Pocatello Marathon

The race organizers did everything so well, I wish they could have controlled the weather :) As a former marathon director, I look for excellence in organization, as this is the make or break characteristic of a race for me. My legs were not trashed from the gradual downhill in the first half (although I wasn't allowing myself to get carried away). However, it was VERY warm (upper 70s when I finished), sunny, and there's no shade. Scenery was magnificent as were volunteers. If you need spectators en masse, this is not the race for you. Got bus to start from hotel, good finish area by the zoo. Glad I chose this for my Idaho race!!! The southern Idaho area (including WY & UT) are well worth spending some time in.

As a 50 states + DC runner, I am glad that I picked Pocatello as my Idaho race. The point to point with minimal turns makes for a great continuous race without the worry of slowing down for turns and potential fast times. The first 13-15 miles are mostly downhill. My quads were feeling it by mile 20 so be aware. My only frustration was the amount of 5k walkers that I had to weave around during the last 3 miles. All in all, a great race. I don't mind not having crowd support but if you are into having people cheer for you during the race, this is not for you. If you are into a beautiful course with easy logistics and need to cross Idaho off your list of 50, pick this one! You will not be disappointed. Be sure to go rafting at Hot Lave Springs as well. It's a blast!

The Pocatello Marathon is a small race with about 200 in the full marathon. The race director and volunteers did a great job of putting the event together. Getting through packet pickup was easy though it was in a cramped room at the Clarion Hotel. There were a couple of small vendor booths poolside. The race itself started with a short bus ride from the host hotel to a barn located at about 6200' feet. There were plenty of port-a-pots at the start line as well as a donkey and horse. The first half of the course was excellent and watching the sun rise was a big plus. There were several tough downhills in the first half that took a toll on the quads later in the race. The first half had plenty of mountain scenery and there were enough twists and turns to keep things plenty interesting. There was an uphill out and back at about mile 7 but the scenery was gorgeous so we did not notice the uphill as much. At about mile 14 we turned onto a highway with one lane coned off for the runners. The course continued on that highway for the next 10 or so miles without a single turn and very limited shade. We were completely exposed to the sun, industrial scenery, and fairly continuous traffic from mile 14 until mile 24. The second half in the sun was a struggle for me, especially a steep climb under the interstate to the service roads on the other side. The finish line was in a park, but we wound around a few industrial areas before running in the park for the last 0.2 of a mile. The finish area had lots of food, gear check pick-up, and massages you had to pay for. The race director and volunteers did an awesome job putting this together. They thought of everything. However, the second of the course was brutal to me and shows in my ratings.