Arches Marathon & Half
Moab, UT
- 50K, Marathon, Half Marathon, 15K
- Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
The Arches Marathon & Half is Moab running at its best! With distances from 15k to 50k, Arches Marathon and Half has become a must attend fall trail running event! Runners begin their race near the beautiful Behind the Rocks Wilderness Study Area. As all distances make their climb to … MORE
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Views for Days
Great race!! I would train on the beach next time, lots of sand! My husband missed the signe for the 15k/half marathon cutoff but otherwise it was an excellent event. … MORE
Great race!! I would train on the beach next time, lots of sand! My husband missed the signe for the 15k/half marathon cutoff but otherwise it was an excellent event. Love the cupless concept
Great Trail Race!
This is my first trail race so I don't have anything to compare it to but I had a great time running this race. The scenery is unique and you … MORE
This is my first trail race so I don’t have anything to compare it to but I had a great time running this race. The scenery is unique and you get a good view of the Moab desert. The trail was pretty tough for me. The first 2 miles was mostly uphill through sand. Mad Moose Events does a great job on putting on this race. I would recommend this race to anyone wanting to do a trail race. Just train properly and know what you’re getting into. Also have a vehicle with 4 wheel drive or a high clearance vehicle to get to the start line.
The most beautiful Half I've run
Absolutely the most scenic run that I have done. It was very cold on race morning but warmed up just right. The hills were a killer! Nice shirt and beer … MORE
Absolutely the most scenic run that I have done. It was very cold on race morning but warmed up just right.
The hills were a killer!
Nice shirt and beer glass.
Tough one for me to review
I would really like to give this outstanding ratings, but part of me wants to give it low ratings. Visiting Moab for the first time was awesome; such a beautiful … MORE
I would really like to give this outstanding ratings, but part of me wants to give it low ratings. Visiting Moab for the first time was awesome; such a beautiful place. However, the half marathon is not really IN Moab, it is about 45 minutes out of Moab.
The course; however, is also beautiful and surprisingly tough. The rolling hills are deceptive and wore me down. The after party was pretty fun too. The medal was okay, but you also get a beer glass. The shirt was okay too.
Back to the location that is 45 minutes out of town, my advice would be to stay at Sorrell River Ranch Resort, because that is the finish line. They provide a bus out to the start and it is nice to finish right near your room. However, Sorrell is a high priced disappointment. It should not be called a “resort” at all, so lower your expectation. Despite being the finish line location and many runners staying there, they do very little to acknowledge the event at all. The staff are not very friendly. The restaurant is way overpriced as well. Eat in Moab.
Another note: since you do have a bus ride out to the start line, it is very cold in the morning while you wait. They provide a few barrels with fire in it, but definitely not enough for everyone to gather round to get warm. Plan to bring throw away clothes, because you’ll want to dress to keep yourself warm for the 45-60 minute wait for the race start.
They call it a Packet Pickup “Expo”, but I think they’re using the word “expo” a little too loosely. It was 3 or 4 tables of sponsors with very limited items. Not a big deal, but don’t expect a true expo-like atmosphere.
I wished the event was closer to Moab itself, but then I would guess the views wouldn’t be as good.