I've run this one before and was not planning on this one this year but I injured myself in Aug and was looking to transfer the Heber Half registration to … MORE
I’ve run this one before and was not planning on this one this year but I injured myself in Aug and was looking to transfer the Heber Half registration to something so picked this. This year they had packet pick up at the finish line in Payson which kind of sucked because it’s pretty far from SLC and it’s Friday so the traffic is awful. It should have taken only an hour from my house but due to traffic it took nearly 2h (sorry East Coast folks, I bet that’s laughable). There is no expo, just get your stuff. They didn’t get any Women’s Large shirts in their shipment (supply chain issues!) so I had to go with a men’s (**Runtastic shirts run crazy small. I’m a small person and a medium is TIGHT). Buses were really well organized and there was plenty of parking. DO NOT DAWDLE. You’ll see a massive line of buses and think everything is fine, only to discover that most of those buses are for the 10K and you better be paying attention to get a half marathon bus. The weather this year was perfect–cool but not freezing up top. The race starts literally just as the sun is coming up and the canyon is beautiful. As you run down, you can see but the sun isn’t baking you. Nearly the entire race is in the canyon so you are really downhill and not flat for the bulk of the race. I blasted down the second half of the race and when we got to town which is barely a mile of the race, I tore through town and crossed the finish line with a time I wasn’t expecting given my injury. Ended up placing 2nd in my AG!! Medals are awesome as always with Runtastic. Chocolate milk at the finish makes me happy!
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Fabulous course if you like canyon racin
I've run this one before and was not planning on this one this year but I injured myself in Aug and was looking to transfer the Heber Half registration to … MORE
I’ve run this one before and was not planning on this one this year but I injured myself in Aug and was looking to transfer the Heber Half registration to something so picked this. This year they had packet pick up at the finish line in Payson which kind of sucked because it’s pretty far from SLC and it’s Friday so the traffic is awful. It should have taken only an hour from my house but due to traffic it took nearly 2h (sorry East Coast folks, I bet that’s laughable). There is no expo, just get your stuff. They didn’t get any Women’s Large shirts in their shipment (supply chain issues!) so I had to go with a men’s (**Runtastic shirts run crazy small. I’m a small person and a medium is TIGHT). Buses were really well organized and there was plenty of parking. DO NOT DAWDLE. You’ll see a massive line of buses and think everything is fine, only to discover that most of those buses are for the 10K and you better be paying attention to get a half marathon bus. The weather this year was perfect–cool but not freezing up top. The race starts literally just as the sun is coming up and the canyon is beautiful. As you run down, you can see but the sun isn’t baking you. Nearly the entire race is in the canyon so you are really downhill and not flat for the bulk of the race. I blasted down the second half of the race and when we got to town which is barely a mile of the race, I tore through town and crossed the finish line with a time I wasn’t expecting given my injury. Ended up placing 2nd in my AG!! Medals are awesome as always with Runtastic. Chocolate milk at the finish makes me happy!
I’d run it again- great for PR attempts!
Great time of year, downhill course, beautiful medals and nice shirts. I’d run this race again and I don’t say that about many races. There were only 3 porta potties … MORE
Great time of year, downhill course, beautiful medals and nice shirts. I’d run this race again and I don’t say that about many races. There were only 3 porta potties for the 300 people who signed up for the 10k, so that was a problem, but we didn’t have to wait long at all at the start. Unlike many of Utah’s down-canyon races, we only had to board a bus 30 mins before the race and only had 10 mins in the start area before the race started. I’ve run both the marathon and half marathon distances of this race and have enjoyed all of them, but I think the 10k is my new favorite.
First half, would do again
This was my first half and I did five more that year. In the end the only ones I thought were scenic and awesome enough to do again were the … MORE
This was my first half and I did five more that year. In the end the only ones I thought were scenic and awesome enough to do again were the canyon runs. Turns out I like downhill canyon runs. In hindsight all such runs after having done a bunch seem to have issues with chilly temps while waiting as you are supposed to take a bus up so early and a host of other factors. I don’t really mind too much although I do wish organizers could always start on time and volunteers always were trained better to answer common questions and there are other issues I frequently encounter. Despite any issues it is beautiful and I want to do it again. My race results may have been lost with a big batch of them as I currently can’t pull them up but I got all the data I needed when they were up.
Fast and Fabulous
Basic race swag bag scarce, cold at the top or starting so I took a later bus around 5:30. Beautiful scenery 85% downhill nice finish area park. MORE
Basic race swag bag scarce, cold at the top or starting so I took a later bus around 5:30. Beautiful scenery 85% downhill nice finish area park.
Nice course, a few things to fix!
I ran the Half last year and decided to do the marathon this year. Overall, the course is beautiful, not easy for me given the climbs at elevation, but I … MORE
I ran the Half last year and decided to do the marathon this year. Overall, the course is beautiful, not easy for me given the climbs at elevation, but I was only using it for a training run.
