The Escalante Canyons Marathon will start near Hills & Hollows in Boulder, Utah (elev. 6300 feet). The entire course is on Scenic Byway 12 between Boulder and Escalante. It runs in a southwest direction and is mostly downhill until Mile 11, where the road crosses the Escalante River (elev. 5275). It then turns northwest and is mostly uphill until Mile 17 (elev. 6200). From Mile 17 on, the course is a gradual westward descent (with a few inclines) to the finish line at Escalante City Park, Utah (elev. 5770 feet). You can view the course map and elevation profile below.
The marathon will be run on the westbound lane of Utah’s Scenic Byway 12, and all runners will complete the course on the right-hand side of the road. The course will include 14 aid stations in addition to refreshments (sustenance!) at the start and finish lines. All aid stations will offer water, and selected aid stations will offer energy drinks, energy gels, and fruit. Start and finish line shuttles between Boulder and Escalante will be available for runners.
Course highlights include the mile-long Hogsback, where the road runs along a rock spine that drops off precipitously on both sides, the rock canyons near Calf Creek Falls, the extraordinary S-curve that announces the longest uphill stretch of the course, and the Boynton and Head of the Rocks scenic overlooks. No matter where you are on the course, though, you will enjoy unparalleled vistas.
The entire half-marathon course is on Scenic Byway 12, covering the last half of the marathon course. The start elevation is approximately 5500 and is mostly uphill through beautiful slickrock country until mile 3.1 (elev. 6200). From Mile 3.1on, the course is a gradual westward descent (with a few inclines) to the finish line at Escalante City Park, Utah (elev. 5770 feet).
The half-marathon will be run on the westbound lane of Byway 12, and all runners will complete the course on the right-hand side of the road. The course will include 7 aid stations in addition to refreshments at the start and finish lines. All aid stations will offer water, and selected aid stations will offer energy drinks, energy gels, and fruit. Start and finish line shuttles will be available for runners.
Course highlights include the extraordinary S-curve that near the beginning of the half-marathon, the Head of the Rocks scenic overlook, and the backdrop of Straight Cliffs as you come into Escalante. No matter where you are on the course, though, you will enjoy unparalleled vistas.
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Wonderful Race!
This race was a lovely course put on by a nice crew. I have run 40 marathons so far and I always look back on this one as one of … MORE
This race was a lovely course put on by a nice crew. I have run 40 marathons so far and I always look back on this one as one of my favorites because of the gorgeous scenery. The post race food was awesome, you can never go wrong with homemade pies! The aid stations and volunteers were great. It is a small race so when you come across the finish line it’s very special because everyone is whooping and hollering just for you!! The course on the road made it easy for my family to drive along and meet me at certain points for encouragement. They had a great and easy time soaking up the scenery too so it’s nice to know your cheer squad can have fun and not be bored. The location is a bit remote so you will need to drive or have a rental car, the remoteness is all part of this race’s charm though. I would definitely run this race again, they do a great job!