Deseret News Marathon - Race Reviews

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.....

I was a little scared going into this race because of the altitude and negative reviews. I'm a flatlander so I knew it would be a challenge. The race was very well organized but fairly basic (do another race if you expect lots of extras). The course was absolutely beautiful and a quadriceps killer (make sure to train for down hills or prepare to be sore). The turns and intersections were well marked and staffed by volunteers or police. Overall I had a great experience. The only two negatives is that the race website boasts that you will have 100,000 people cheering you along the parade route (maybe for the 10k but not the full marathon). The food was mostly gone by the time I finished in 4:21 (got a banana and water) and the shuttle buses were hard to find. However I'd definitely do this marathon again.

I have run close to 40 marathons and Deseret News 11 times. I really enjoy Deseret News. It is a tough course/race and I believe that is why not too many people choose to run it. I had a few concerns with this years race. The packet pick-up and 'expo' was interesting at Wasatch Running. Traffic was a bit challenging, but worked out ok. The start of the marathon was not too well organized. No sound system, I know you had problems. Water/Gatorade support. It would be nice to have more Gatorade at the water stops. For the marathoners at least it would be nice to have water stops every mile after mile 22. It gets hot and is tough to push through those last 4 miles. The finish was disappointing. Water from a hose being dipped out of a trough in each cup. Not sure how that passes health standards. Water was warm and tasted like a vinyl hose. Oranges, bananas and smoothies were good. The French toast folks closed down before most of the marathoners were in. We really were looking forward to some carbs. Bread, bagels, etc. The massage people did a very good job. I really like this marathon and want to see it succeed and continue. I feel that it is getting very little support and the focus is on the 10K and the half marathon. Please support the marathon and work to make it a better experience for those who may not run it just for the course and the challenge.

This was my 4th marathon - and also have done 20 or so halfs in last 7 years, and honestly after driving the race before in the car, I figured yes - tough , but doable in a decent time. I did a 430 and was hoping for a sub 4 hr. I train hills. was happy for pre ride up hill, but having to get out of house by 2.45 am to catch bus, wasn't pretty and then the wait for the 5.30 start. and to run out of Gatorade some ways from finish line, not acceptable, and same medal as the 5km finishers ? no biggie - but just saying honestly wouldn't do it again. best part of day was after race massage, free - but I tipped her 20.00.

I prefer the small races so I choose wisely with this one. The organization it takes to drive runners to the start of a races miles away and up narrow, winding roads is something to think about. You have to wake up really early to catch a ride to the start. Then you wait at the starting line (in the slightly chilled air). The first portion of the race is on narrow moutain roads. The air is thinner, the downward grade will hurt (even though you think it won't), and you will be dodging bikes and cars. After you come off the mountain, you're running in residential areas, and then along some pretty boring roads. There aren't too many spectators. By this point, it's pretty hot too. That being said, every aid station was stocked and the other runners were very supportive. Any race in July is going to be tough. If you're trying to cross off state and don't have anything going on in July, I recommend this one.

This was my 35th marathon and this was by far my least favorite and most miserable. Everything about this marathon lacked energy - from the packet pickup to waiting around for the start to the finish line. There were no fans and even those at the water stops were unenthusiatic. Waiting at the top for 90 minutes was silly. Water stops were too far apart. I couldn't wait to get this one over with.

Further to the comments of the marathoners from Maryland and Illinois, to date I've run 23 marathons and found this one to be the toughest one(by far!) in terms of the downhill course, altitude (7500+' down to 4400' in SLC) for anyone used to running closer to sea-level or at lower elevations (along with the heat once you enter SLC) if you're having a tough day. I'm from the Toronto-area and ran my 'personal worst' marathon time at Deseret. That said, this race offers a very scenic course thru Emigration Canyon with views of Salt Lake valley and I found the 'Days of 47' history of Pioneer Day holiday interesting. Logistics weren't great but this is a smaller race. Not a race to run a PR though (unless you're from the Rocky Mountain West) and expect a rough day if you typically run on either the east or west coast.

