Mesa Falls Marathon

This was my 17th marathon, 15th state. I picked it just to get back on track after almost 2 years of no marathons thanks to COVID, and did little research. My friend and I ended up having an AMAZING time. I don't know if I've ever seen such well organized and perfectly spaced course support in a small town run like this. There were only 116 finishers, but they still had fully stocked aid stations with consistent options every 2ish miles. The volunteers and organizers were helpful and friendly. The course, while more difficult than I anticipated, was absolutely gorgeous. There were long stretches where the road was minimally maintained and it was a lot of effort to avoid potholes and puddles, so be prepared for difficult terrain.

Great experience! very well organized, everybody was so friendly and helpful. Beautiful scenery, plenty of aid stations, even got sprayed down when it got hot. The hill at mile 17 was long and steep but a good excuse to walk. My wife and I both ran and enjoyed this one a lot. Kudos to Dave and all his staff/helpers.

Some marathon directors "get it," while others don't. Dave Jacobson is one of those who "get it," making his Mesa Falls marathon good in every way. I base this on having done 87 marathons since 2005. This was my third Mesa Falls. What was good about this one? This year the marathon provided a tech shirt I'll wear, one with a small logo on the front and a back devoid of countless sponsor names. You know, the billboard look. Plus, the lively lime green color was not a boring gray, black, or white. Do race directors think that sponsors really care about being on the back of a shirt? Especially one that will sit in the closet or wind up at Goodwill? The $5 pasta dinner was just fine, as was the free breakfast on race day morning. Yes, we had to get up a bit early to catch a bus to the start, but the bus was a luxury coach, equipped with a bathroom, which older folks like me seem to need more than the younger crowd. And, since there were less than 110 finishers, many had the chance to walk away with a wonderful age bracket award - a wooden plaque, engraved with the name, age bracket, and an image of the falls. Much better than a generic cup. One of the highlights for me - after touring the countryside for barn compositions (for paintings) and visiting the sand dunes in St. Anthony on Friday morning - was returning to the fish viewing site on the Warm River at the base of Rt. 47. Since I had been there previously, I wanted to return for old time's sake. High above me, an eagle or osprey soared back and forth, at times looking down at the river, usually full of rainbow or cutthroat trout. After a few minutes of flying around, he descended a bit and then dove quickly, straight into the water and disappeared. A few seconds later, he emerged victorious, holding a large fish in his talons. Hint: if you arrive early enough, drive east out of town on Rt. 47, bring a loaf of bread, and head down the hill that you'll be running up from miles 17 to 20. At the base of the hill the road bends left. At this point, you'll see an Orvis campground on the right side. Opposite that is a viewing platform next to the river where you can see the fish. If you wad up a slice of bread into a ball and fling it out, you'll be amazed at the size of the fish that grab it. And, don't pass on the chance to visit Yellowstone, only an hour away. The race begins in and stretches through 17 miles of Caribou-Targhee National Forest, home to the likes of black and grizzly bears, mountain lions, elk, deer, coyote, bald eagles, ospreys, big horn sheep, mountain goats, red fox, river otters, bobcats, moose, and mink. I saw a duck. We runners make too much noise, I guess. So, don't get your hopes up, although one of the aid station volunteers said there were a few wolves running around on Thursday. The last nine miles feature, besides the three-mile climb, up and down farmland of hay, potatoes, wheat and barley. Knowing that the barley, which makes up most of the harvest, gets shipped down the rail line - via a transfer from the mammoth, gleaming elevators in town - to the Budweiser plant in Idaho Falls might make the final stretch a bit easier. What will also make it easier is if you don't fall - as I did - on the four mile stretch of gorgeous trail through pine forests with the Warm River 300 feet below, scenery that can be distracting as much as it is beautiful. Compared to the rocks and roots of the Pike's Peak trail, this one is fairly tame, but be careful. And, even though I fell, I left with a good feeling and a desire to return.