Morgan Valley Marathon - Race Reviews

I have lived in Utah for over a decade and I can't believe I had never run this marathon. What a gem! You get so much for the money. A nice shirt, a beanie with the marathon logo, a beautiful finisher's medal, a pasta-meal the day before the race, race organizers that care about the details, good volunteers at well-stocked aid stations, an absolutely beautiful course, and I could go on. One thing that surprised me is how much I enjoyed the small field and the quiet of running in the scenic setting of Morgan and the surrounding towns. The course is not easy with the rollers in the last 10 miles being mostly uphill. The upside is that the course is easy on your legs. The course was so quiet that the miles simply ticked by and it seemed that time went by so fast. What little spectators were there were very enthusiastic. The finish line area was well-stocked and you even got a very good post race massage included in your entry! Finally, the logistics were super simple since the start and the finish are in the same place. No bus to the start. MVM is a great marathon and a great destination race.

An amazingly well-organized race clearly put on by runners for runners. Everything they did made sense, it would be hard to improve on anything! I don't know why there were only 150 runners in the marathon (maybe they limit it?) but it might just be a well-kept secret. As a 50-stater, this was my Utah race, and I could not recommend it more highly! Plenty of accurate comments are listed below in previous years' reviews - all of which held true for this year, too (although I would consider this pretty flat with the hills b-a-r-e-l-y rolling). Put it on your list, and bring your family for the weekend - it's an area that is easy to access from SLC airport and has plenty to do for everyone. I gave the fans a 5 because this race deserved 5 stars and every one out there was awesome, although there were only a few fans - no bands and hoopla here if you need that. Thank you, MVM!

Marathons in Utah could learn a thing or two from the organizers at MVM. I have rune this marathon 4 times, more than any other Utah marathon. I do it because it caters to the runner in every way. The start time is spot on. I am usually done between 9:30 and 10:00 and home by 11. The course is great with just enough rolling hills to keep you honest. The aid tables are hands down the best of any marathon I have ever run. The post food is what post race food should be. And finally mile 23, where coke products are offered, in addition to the Gatorade and water, is genius. I live for mile 23. I will be back next year, and the year after, and the year after that...

I ran this race mainly because of the great comments and it delivered! I'm thinking high temps scared people away because other than that, this race deserves so many more people running it. I'm not fast and was able to get through 14 miles before it started feeling warm. Can't say enough good things: free pasta, friendly people and organizers, great bag of goodies, nice tech shirt, incredible support (they promised a lot and they delivered on the promise exactly as stated), misters, traveling support, fully stocked aid stations, enthusiastic volunteers, free/no wait massages, lots of food/drink at the end, and an incredible medal. Also had a 5:30 AM start to beat the heat plus the added bonus of watching a beautiful sunrise over the mountains. Some slight rolling hills, but really wasn't bad. My congratulations to the race directors for putting on a fabulous race. Going to tell my friends to do this Utah race! The only reason for just 4 stars on spectators is there aren't a lot of people out there, but once again, had a lot of aid stations which made up for it. Course was extremely accurate too. My GPS was hitting right on the mile markers and at the end had 26.21 on it. And another plus is they were super fast at answering questions and getting problems solved through Facebook. I asked about a discount code and they had it fixed almost immediately. Great value for a marathon, too!

Thankful that we started as early as possible because it did get hot. The open course was not an issue. We had a 20 minute drive, but there was plenty of (free) parking close to the start. Pros:Exceptionally well organized. Very friendly and helpful race staff and well trained volunteers! Plenty of support on the course. Cons: No hotels in Morgan.

One of the best marathons I've ever run. Packet pick-up is the morning of the race so you don't have to make an extra trip. Out and back so you don't have to be extra early to catch a bus. The Race Directors are very friendly and they seek comments from the runners on how to improve the races. The scenery is great. The roads are fairly quiet so spectators can drive the course to cheer on their runners. 'I'll be back.'

This was my third MVM, my 23rd marathon overall. I come back to this one because it is my favorite. Organization is top notch, aid stations are well stocked by great and enthusiastic volunteers (aid station at mile 23 gets special props for their offering of coke to drink. That alone will keep me coming back), and though the spectators are sparse the one's out there are friendly and encouraging. I will definitely be back next year.