I've run 14 marathons in 8 states and 2 countries in Europe so I get around and know what a good race should b like. The course was boring and had no spectators. It was hard on my body because it was a constant down hill, I normally only experience pain after I run....not during but this race I did, and had my worst time ever. When I finished they had run out of water! The shuttle busses going back were a mess and weren't properly marked. I was lucky to get back to my hotel at all....no cabs cuz parade had streets closed off. When I registered at the expo I was given a bib number for the 10k when I clearly wrote full marathon and if I didn't go back and change it I would have been out of luck. I drove in from Las Vegas and the day of packet pick up I tried contacting the race director via e-mails and phone calls and I never got a response! I would advise anyone to skip this run. Worst marathon of my life!

I've run more than a dozen marathons, and found this one to be just brutal. I'd read the comments about this race and prepared well. I took warm clothes and a blanket to the start line. I've practiced running downhill. I was ready for the heat. And none of that mattered. The first ten miles down the mountain were easy and fun. I had to hold myself back from running too fast. By mile 13, the constant downhill was bothering my hamstrings. By mile 18, I was in constant pain in my hamstrings and knees. By mile 20, I had to walk, since it hurt too much to run. Around me, at least 80% of the others were walking too. The weather was hot, and the water stops were only every other mile. As I was walking, that meant 30 minutes between water stops in the hot July Utah heat. I was smart enough to pack some cash, and made my own water stop at a 7-Eleven along the race route. There were very few spectators to cheer us on. The traffic control was minimal, on Emigration Canyon road, there were cars going both ways that ignored the runners. Lots of bicyclists also on the race route whizzing by. I would only recommend this race to those looking for a hardcore mountain marathon experience.

This race starts at an altitude of 7500 feet and with a significant descent for the first 5 miles of probably between a 7% to 10% grade. Race preparation must include lots of training and practice to condition your legs to that type of stress. Local runners are aware of this but it may not be complete apparent to others. So if you are coming from flatlands and sea level - beware. Likewise, although everyone was very nice and tried to be helpful, there were some very simple things they should have included especially for a race that's been around for over 40 years. Namely, race volunteers or officials at key turns on the course or at a minimum, clear directional signage or road markings. There is a short out and back between miles 9 and 10 where there is just a cone in the road which is supposed to signify a turn around - however it had a sign with an arrow pointing straight ahead. How about a u-turn sign? Or a person posted at the cone to let runners know where to go? Fortunately the runner in front of me had run the race before and knew that this was a turn around, so I followed him. At slightly past mile 24 there was supposed to be a left turn - however, again no signage and no race officials. In fact, police on hand to block traffic for the parade were uninformed about the race route and even sent one runner the opposite direction. I actually ran an extra block and was directed to run down the parade route by a police officer which added over a half mile to the race course. I realize that sounds very negative - but this race is really an adventure and seriously physically challenging to say the least and despite those aforementioned issues, I actually had a pretty good time at this race. It is low key, but the local runners are tight-knit and very supportive of each other both before, during and after the race.

I have run this marathon 9 times (first time was back in 1982). It is my local course as I grew up near the mouth of Emigration Canyon. I appreciate Bob Wood and his team's help to organize this race. A few notes to those running this race: 1) There is a lot of down time at the top waiting for the race to start. In 2010 it was pretty cool (close to 40 degrees). In 2009 it was warmer. This year we went to Wal-Mart and bought $5 chairs. We really wanted someplace to sit down versus walking/standing for over an hour waiting for the race to start. We ended up getting the chairs at the bottom since we put our numbers on the back of the chairs. 2) The first 4 miles are the steepest downhill miles I run all year long (even steeper than anything at St. George). Take it easy on these first 4 miles. 3) Enjoy the canyon; it is the best part of the race. You leave the canyon around mile 16. 4) Once you leave the canyon, you get more crowd support. However, the city is more focused on the parade than the marathon. 5) The volunteers are great. 6) The heat (I think near 70-75 at the finish line) hasn't bothered me much. I drink at least 3 cups of water at all aid stations after 13. I also pour 2-3 cups of water on me at each aid station. It is a good race. However, I got smoked by my 18-year-old son and my 48-year-old younger brother. :-)

I too picked this as my first marathon and it was a mistake in that the downhill creamed me. That being said, I loved this course. The downhill section is gorgeous - I love those canyons. I ran fine until the mile 15 aid station, at which point I stopped to refill a water bottle, and my knees stopped also (IT band flare up). After hobbling for 3 more miles I had to walk the last 8.2. I thought the organization was great for a small race and the volunteers were excellent. I finished in 5:30 and got no support after hitting the finish line. Thankfully my family helped me find popsicles and water. I guess the volunteers had checked out by that point. Overall, I enjoyed it and I'll be back so I can "run" the marathon the whole way.

