Deanna Grimes's Staging Area

Expo is average size. Quick and easy in and out if needed. It was raining and parking can be quite a walk. Every busy Friday evening.
We stayed at a hotel right near the start. So we waited until the last minute to head to corrals. They were not keeping spectators away from corrals or making sure people were in the correct corral. The first half of the race is great. Lots of energy and people. Even on the military base section they had a great group out to cheer for the runners. Although this section is a bit more narrow than those on the roads. Around mile 12.5 you split from the half and head out toward the 2nd half. The 2nd half doesn’t really have the energy or crowds the first half does. There is just a turn around before 19. Then at 20-21 you have to go around some military housing. It was boring and the sun was in full force. There is a bridge you have to cross twice that is quite steep. Once you get back to the board walk you start to see more people again. I loved the crowd once we got back to the street. There are lots of people to cheer you into the finish from 25-26.2. The post race party was fun however the meal ticket did not exactly provide any food. Basically a small sample of some cake. That was disappointing. We enjoyed the party on the beach because it is very loud under the tent.

Small and quick easy packet pickup. The 2023 shirt ran super small on the women’s side. Even the when I exchanged for the large it felt small to me. It is also neon yellow. So I won’t be using it for anything other than running. Over the race is very well done. It can be boring in spots along the trail. However anytime I saw people they were so friendly and encouraging. The last stretch along the non paved road was fairly muddy but not horrible. I wish I had felt better on the back half to have a better finish time. The after was so so fun. I loved every minute of it. Even my friends who finished in 5+ hours had a great time. I am glad I did this race towards my 50 states goal.

Arrive late into Salt Lake City. It was a quick drive to the host hotel. Friday afternoon I went to the expo and it was quick and easy to navigate. Additional gear was rather expensive. Saturday morning we caught a shuttle up the canyon. It wasn’t as cold this year as in previous years. I took a throw away and used the foil blanket. The port a potty lines became very long and disorganized in the small area they have for them. I heard some people mention they missed the start due to being in line. Bag check was super easy but my bag broke before I even checked it so I had to find a way to tie it closed. The race got delayed starting due to transportation issues. This really effected the last several miles of the race. The up hill at mile 3 is not a joke. It’s very steep. Everything coming down the canyon went well for me. However by the time I go to 20 it was very hot. The water was not very cold and they ran out of nunn. I heard horror stories about the old course coming off the canyon. Once you come off the canyon on the new course you hit a trail for a couple miles and the weave through town. The last 4-5 miles were so hot and felt like a death march. The uphill finish made me feel so defeated but I was happy to be done. Considering my 4:33 finish time very soon after I finished there were few vendors around. They almost ran out of popsicles (which was so nice.) the ice cold towels at the finish were also a very nice touch

Always nice and easy flat course but you never know about the wind. I took some gatorade around mile 10 and that hurt my stomach until the end. Loved seeing so many runners on know on the out and back course.

Packet pickup was a breeze at the fargo dome. We stayed at an Airbnb about 5 minutes away from the Fargo Dome. Parking was very easy in the morning. The start is inside the dome. It was a little confusing as to where to drop your bags. A long line formed and we realized that was for the half because you couldn’t see the signs. Larger or higher signs would be better. You cannot obtain GPS prior to the start. At some point I ended up with more than .20 over the race distance.
The race had to be altered due to flooding. Many turns and the 10k spilled into the full. 10k gunners were 4-5 wide and I had to make my way around them. The race in 2022 was not as flat as I anticipated but it was mostly flat. The portions on sidewalks are not ideal. The city definitely was very supportive of runners for the most part. We did make our way to the 27th mile after party but it was just too cold to continue sitting outside. The weather was great for running.

Packet pick up is quick and easy. There was plenty of parking the parking garage at the start and finish which worked well for me as I travelled with two other runners who I knew I would finish about a hour before. It was a tough and hilly course for someone who lives in flat land. The course was beautiful in the fall however this is normally a spring race. I did enjoy the course and the volunteers were all great! I was disappointed that there was no beer at finish. Two separate out and backs which is always tough. The weather was perfect in the fall of 2021.

This is a smaller field for the marathon (esp in 2020). I felt the race did a great job considering. The scenery is beautiful. It is a point to point and there was no busing in 2020 so that made it tricky. We stayed in the town of Jackson. If the buses are running you probably don’t need a car. The weather was not good and being from a very flat part of the country the high elevation start made it a little tricky. I was very happy with my performance.

A very flat and fast marathon. I got my marathon PR. They had cheap swag. The only downfall was the parking was chaotic and I recommend allowing more time than you think to park.