is because i spend time standing behind other people waiting to get into the single bathroom that is available. I have posted on this site several times regarding this, i have written Emails to the organizers over the years, all of these Emails have gone unanswered and the situation never improves. Other than this one issue, this is a wonderful race, and i will be back next year. I hope to not be disappointed with the inadequate bathroom coverage on this course for the 15th time. And one final note. I would much rather ride to the start in an old school bus and have enough bathrooms to use as opposed to what i had on Monday. I would have contacted the organizers directly with my concerns, but i couldn't find a contact option on their page.
A. T. from Chicago (7/25/2016) "Good race" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 Deseret News Classic Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Second time running in it (1st was in 2008), and I think I liked it better this time! Bring sweatshirt/etc. for wait at Start (can be cool). Very scenic for about 15 (as I recall) miles until you hit town; lots of nice long downhills, although there was a long incline in first half for a while. Once we hit town, we ran through a residential area, then along a busy road (why I gave course a 4), then joined the parade which was really fun. Also got hot once we hit the valley. Host hotel is great shuttle to bus pickup for start. Allowed a 1 p.m. Checkout.
C. O. from UTAH (8/19/2015) "That was amazing!" (about: 2015) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Deseret News Classic Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 It is hard to give a thoroughly objective review of this race because it is sentimental to me. My brother, who is a legitimately talented and experienced runner, gave me this race to run with him as a Christmas present when he saw me take up the sport, despite the fact I have always considered running very difficult for me. Not only would this be my first marathon, it would be only my second race ever. For a novice, there are some things that added to my fear. Just a few days prior, the heat had been in the triple digits consistently for a couple of weeks. It is for this reason the start time is insane. My alarm went off at 2:00 in the morning to give me enough time to gather my wits and my stuff, pick up my brother and make it to the buses which left promptly at 3:30 AM. You could really feel the extent of the elevation grades as the bus kept going and going into the blackness. And there was a lengthy wait at the top. Too much time to ponder, What have I gotten myself into? It is spooky and dramatic (and lovely) to see the city lights so far in the distance. I sat on the gravel uncontrollably shaking I was so nervous. But that said, there were plenty of the good kind of port-a-potties up top (and throughout the course) the climate was comfortable, and the people were positive and cheerful. Bag drop went off without a hitch. I am local and run many times in our beautiful mountains here to train. I knew the big climb between miles 5 and 8 was coming up and thought if I could make it past that, the race would be in the bag. It is a daunting climb and looks and feels much worse than the elevation diagram depicts. I did not do my city homework as much and after we got out of the canyon, I was surprised at how many (though much less pronounced) stretches of incline there were throughout the remainder of the course. But they weren't so bad and I got to run past a bunch of landmarks that gave me warm, happy feelings and good memories. There were hardly any spectators, and frankly, that was ok for me as I was feeling self-conscious anyway. HOWEVER, I have to admit, the very short stretch of parade route densely populated with spectators made me smile. Come on. A mass of hula dancers following a ginormous sparkly orange octopus has to give you a little happiness to finish up the race, right? (And of course you have to pick up your pace because people are watching.) ;) Oooh, and I got to practice my beauty queen wave! At the end, my toes hurt the worst of anything. Lesson learned. From now on, I will use toe caps for races with severe elevation changes. I now swear by them. No, there isn't fanfare and no gourmet snacks and bells and whistles, and yes, I don't have the perspective of other races to compare, but you know what? I finished happy. And with a better time than anticipated. There is not one bad thing about this race I can report. The entire race was well organized, positive and life-changing. Yes, it's a tough course, but if I can do it, I promise you can too. I equate my experience to riding a scary roller coaster for the first time, and when I get off, I scream, That was amazing! I want to go again! I immediately signed up for another marathon, so I guess this race did its job. And you can't ask more than that.
R. B. from Canada (8/1/2014) "Excellent, challenging course with incredible view" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Deseret News Classic Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 This is a challenging, beautiful course. 2014 had a major headwind that interfered with my goal of breaking sub 3. I'd love to see the following changes: more water stations!!! (at least every other mile instead of every 3-4), close the road to traffic and bikes on the way down emigration canyon. It was all the bikers that were getting in the way... I loved the host hotel, SLC university Marriott. Excellent price and convenient shuttle to race pick up on the morning of.