Course: Beautiful course. There are canyons, mountains, the sound of streams and a view of the valley in the early morning that is truly spectacular. Volunteers/Spectators: Not many spectators until you reach the Salt Lake Valley, but the ones who were present were very supportive. The spectators for the parade route for one block definitely noticed us and were very encouraging. A big thank you to the volunteers. They all got up very early on a Saturday (including children). All of the aid stations were well staffed, supportive and helpful. I am very grateful. There were many cyclists passing us and sharing the course. They were without exception very respectful and actually very encouraging. Organization: This marathon has been held for over 40 years. That says it all. It is very well organized with great staff. The following are intended to be comments and suggestions (not criticisms) for future participants and the race directors: 1) Heat Factor: completely overrated. It is actually very cool before the race and I was shivering waiting for the start unless I kept moving. Bring sweats and something to sit on. Most participants did. This marathon is held to celebrate the 24th of July and the date is not going to change. It is summer in Utah, with high temperatures in the 90s, but not during the race. The real heat does not set in until after about 11:30 and the race directors have clearly stated that that is the time limit and there is not going to be support afterward. That is completely fair. Everyone knows it beforehand. 2) Train for downhills. The only real uphill is between miles 6 and 7 and it is not excessively steep. What is really needed is prior training running down hills at a 10% grade. Have someone drive you to the top of a long hill for several miles and train running down it - not up it. 3) Bring a small flashlight for before the race. 4) Increased number of port-a-potties are definitely needed at the start of the marathon and during the first half. After that, it becomes less important. 5) The water at the stations was cool and not warm (see comments from prior years) and the finisher medal and tech T-shirt are very nice, without excessive amounts of advertising. 6) You will wear a chip (to record your finishing time?), but the actual start is not chip timed. I would like to see the entire race chip timed. 7) A huge thank you to Sam Wood for all of the extra effort to send us a second T-shirt after the race at a nominal cost that made no real profit for the marathon whatsoever. Summary: I only enjoy running for fun. I have been lucky enough to run marathons and ultra-marathons on three different continents in the world. This is a great marathon. The staff/volunteers deserve a huge thank you for a great job. I will definitely be back.

This marathon is not for slow runners. They say specifically that they open the roads after 6 hours, and they are serious. What confuses people is that past results do list times of up to 7 hours. BUT there is no course support after 6 hours and it is easy to get lost. Once in the city, it is really hot, and course support is essential. My biggest complaint: lack of signage. Only a few directional signs. I think I saw only 2 signs with arrows. I would have missed one crucial turn had I not been with someone who has run the course before. Once, in the city, there were several turns that were hard to find. I was still within the allotted time, so I was fine and had police tell me where to turn; but those who missed the 6-hour cut-off didn't know where to go. Past reviews talked about people watching the parade not knowing that there was a marathon and not cheering - not only do they not cheer, but they also walk in front of runners. I was in UT for a few days before the marathon, and while the news talked about the parade and festivities non-stop, not once did I hear any mention of a marathon. So, the locals really know nothing about a marathon. I had one bicycle almost run me over, and when I told her she was on a marathon course, she asked what I meant. I then screamed, "DON'T RIDE YOUR BIKE INTO ME." Otherwise, the volunteers were great and the course is beautiful in the mountains. I just wouldn't recommend this for any runner who is going to be near 6 hours or over 6 hours. And I think they can hang up a few arrows telling people where to turn.

