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. … MORE
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
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Downhill isn’t as easy as I thought
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. … MORE
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
The view from the back of the pack
Outstanding race. Great organization and support. Really like the new route for 2024. The only negative on the new route is that front pack marathoners appeared to struggle to break … MORE
Outstanding race. Great organization and support. Really like the new route for 2024. The only negative on the new route is that front pack marathoners appeared to struggle to break through some of the half marathoners on the recreation path.
Not for the faint-of-heart
This race was a beast. I knew that it would be going into it. I live in Florida so my only hope for this was just to strength train my … MORE
This race was a beast. I knew that it would be going into it. I live in Florida so my only hope for this was just to strength train my quads and keep the mileage high. So lots of wall-sits. LOTS OF WALL SITS.
🛒EXPO: The expo was at a convention center that was attached to a hotel. It was easy to get to. There was a lot of paid parking lots nearby but there is also tons of available street-parking available just a block or two away. The shirts ran large this year. They are custom-made shirts so they design to runner feedback and I get it — it’s hard to please everyone. I usually get a Women’s Large when they have gender-specific shirts but I was swimming in the Medium. It’s OK. I don’t wear a lot of race shirts anymore. I have so many. (they were really nice, though and they gave you options: Tank, S/S, or L/S.) In addition to your personalized bib, you get a pair of gloves and a pair of arm sleeves. There were plenty of vendors at the expo both local and nation-wide.
🚌 SHUTTLES: I stayed at a studio 6 that was about a mile away from the Cottonwood High School where the busses shuttled us to the top of the mountain. I didn’t realize how dark it was in Utah (i.e. not a lot of street lights) so I ended up driving there and giving a fellow runner a lift there, too. there was PLENTY of parking at the high school. It took about an hour for the yellow buses to get us to the top of that curvy, winding mountain, but we got there.
🚽 PORTAPOTTIES: There were plenty of portapotties (which they called “Honey Buckets” – that made me laugh) but a lot of people were just standing at the start of the line for them. I walked down to the last one and there were only about 4 people waiting so take notice: move down. (there were plenty of people just dashing off into the woods on the side of the mountain — people much braver than I). the toilets were well-stocked with TP and sanitizer though they did have hand-wash stations outside as well. Be careful, though: because of the slope of the mountain and that they are on the side of the road: the potties are slightly tipped and a bit wobbly.
🛍BAG DROP: As soon as they let you off the bus, there is one lane closed off for runners and one lane open for vehicles coming up the hill so people were camped out in their Mylar heat sheets along the side of the road while others were walking around them trying to get to bag drop and/or portapotties. Bag drop came first so we also had to deal with people walking back up from the portapotties to drop their bags afterwards. I wonder if they should change that: Portapotties, bag drop, then race start. The point is that it is all linear. I thought that the bag drop would be at the high school where the shuttles picked us up and where the race ended but it all worked out so it was OK.
🏁 THE RACE: Miles 1-3 are a steep downhill. My advice is to not slow yourself down but also not to put a lot of effort into this. 95% of the race, I felt like I was simply keeping my feet under me. Usually, my heart rate is 156 – 162 on race day but I was cruising along at 146-148 for a long time despite the altitude. You don’t need a lot of effort so don’t push. At mile 4, you make a circle near the Brighton resort and there is an uphill there. I don’t waste my heart rate on uphills so I walked it – I knew that there would be plenty of downhill ahead of me so I took the walk break to get a GU packet, reapply some anti-chafing stuff, and get some water.