M. R. from Ogden, UT (9/1/2013) "Disappointment" (about: 2013) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Deseret News Classic Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I have always enjoyed running this marathon. The course is very good and the spectators are great. I was disappointed that they didn't pick up runners at the ESA as they have in the past. Now the only pick up point is the Rice-Eccles stadium. Getting back to the freeway from the stadium is difficult because of the traffic. It took me half an hour longer to get home after this run. Also, they don't have morning of race packet pick-up, so anybody who lives out of town has to make an extra trip to SLC to pick up their packet. To top it off, they gave us a cheap cotton blend T-shirt instead of the tech shirts that they have given out in the past. It might be time for the Deseret News to find a new sponsor because they are cutting too many corners.
M. H. from Idaho (8/14/2013) "Failed potential" (about: 2013) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Deseret News Classic Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 Not sure where to start, maybe my expectations were too high. Let me say that I am a slower runner (finished at 4:50ish), and only one previous marathon, so grain of salt with the comments. Coming in from out of town and I selected my hotel based on packet pick up and bus schedule, but those both changed in the last few weeks to the marathon. I paid for a large shirt, was given a medium at the 'expo' and didn't notice until I got back to the hotel. When I asked at the race the next day, they were out of t-shirts and wouldn't help me. The aid stations were out of anything but warm water by the time I got there, the finish had water and a trough of ice, but none of the promised bagels, smoothies, french toast, etc. There was no one watching over the bag pick up, I know because I sent my wife to pick up my bag, without my bib, and didn't think about her getting stopped, and she found the bags laying on the ground in the park without anyone watching and no one questioned her grabbing my bag. Spectators were definitely not there to watch runners. Waiting for 2 hours at the top didn't make much sense The course was pretty, it was nice having the police at every intersection, and the weather was nice.....

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D. A. from Ann Arbor, MI (7/31/2022) "El Gringo Killer" (about: 2022) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Deseret News Classic Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I ran this marathon in July 2022 as part of my quest for 50 marathons in 50 states. Of the 10 marathons I've run thus far, this was my least favorite. As mentioned by others, one must take a bus ride from SLC up to Big Mountain (departing around 3:30am). Waiting for an hour in the dark atop the mountain for the race to start at the early hour is a bit of a drag. Lots of sleepy-eyed runners staring into the night. Much of this run is a descent. I began to feel the impact by mile 6. This was a bit of a surprise. I knew then that this was going to be a bigger challenge than I had expected. The route descending from Big Mountain is quite nice and provides many stunning views. However, once you hit SLC, it's a bit of a downer. The route follows a major arterial with rather heavy traffic for the early hour. There's a set of cones that provides one lane for runners, and local police direct traffic. However, it's a bit touch and go with traffic control and I had a near miss with a car. That was a first during a marathon. Again, as mentioned by others, there were far too few aid stations. The temperature was 90 by 8am and the lack of hydration stations was a bit dangerous. At one point, around mile 20, I contemplated a stop at a gas station for hydration. It was that bad. All in all, one of the more challenging marathons I've run (my slowest time during a marathon). The expo was small and easy (my preference). I estimate about 300 runners participated in the marathon. Minimal spectators at best. Nice medal and a shirt.
R. M. from Salt Lake City (7/26/2021) "Great to be back - post pandemic" (about: 2021) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Deseret News Classic Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Quick note of thanks to organizers and volunteers for getting this great marathon back after the pandemic (let's hope its after!) Beautiful course as always.