I live in the mountains and thought I had trained for hill running BUT I did not anticipate that much downhill running. The size of the race was great. So many friendly runners! Not sure why they have such early shuttles. I took the latest shuttle at 3:15 a.m. (as there was a bit of confusion at the host hotel) and we arrived at the start at 4:15 a.m. The race didn't start until 530 a.m., so bring blankets, a sleeping bag, or something, because it's REALLY cold. The spectators were great, enthusiastic and really supportive. The weather was perfect. Glad they start so early because if you finish within 3-5 hours you can avoid most of the heat. Definitely the most beautiful marathon I've run.

Des news is fast, theoretically anyway, but don't be fooled. The first half is very fast, and then it gets REALLY hot when the sun comes out. It's July in Utah and things can happen that second half. They have very good traffic control, and aid stations every few miles, but there is not a lot of pampering in this race. It gets tedious in the heat. The race takes place on Pioneer Day, and generally follows the pioneer trail to this is the place Utah. Coincidentally, it is also the same route as the ill-fated Donner Party of 1846, but it is doubtful that things will go that badly for you in the marathon. It's a low-key race, with maybe 500 people in the marathon. You get a decent tech shirt and standard finisher medallion. The expo is basically a packet pick-up; there's not much there. There is a rodeo, and fireworks, and a parade all on the same day as the marathon. If you got particularly beat up in the marathon, the rodeo may make you feel better after the race. These events are not really associated with the marathon. There is a 10K that is associated, and is basically the last 6.2 miles of the course. The 10K is much more popular then the marathon and has a large field of runners. Do not expect the world to stand still because you ran 26.2 in 98-degree weather. Most of the fans are there for the parade, not the marathon. They are basically indifferent to the runners as they approach the finish, gawking if you look really bad. That last bit is somewhat like the twilight zone, people getting ready and waiting for the parade, just sort-of clueless that you might be tired at this point in the race. If the history and challenge aspects appeal to you, the Des News is a low-cost, low-expectation marathon that is a unique and fun way to celebrate Pioneer Day and be a Utah Pioneer for a day.

This was my first marathon. (I know, not the greatest pick for a first marathon!) I had no idea what to expect. I showed up for the bus at about 2:55 a.m. I was one of the first to arrive. The buses were very nice. We arrived at the top and were dropped off in what I think must have been a gravel parking lot (it was so dark that it was hard to tell). There was one small tent, with drinks and shopping bags with markers for your stuff. There was also one light outside near the U-haul truck for the bags. Once at the top, I wished I'd brought something to sit on. The tiny rocks you have to sit on really hurt your rear! The wait seemed to be reeeeaaaally long. There were HUGE lines at the bathrooms. More bathrooms would have been nice. Also, next time I will bring a small flashlight because it was pitch black inside the bathrooms (hope no one fell in!). After what seemed like a long wait, we all lined up. There was no timing mat at the beginning, so everyone crammed together as close to the front as possible. This is something that should be fixed. Your time should start when you leave the starting line. The course itself is beautiful!! It got light after only 10 or 15 minutes. I could see the twinkling lights of the city down below, and the mountain scenery was breathtaking! I especially like running past little Dell reservoir. I was smiling like a giant dork the whole time. The aid stations were pretty good, but there need to be TWO bathrooms and not one at EACH station. I wasted 10 minutes waiting to pee! It's so painful to wait for a bathroom when you've trained so hard for every second. Ice or at least cold water would have helped too. This is a marathon held in the hottest part of summer. Warm water just isn't as refreshing. Charge everyone a dollar more and buy some ice for goodness sakes! The hill around mile 6 was brutal. Just when you think you're done, you round a bend and there's another HUGE hill. The last 4 miles were hard. It was brutally hot and there's little or no shade. I was fortunate enough to find some sprinklers running on South Temple. I happily ran through them to cool off. The last few miles were rewarding for me too. I was very conservative in the beginning of the race. I was near the back of the pack as everyone was screaming down the first six miles. I was proud of my restraint as I passed many of these people the last few miles as they walked. The winner of the race this year said, "It was a tough course - too tough!" I'll have too agree with that; it was hard! I had no goal other than to finish and have a great time. I think it really paid off in the end. I ran a great time for me and had so much fun doing it! I may run this one again.