I ran Morgan this year and loved it! The organizers were gracious, the scenery beautiful, and the execution of the race was fantastic. I made a road trip from Portland, OR, and every mile was worth it. I will be recommending this to the greater running community of Oregon

Everything good that can be said about a marathon and a small community is true about the Morgan Valley Marathon. Human goodness and runner smarts do not come any better than Tara Low, the Race Director, and her team. The course is absolutely beautiful and varied; you will have constant great scenery but it is varied and you will have to work periodically to handle the rolling hills. The rising sun shortly after the start will beg you to stop and take pictures of this verdant valley. And you will realize that you are running past history in the farming buildings and fields. Spectators are great but you will feel the good Lord gave you this one to take in the beautiful panorama and not be distracted by a crowd (as wonderful as that can be!). There is an old-fashioned goodness in the people of this community and those who help with the race. And you will feel that over and over and over. They really are glad you came to run their marathon and visit Morgan! With all the top-notch races and marathons in Utah and this region, you will not find a better value for your entry fee  classy shirt and medal, free pasta dinner, fully-loaded aid stations, quality security, free photos and roving aid station wagon. Morgan Valley has it all! Wow!!

I've run this Marathon three times. It grows larger every year. The course is flat and relatively easy. Excellent organization, water stations, finishing area etc. Only downside, perhaps, is there are many more 5k runners, 10k runners, and 1/2 marathon runners than marathon runners. You share the same finishing miles and finishing station with these runners i.e Had to wait at the massage tables for all the 5 k runners in line (?), if you get my drift.. But not a significant downside - great race. Hoping for 2014 to run it a 4th time!

This ranks as the best run marathon of the 32 that I have run to date. Beautiful course, beautiful people. The six co-directors are serious runners - they left nothing to chance. From packet pick-up to post-race massage, they attended to every runner need. Well-stocked aid stations - water, Powerade, pickle juice, coke, nuts, chewies, fruits. Roaming golf cart provided extra support. Troopers on motorcycles facilitated traffic. Weather was perfect, but when it rained, the directors drove around handing out panchos to those who wanted one. Free massage at the end, and lots of food. The medal was classy. I chose MVM for my Utah marathon, and I recommend it.

This was my thirteenth marathon and fourth in Utah and I have to say that it ranks as one of my favorites. Organization was great, aid stations were top-notch. Plenty of water, powerade, snacks, fruit, and GU. Aid station workers were very encouraging and supportive. Not much in the way of fan support along the course, but that's never been important to me. The course is rolling and the 5:30 a.m. start is genius. I felt the heat only the last hour or so which I think attributed to the second fastest marathon time I've recorded. I picked up my bib and chip the morning of the race without a hitch. This race will only continue to grow. Hopefully it doesn't detract from the wonderful organization. Well done Morgan! I'll be back next year.

I have run this marathon in it's inaugural year and now in it's second year and both were wonderfully well done for a small race. COURSE: Rolling hills of country paved roads with a few miles run in small town America. Even though this is an open course I felt extremely safe running on the roadways. A neighborly wave from the passing cars and trucks was the norm to see. All turns were either clearly marked on the pavement or a volunteer was there to guide you in the direction you needed to go. A half dozen police officers on motorcycle could be seen driving past on occasion to ensure our safety. Organization: Vey well organized, the package pickup the day before went smooth and people could easily get their packets and bibs prior to the race. The aid stations were plenty along the course and stocked with everything a runner could want...water, sports drinks, gels, fruit, snacks, water mists etc. The roving Marathon Butlers (4 wheelers with people to aid you along the way) was an added reassurance since the heat picked up for the second half of the race. SPECTATORS: Unless you brought your own, there aren't many along the course. The aid station volunteers made up for the lack of spectators though and a few goats and horses along the way gave their nods of approval as well. Post race activities were equally well organized. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, water, soda, chocolate milk, fruit, snacks candy and plenty of massage tables! Live Bands with thousands of spectators this race is not but if you are looking for a small well organized race with tons of character and genuinely nice people, this race is for you.