J. F. from California (7/25/2017) "Great race, great people, but hills misrepresented" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Deseret News Classic Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first year running this race and I actually came here to read reviews in case they were helpful. I did not find most comments helpful. I saw many people complain, about lack of support, poorly marked course, no spectators, very few port a pottys. I only have a few legitimate concerns - the first of which was the lack of discussion about the hills. This course is probably 3/4 downhill, but not only is the big hill misrepresented, it starts before mile 5 and goes up (with one break) till approx. almost mile 8. There is another incline in the out n back portion that I wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't clear we were running DOWN after the turn around. After that, there are at least two more, one longer one running up the street before you turn onto Foothill or University, and another steep one before you turn out of the neighborhood. I think both were prior to mile 21, so maybe 19 and 20. The other concern was almost complete lack of info on the DN site itself, no mention of these other 'bumps' and no photos of the current year medal and shirt. As far as other things? Great start area! People complained about that too! There was a nice tent, drop bag area, lighted, music, adequate port a potty, water. Decent footing on the road, field of runners was small enough (just over 300). Saw a lot of gripes about no spectators... 16 miles down a gorgeous canyon, why do you need spectators? Find a friend, sign them up and make them run with you. Solves problem. People complained about lack of aid, lack of volunteers, etc. Aid was great, great volunteers, security and course marshalls too. I easily get lost, no worries here. Everyone at the expo was friendly, helpful. The runners themselves were friendly. I did find it odd that my friend and I couldn't seem to find anybody at start who had ever run it before. Is this a one and done marathon? Most people were running the half. Great finish, announcer even said our names right, nice swag, XS shirts (this is a big deal) and even better, with early registration and a discount, it was only $54. Sad that we didn't get the BQ we were after but it was another trip and a new race. Thanks for the memories, DN!
S. B. from salt lake city (7/26/2016) "Where's the water the last 4 miles?" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Deseret News Classic Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Started running this in 1981 when the course was better though more difficult. Have run it nearly 20 times. Every year there are fewer aid stations. I had to pick up a half empty water bottle laying on the parade route. Was ready to beg water from a pedestrian. Last - why arrive at the top with over an hour to start when we are all there? Get this started already or load the buses later.
F. H. from Salt lake city (7/26/2016) "Great race - other than the bathroom problems" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Deseret News Classic Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 2016 was my 14th consecutive year of running this marathon. Great course, beautiful area to run. The Friday packet pickup option helped me. Great volunteers, and thank you to my new friend on Foothill drive who gave me a full bottle of ice cold water that i carried through the rest of the race. Good organization, on time start, all of the key ingredients of a race were in place with one glaring exception. There are just not enough bathrooms along the course. There is nothing more discouraging than standing in a bathroom line watching your time goal bleed away before your eyes. What i saw over and over again was one lone bathroom, with someone in it, someone waiting to get in, and someone behind them waiting for me to join them in line. I will concede that i saw one or two places this year with two bathrooms instead of one, but there were lines there also. Marathons are not just leisurely runs for me, they are aggressive personal battles against a specifically designed time goal. Of all of the races that i have done, this is really the only one where i have missed my time goal during several years. The reason i don't end up meeting it it is because i spend time standing behind other people waiting to get into the single bathroom that is available. I have posted on this site several times regarding this, i have written Emails to the organizers over the years, all of these Emails have gone unanswered and the situation never improves. Other than this one issue, this is a wonderful race, and i will be back next year. I hope to not be disappointed with the inadequate bathroom coverage on this course for the 15th time. And one final note. I would much rather ride to the start in an old school bus and have enough bathrooms to use as opposed to what i had on Monday. I would have contacted the organizers directly with my concerns, but i couldn't find a contact option on their page.
A. T. from Chicago (7/25/2016) "Good race" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 Deseret News Classic Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Second time running in it (1st was in 2008), and I think I liked it better this time! Bring sweatshirt/etc. for wait at Start (can be cool). Very scenic for about 15 (as I recall) miles until you hit town; lots of nice long downhills, although there was a long incline in first half for a while. Once we hit town, we ran through a residential area, then along a busy road (why I gave course a 4), then joined the parade which was really fun. Also got hot once we hit the valley. Host hotel is great shuttle to bus pickup for start. Allowed a 1 p.m. Checkout.