This was my 3rd marathon. I'm 59 years-old and was sure I was done with marathoning. But my son wanted to run one before he turned 18 (on Aug. 14), so I trained and ran with him. I'm not a fast runner. I hate hills. I'm not afraid to walk when I get tired. I choose to enjoy the experience. I believe the best part of a marathon is the benefit to the body that results from the months and months of training. Having said that, I had already made the conscious choice not to kill myself. After all, this is a race in July and the heat is oppressive. My next comments come from that type of mindset. I loved this race. It was very hard for me. The big uphill at mile 6 was much easier for me than the hardly perceptible uphill on Wasatch Rd. and Foothill Blvd. The severe downhill just sapped it out of me. The trees coming down South Temple made it bearable but the lack of shade going down 3rd East and to the end of the race made the heat difficult to deal with. Running for a block down the parade route was really cool. Good finish area - it was nice and shady. I heard a lot of people complaining about organization, water stops, etc. I imagine they complain about most everything in life. I choose to enjoy whatever it is I'm doing, so this race was a good positive, no matter how tough it was on my body. One comment I must make: I could not find my bag containing my sweat clothes. It also had a $300 pair of eyeglasses I placed in it. A few days after the race, I emailed Bob Wood and he personally went down and sorted through all the unclaimed stuff and found my bag and made arrangements to get it to me. Thank you, Bob. My closing comment will have to be this. Like I said, I'm not a fast runner. My two previous marathons were 4:54 and 4:24. This one was 5:27. That says it all. But, after spending the rest of the day sore, I was up and about the following day without any physical problems. I just enjoyed the scenery and the experience.

The course is what it is, so come prepared for it and enjoy. Overall, organization went quite well, with an on-time start and nice buses to ride up in. The problems with leaving too early in prior years were not apparent this year. But there are still just a few problems that need to be addressed. This is the only marathon I can think of that only has Gatorade available at every other stop. This has been commented about in the past, but continues to be a problem. On the other end of the water problem, there were two issues. Issue number one comes back to a problem we saw two years ago, where each rest stop only has ONE porta-potty. There is nothing more discouraging than watching a time goal bleed away while standing in line for the only ONE bathroom that is available at any stop. There were also not enough bathrooms at the start. This was made painfully apparent when one female runner tried to sneak into the bushes only to be discovered by the rangers who were lurking about in the dark. After yelling at her and shining a million candle power flashlight on her for the whole time until she came out of the bushes, I guess he managed to make his point. I'll be back for this one next year; it offers a unique challenge with the course design. But if you read the comments from past years about this marathon, there are a lot of negative things said, which you don't see at other marathons. Solve the water problems at both ends of the course and maybe a lot of the negative comments will go away.

Definitely a tough marathon... I could barely walk for two days afterward because of sore calves. But the course is beautiful. I appreciate that organizers let us penguins run on the parade course for a block. I will do it again, but will slow down the first 6 miles.

It was a great experience. The only drawback was the heat as you entered the city. There is no way to get around this. The organization was excellent. Volunteers were great. The course was easy to follow. Law enforcement staffed the intersections well.

Overall, a good race. Great scenery for many miles. Good organization at start (although do we have to get up there quite so early? and we need cardboard to sit on those stones!). Wonderful volunteers, plenty of water/Gatorade. Over the VERY HOT last few miles, they need aid stations every mile. It was a fun ending to be able to run as part of the parade. Great traffic control. Somewhat hard, boring last few miles, running along busy roads, with no spectators, in the heat.

The organization was poor at best. We were told at the expo that the bus times were 3:15 and 3:45 - DON'T BE LATE!!! I got there at 2:45 and didn't get on a bus until 4:15 anyways. Huzzah. The website advertised Gatorade/water every other mile and three gel stations. Reality was water every other mile, Gatorade every fourth mile, and one gel station. Why bother with a chip when you don't cross a pad at the start??? Food (no fruit but bananas?) and drink were scarce at the end. The few spectators were very supportive and so were other runners. The volunteers at aid stations were fantastic, and so were the police who guarded every intersection. The EMTs on bikes and sheriffs on motorcycles during the first 15 miles were great too. If you're looking for a mid-summer race, try this one. If you have other choices, go with one of those.