Miles 5 – 15 were pretty steady. All downhill. The spots that were “less downhill” felt like climbing Kilimanjaro but they were still downhill. then: mile 15.5: at 15.5, we picked up the tail-end of the half-marathoners: many of whom were walking side-by-side but my concern was that the course just got significantly (to me) steeper. I was wondering “should I try to slow this down or just keep doing what I’ve been doing and move my feet faster?” I did the latter: I figured if I tried to slow down, the next 11 miles would be torturous so just “keep your feet moving and don’t run anyone over!” There were a lot of 🤬 bad words coming out of my mouth for that half-mile. I could not wait for it to end but luckily, it did and until we reached the end of the road at mile 18, it was smooth sailing. It was at 18 that I caught up with the 3:20 pacer. (I started near the 3:30 guy though my goal was sub-3:26) I was doing all right until we lost the shade coverage…and then I needed water. The last 10K was the worst “last 10K” I’ve ever experienced in my more than 100-marathon career. The 20 miles I had just run were starting to catch up. I had averaged a 7’27″/mile pace by the time I hit mile 20, and I watched it drop: 7’31”, 7’34”, 7’38”. Going into mile 24, a spectator said “after this hill, it’s all downhill again!” GREAT!!! Come on, Megan. You have 26 minutes to get 2 more miles… But how long is this hill?!! It wasn’t steep by any means but it was just one of those long, gradual inclines and my average pace kept dropping: 7’42” . One more water stop: fill that bottle. Then glorious, glorious mile 25! 🌞 Oh! Mile 25, you beautiful downhill beauty, you! Mile 26! “Point 2 more!” I thought. turn the corner – 🤬🤬🤬🤬 Another uphill!!! But I had to dig deep. Even though we had that nice downhill, my mile 25 was a 9’56” pace overall. I closed my eyes and just kept yelling bad words to myself (we all have different ways of coping, I guess 🤷🏻♀️) The crowd was yelling. So much support. I was dying a little with each step but f f f f f f (like the little engine that could) and finally: DONE. ⌚ 3:25:15! 🎉🎉🎉🎉 Hooray!!!! I broke into tears! It was over. A volunteer asked “Did you qualify?” I said, “Yeah! FOR NEW YORK!” and I could barely stand. 2 volunteers held onto me as I tried to get my breath back, get my legs solidly under myself, and just process that I had finished the most difficult marathon of my life. (Even when I went to sleep that night, it felt like I was still going downhill – like trying to get your land legs back after being at sea. It was weird.)
💧💧WATER STOPS. I will say this – They had plenty of them (one every 2 miles) and the volunteers were excellent however: the water and Nuun tables were a little too close together. They had little cups (maybe a little bigger than mouthwash cups) and the 2 tables were pretty close together so if you are a grab-and-go runner like me, it was hard to get both at every station. If you managed to get both, you probably wasted a lot of Nuun trying to get that water, too. Also – they ran out of Nuun at mile 20. Thankfully, it was just at that one stop. I stopped to completely refill my bottle at 20, 22, and 24 because I just wasn’t able to get enough on the mountain. If I had relied on the course alone, I don’t think that this would have been a great race for me. Again — they had plenty of stops — they were just a little short. I believe in keeping my momentum on race day so that was really my only critique of this race.
🥳 POST RACE PARTY: I don’t drink but I was looking forward to something bubbly at the finish line. Since it was hosted at the high school, alcohol was not allowed. A vendor there had some sparkling water or something but the advertised flavors either weren’t brought or the half-marathoners got the good stuff, leaving the dregs for the marathoners. 🙄 One vendor had this snickerdoodle-flavored protein powder. I went back after the finishers were pretty much done and the lady let me have 4 more cups of it! 😋😋😋 That was totally awesome of her. There were people giving out popsicles. Someone had ice creak drumsticks if you signed up for whatever mailing list they had. There was a tent where you could get official times printed off and if you BQ’d (which I did because my BQ time is only 3:40) you got a little luggage tag. 😊 It was cute. I was really pleased with this race. I can’t believe I blew 22 seconds per mile off my pace in that last 10K but I made it: I got my time-qualifier for New York so my 6-Star journey can be complete.
❓❓❓ Would I do this again? Nope. Maybe the one in New Hampshire. I was fine walking around the rest of the day but as soon as I stopped moving I was toast. Unless I worked my wall-sits up to 3 hours 25 minutes each, I don’t think that I could have prepared myself well enough for this beast. I loved it. Who doesn’t love a PR? (Though I’m still going to try to hit that same time on another course.)
So – that was my experience. Train those quads. Train those soleus muscles, and be prepared to hurt. It’s worth it if you can dig deep.
Happy Running!