Being from out of town, the expo wasn’t the easiest to find and i almost missed it as I had to go directly there from the airport. Then I asked about gels at the start(forgot mine) and the volunteers said ‘probably’. It was so late I ran around for an hour trying to find some and didn’t. Then at the start they did have them.
At the start, it was cold, and they announced 2 minutes until race time. I properly discarded the heat blanket I brought, but then we heard nothing – and the race actually started 17 minutes late. That’s a long time to wait when you’ve been told 2 minutes with no further updates. There were 6 port-o-potties at the start, which were not enough. Get on the first bus!
I was in no hurry and finished in 5 hours. The course was open for 6 hours. Even so, there is points at the end where you have to cross the road with traffic and about 1/2 mile before getting there I watched the police leave, requiring me to stop and wait for traffic. Not cool.
The volunteers are wonderful. Never short of water, power aid, or gels. The best part of the race!!
The medals are great and the shirt is okay – better last year. The womens runs small – size up.
Overall, a nice marathon, tweaking a few things could make it top notch!!
Gorgeous canyon run with cool bling
Utah (and Runtastic) are known for their wicked fast canyon races--extending our race season through the summer without the penalty of heat. This one was another one where you need … MORE
Utah (and Runtastic) are known for their wicked fast canyon races–extending our race season through the summer without the penalty of heat. This one was another one where you need to be on the bus between 4:30-5:15 for a 6:30 race start. I live in SLC but am a morning wimp so got a hotel in Provo (really the closest you can get and it was still 20min to the bus) which makes morning a little more tolerable. It is pitch black at the top which is just a hair under 8000ft. The grades are steep and there are s-turns in the road so be smart and run the tangents. I was tearing down at a decent clip, along with everyone else before I started having some thinning of the crowds around mile 5ish. The bulk of the run is in the canyon and you don’t get to flats and rollers until mile 9 or so. That’s also the first time you’ll see the sun break over the ridge. Only for a minute though and you’re back in the shade of the trees. The run out to the finish is flat but you can’t see it, there are a couple of turns to make. Don’t slow down, it literally is around 2 turns and you’re there! Great finish food/choc milk/OJ/powerade and as always, incredible medals.
Lack of attention to detail
The marathon was poorly organized. After running the full marathon I was given a half-marathon medal and after registering for a men's medium t shirt, I was given a men's … MORE
The marathon was poorly organized. After running the full marathon I was given a half-marathon medal and after registering for a men’s medium t shirt, I was given a men’s small. I have reached out to get these mistakes fixed, but have heard nothing back…
Brutal course, but 2 thumbs up!
The course starts out on an uphill and includes at least 2 mile-long significant climbs in the first 10 miles. There's also a 2-mile (or so) out and back section … MORE
The course starts out on an uphill and includes at least 2 mile-long significant climbs in the first 10 miles. There’s also a 2-mile (or so) out and back section (which I think is fun because I love cheering on runner’s around me) that was on a gravel road- the only flat on the entire course. The final 16 miles are all downhill (of varying degrees of steepness). It was the toughest course I’ve ever run and all the marathoners I spoke with agreed.
However, the race organizers do a great job with this race! The shirts are gender-specific and a very attractive cut! They are cotton (because what marathoner needs yet another tech shirt?) so I wear it around and always get compliments (I own several of their race shirts- all soft and attractive). The medals are well designed and heavy! They have great age group medals as well that compliment the finisher’s medal. Other perks include free massages at the finish, free race photos (on course and after), instant results, and above average finish line food (pizza, creamies, popscicles, cookies, chocolate milk and the standard bananas and oranges). Each race put on by this race company has it’s own theme to it (this one is the maple leaf). The shirt and the medals and everything else from the start to the finish line carry the theme throughout the race.
It is a very scenic course. We started before sunrise and as the sun was starting to color the sky we were running along a ridge and about 20 runners took out their phones to take a picture of the runners silhouetted in front of the sunrise. The race starts at the top of Payson Canyon so you have to take the race bus to the start. The busses for the marathoners were the really nice chartered busses, while the half marathoners rode school busses. 😀 We only had to wait about 30 minutes at the top of the canyon for the race to start- just enough time to use the porta-potties and make last minute adjustments and check your gear bag. I was impressed at the timing of it! Usually when a race starts at the top of a canyon you might have to wait up to 2 hours for the race to start!
I’d recommend any race put on by Runtastic (the race company). If you choose to do this one, train on hills! As brutal as it was, it was my marathon PR thanks in large part to all the downhill, but I have never felt so beat up by a race either. 😉
Beautiful canyon run
I didn't plan to PR this race but it happened easily even with holding back during the first 2 miles. It's a screaming fast downhill course through a beautiful canyon. … MORE
I didn’t plan to PR this race but it happened easily even with holding back during the first 2 miles. It’s a screaming fast downhill course through a beautiful canyon. Even though it takes place at the end of August, it starts early enough and at a high enough altitude that I never got hot. The race shirt is one of my favorites- soft cotton and no ads, just a maple leaf and the name of the race. I wear it all the time. Free massages at the end and a PR bell to ring and free race photos are my favorite kind of swag!