Overall, I had an excellent time with this marathon! I was traveling into town from Cleveland, and this race happened to be going on, so with little training, I decided I'd give it a shot. First the good: -Great luxury buses to cart us to the start up in the mountains. -A nice area at the start; it was early, but there were music, a tent, drinks, etc.... Not much fanfare at the start, but a nice bagpipe player was a nice touch. -A fantastic view on the way down the mountain for those first few miles! The scenery was breathtaking! -Great workers at aid stations; and I wasn't as bothered as I thought I'd be by the stations every 2 miles instead of every mile. -Very helpful police officers helping with keeping the streets clear and giving encouragement. -I had heard the weather would be extremely hot, but the sun stayed under clouds, and the early start kept us out of the real heat -I learned that this race was on Pioneer Day (didn't know the holiday existed), a big thing in Utah, and I liked the little area of the course where we ran along the parade route. -There weren't many (any) spectators up in the mountains, but I truly enjoyed talking to other runners, who were extremely welcoming and friendly, especially when they heard that I was visiting from out East. -I liked the medals: simple, but nice. -Plenty of food/drink at the finish line. -Great medical people in the medical tent (I'll mention why I was there in the "bad" comments). -I didn't experience any of the shin or quad problems that I heard would be a problem on the downhill course, and my body felt pretty good at the end with one exception (which I'll mention in my "bad" comments). I felt like, with better training and footwear, I could have had a very good time. -The best part: to have my daughter and sister at the finish line and to have my little girl say, "Daddy, I'm proud of you!" ...always the best part at the end of any race! The bad.... - The "expo" (if you could call it that) was difficult to find (no signs), and very small... although the workers were very helpful. -The last-minute change to 3:45 as the LATEST time for bus pick up to the start is tough! I had to wake up at 2:30 a.m. Shoot, I'm usually getting in at that hour! -The goody bag and t-shirt were pretty weak, even though the entrance fee to this marathon was very reasonable. -It was a long wait at the top for the start. -I mentioned that I didn't have shin or quad problems... but I did have one major problem. After about 3 miles, my feet felt like they were on fire! And it got worse as the course went on. I knew they would be bad at the end, and they were! I had huge, painful blisters on both feet (they have just about healed up now, 2 weeks after the race). I think more downhill training and more cushioned footwear would have helped, and I did mention that the medical staff was great (and they were wrapping up several other runners blistered feet when I was there). -No spectators the first 14-15 miles. If you want spectators, no luck... although I have rather enjoyed the solitude. -The incline of about 1 or 1 1/2 miles about 6 miles in was very tough!! -It was tough for my family members to find parking to come to finish line to see me. -They had plenty of food/drink at finish, but most drinks were not cold. Once again, overall I truly enjoyed my marathon experience, and my visit to the Salt Lake City area. This would be a marathon that I would consider running again, and as I mentioned, I think with more downhill training and better footwear, I really think I could have had an excellent time here. Now I'm on to run NYC for the first time in November!

I really enjoy the new course. We all know it's going to be hot in the middle of July.... Is there a reason you can't put in a few more aid stations at the end of the race? The last 4 miles, we really need something every mile. Way to go and a big thanks to the Locomotion Aid Station! They had cold sponges and COLD water(I think there was another one at 24 too)! Also, where was the Gatorade that was supposed to be at every other aid station? The police support was awesome, and as always, the aid support crews were great! We couldn't make it without those huge numbers of volunteers, and we really appreciate them and their words of encouragement as we run by!! Please look into having more aid those last few miles!

Pros: 1. Good intersection control by the police. 2. Nice people and kids having fun at the water stops. 3. SLC is a nice town to visit. 4. About the first six miles are the only real fast miles of the course. The rest are give-backs in grade and hills. It's not a screaming fast course at all. Cons: 1. No chip timing mats at start or on the course, so they're irrelevant. Saw a couple people taking advantage of this on the course. 2. There were hundreds of bicycle riders screaming around on the course taking advantage of the marathon closed course. 3. One set of lights at the starting area, so using the porta-potties was a joke. 4. Over a one-hour wait at the finish area for a bus back to the pick-up point. 5. Horrible race shirt, and the medal was mediocre at best. Don't think it even had a date on it. Holding the race on Pioneer Day really did nothing to enhance the marathon experience. The businesses are generally closed and everybody is off work. Yes, there are a few people for the parade, but it's such a small part of the course that it doesn't really matter. Put the race on Saturday or Sunday like most marathons and dedicate the efforts toward the race and not the parade.