C. O. from UTAH (8/19/2015) "That was amazing!" (about: 2015) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Deseret News Classic Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 It is hard to give a thoroughly objective review of this race because it is sentimental to me. My brother, who is a legitimately talented and experienced runner, gave me this race to run with him as a Christmas present when he saw me take up the sport, despite the fact I have always considered running very difficult for me. Not only would this be my first marathon, it would be only my second race ever. For a novice, there are some things that added to my fear. Just a few days prior, the heat had been in the triple digits consistently for a couple of weeks. It is for this reason the start time is insane. My alarm went off at 2:00 in the morning to give me enough time to gather my wits and my stuff, pick up my brother and make it to the buses which left promptly at 3:30 AM. You could really feel the extent of the elevation grades as the bus kept going and going into the blackness. And there was a lengthy wait at the top. Too much time to ponder, What have I gotten myself into? It is spooky and dramatic (and lovely) to see the city lights so far in the distance. I sat on the gravel uncontrollably shaking I was so nervous. But that said, there were plenty of the good kind of port-a-potties up top (and throughout the course) the climate was comfortable, and the people were positive and cheerful. Bag drop went off without a hitch. I am local and run many times in our beautiful mountains here to train. I knew the big climb between miles 5 and 8 was coming up and thought if I could make it past that, the race would be in the bag. It is a daunting climb and looks and feels much worse than the elevation diagram depicts. I did not do my city homework as much and after we got out of the canyon, I was surprised at how many (though much less pronounced) stretches of incline there were throughout the remainder of the course. But they weren't so bad and I got to run past a bunch of landmarks that gave me warm, happy feelings and good memories. There were hardly any spectators, and frankly, that was ok for me as I was feeling self-conscious anyway. HOWEVER, I have to admit, the very short stretch of parade route densely populated with spectators made me smile. Come on. A mass of hula dancers following a ginormous sparkly orange octopus has to give you a little happiness to finish up the race, right? (And of course you have to pick up your pace because people are watching.) ;) Oooh, and I got to practice my beauty queen wave! At the end, my toes hurt the worst of anything. Lesson learned. From now on, I will use toe caps for races with severe elevation changes. I now swear by them. No, there isn't fanfare and no gourmet snacks and bells and whistles, and yes, I don't have the perspective of other races to compare, but you know what? I finished happy. And with a better time than anticipated. There is not one bad thing about this race I can report. The entire race was well organized, positive and life-changing. Yes, it's a tough course, but if I can do it, I promise you can too. I equate my experience to riding a scary roller coaster for the first time, and when I get off, I scream, That was amazing! I want to go again! I immediately signed up for another marathon, so I guess this race did its job. And you can't ask more than that.
R. B. from Canada (8/1/2014) "Excellent, challenging course with incredible view" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Deseret News Classic Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 This is a challenging, beautiful course. 2014 had a major headwind that interfered with my goal of breaking sub 3. I'd love to see the following changes: more water stations!!! (at least every other mile instead of every 3-4), close the road to traffic and bikes on the way down emigration canyon. It was all the bikers that were getting in the way... I loved the host hotel, SLC university Marriott. Excellent price and convenient shuttle to race pick up on the morning of.
M. R. from Ogden, UT (9/1/2013) "Disappointment" (about: 2013) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Deseret News Classic Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I have always enjoyed running this marathon. The course is very good and the spectators are great. I was disappointed that they didn't pick up runners at the ESA as they have in the past. Now the only pick up point is the Rice-Eccles stadium. Getting back to the freeway from the stadium is difficult because of the traffic. It took me half an hour longer to get home after this run. Also, they don't have morning of race packet pick-up, so anybody who lives out of town has to make an extra trip to SLC to pick up their packet. To top it off, they gave us a cheap cotton blend T-shirt instead of the tech shirts that they have given out in the past. It might be time for the Deseret News to find a new sponsor because they are cutting too many corners.
M. H. from Idaho (8/14/2013) "Failed potential" (about: 2013) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Deseret News Classic Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 Not sure where to start, maybe my expectations were too high. Let me say that I am a slower runner (finished at 4:50ish), and only one previous marathon, so grain of salt with the comments. Coming in from out of town and I selected my hotel based on packet pick up and bus schedule, but those both changed in the last few weeks to the marathon. I paid for a large shirt, was given a medium at the 'expo' and didn't notice until I got back to the hotel. When I asked at the race the next day, they were out of t-shirts and wouldn't help me. The aid stations were out of anything but warm water by the time I got there, the finish had water and a trough of ice, but none of the promised bagels, smoothies, french toast, etc. There was no one watching over the bag pick up, I know because I sent my wife to pick up my bag, without my bib, and didn't think about her getting stopped, and she found the bags laying on the ground in the park without anyone watching and no one questioned her grabbing my bag. Spectators were definitely not there to watch runners. Waiting for 2 hours at the top didn't make much sense The course was pretty, it was nice having the police at every intersection, and the weather was nice.....

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Marathon Details - Deseret News Classic Marathon