This is a 5:30-6 hour most marathon. If you are slow, this isn't going to work for you and it says so in the brochure. Expo has little to offer - no directions, no special care and a cotton shirt that doesn't even say "UTAH." Didn't know till I got to the mountain that you could have had check-in bag, although many said at the end that their stuff was not returned. The start of race is at 5:30 a.m. down the mountain in the dark with corkscrew turns, with hills from about mile 4 to 7. Missed many mile markers in the dark and such. Hot water cups given out... ugh... on a 90+-degree day. If you don't make it in before the parade is over, you'll be going "against" all the paraders exiting "Pioneer Day." Streets were hot, muggy and sticky from all the foods at the parade... and directions were nonexistent at the end. One policeman sent me the wrong way. The medal ceremony lacked pomp; we just lined up and they dispensed with the medals. Wonder if those who placed will be mailed their earned medals? I think this marathon needs a little TLC, especially if out-of -towners are willing to come spend money in the town and enjoy Salt Lake City. Visit Temple Square - very peaceful and beautiful.

This was my 4th marathon and a prep trial for St. George in October. Easily the toughest and most disorganized race thus far. Despite starting purposefully slow(er) the first couple of miles and training on serious hills/declines for the last 6 months at an elevation over 6,500 feet, my legs were "traumatized" by the first 3.5 miles of this race - too steep to start a race, in my opinion. I believe we knocked off 1,600 feet in elevation by mile 4. The "old" course at least let you warm up going uphill the first couple of miles before hitting the steep declines. Not having any aid stations until mile 5 was not ideal either, due to the muggy/warm conditions in '07 (it was 82 degrees at Energy Solutions at 3:35 a.m.). As such, I developed slight cramps and tightening in my legs by mile 9 and things only got worse later when I hit the valley at 18. The last 6 miles were extremely tough and I didn't notice anyone else really finishing "strong." Tougher than advertised course for sure, can't imagine a PR here unless you ran the course regularly in training and got ideal weather conditions (highly likely in SLC in late July). While the race did have some nice post-race food and medals as well as good traffic controls, it lacked organizationally too much for me to consider a return. A recap of these shortcomings: 1. They bumped the bus departure times by 30 minutes in the pre-race packet vs. the online stated times. Good thing I read this at 10 p.m. the night before the race, but getting up at 2:30 a.m. for a 3:15 bus departure seemed a bit much. 2. Often the aid stations that were stated to be at every odd mile beginning at 5 did not correlate with the mile markers. At some they were a third to half a mile further away. 3. WARM DRINKS (H20 AND POWERADE) + WARM/HUMID DAY = SUSTAINED VS. FLUCTUATING MISERY 4. One gel station, which was stated in the packet to appear at mile 19 and showed up around 16.5? No additional gels at 19. 5. WEAK CROWD = I thought the crowd along the parade route was a joke. I heard rarely a clap and no enthusiasm - and it wasn't like I was the last, finishing near the top 100 runners. The crowd was actually draining vs. motivating. Sparse, too-little crowd prior to the parade route at mile 24. Wow... disappointing. 6. Chip, but no chip time available? 7. The packet stated no aid stations before 5 (true) and none after 21 (false, actually an aid station around 23). Why would you not purposefully plan an aid station in the last 5 miles of race when you know the heat and suffering will be intense for most? 8. Online course maps for the marathon gave you no idea of the severity of the elevation drops and climbs; a detailed mile map with elevation chart would be helpful. All in all, my evaluation is that there is a reason that this race tops off at around 700 participants and is the least popular in Utah out of the Top of Utah marathon, St. George Marathon, and Provo and Moab Half-Marathons. Highly unlikely that I will be back....