Nice new finish
This is the third time I've run this race and have always loved it but the new finish is a really nice improvement. The half and full have buses that … MORE
This is the third time I’ve run this race and have always loved it but the new finish is a really nice improvement. The half and full have buses that take you from different parking locations this year. The full parking lot/bus pick up is the same as the finish line and the half bus leaves from the same place as it used to. There is a TON of parking and a ton of buses to the start. You still get up to the start WAY too early given how cold it is (start was supposed to be 6:45 but a bus was late so they delayed till 7…and we were up there at 5:40). The new start does not have the up the canyon to hairpin and run back down anymore which is a bonus. The canyon is a solid 8 miles and the new course starts from the mouth of the canyon to the finish. Mile 8-9 runs through the park and ride and drops down onto BCC trail which is a bike path and gets you another mile downhill which is nice. Then mile 10 has a climb up to street level that makes your quads want to cry and then you’re fairly flat for mile 11-12.5 ish. The last half a mile or so is an uphill slog to the finish which you really, really feel because your quads were shredded from the canyon. The finish festival is much bigger than I recall from prior years and had great food. Only downside is if you’re a half marathoner, you need to find the buses (not obvious, hidden on a non-visible side of the building…) and then ride back to the start. Take it from me, drop a pin when you park your car. All the parking garages look exactly the same and you are parking in the dark. Figuring out where you are compared to where you were several hours earlier is not a game you want to play when you’re tired and sweaty and are not interested in walking all over god’s creation. Good medal and good food at finish. Love the swag, this year they had arm warmers and a nice shirt with other really fun shirts and stickers for sale.
Amazing fast course
Lots of down grade, very fast course. Canyon race, lots of folks, got hot. A little disorganized at the start, they could have started the back up the hill and … MORE
Lots of down grade, very fast course. Canyon race, lots of folks, got hot. A little disorganized at the start, they could have started the back up the hill and had all the smoothness you wanted. But, as always a fantastic race. Posting some pics, canyon views and one of the homes we passed.
A view from the back of the pack
What an incredible event. This is my second Revel race event and it is always a first class production. The scenery is incredible, blessed with shade the vast majority of … MORE
What an incredible event. This is my second Revel race event and it is always a first class production. The scenery is incredible, blessed with shade the vast majority of the morning. The course levels out the last 3 to 4 miles, but there was plenty in the tank.
All The Downhill
This was an amazing race. Communication was great, the EXPO had a lot of vendors and photo ops. There were plenty of busses to bring us up the mountain. They … MORE
This was an amazing race. Communication was great, the EXPO had a lot of vendors and photo ops. There were plenty of busses to bring us up the mountain. They gave us gloves and a mylar blanket so we could stay warm before we started. The course is absolutely beautiful. It has plenty of downhill with the last 3 miles being essentially flat. (My quads, calves, ankles, and feet ached for 3 days, but in the best way possible)! I PR’d my half by 14 minutes. At first I didn’t think it legit to count a mostly downhill run, but after I ran it, yeah, it’s legit! Definitely a different workout. I plan to run more of the REVEL series. The post race was also fantastic. A good brewery serving craft beer, massages, creamsicles, pizza, chocolate milk, snacks, and water. The photos are fantastic and you can create your own little video with the photos for free.
Well run great production and scenery
Revel races are just really well run. They do a great job. Bus dropped me of by 5:00 AM and that meant 1hour and 45 minutes to wait. That was … MORE
Revel races are just really well run. They do a great job. Bus dropped me of by 5:00 AM and that meant 1hour and 45 minutes to wait. That was a bit of a challenge, it was a bit cool. But gloves and heat blankets were provided. Course itself is fast except for last three miles. Middle part is very fast. Swag was fine , nice medal. Support on course was excellent.
This is not an easy race
This was my 14th full marathon and I am a 6 star world majors recipient. I do give kudos to the Revel team for their organization and professionalism. I must … MORE
This was my 14th full marathon and I am a 6 star world majors recipient. I do give kudos to the Revel team for their organization and professionalism. I must say, this was , by far, the hardest race I have done. The downhill is significant, and many portions were very steep. Despite training on hills, my body was not ready for this. I suffered serious damage to my legs as a result. The out and back is , no joke, absolutely awful. Then you are running down a highway in the heat, with cars racing on each side of you, breathing their exhaust. I was easily expecting a BQ with a huge margin, but ended up walking most of the last section from the out and back. It may work for some people , but it’s not as easy as marketed.
Beautiful Canyon Race
I’ve run this one 3 times now and love it every time. It’s COOOLD at the start but they give you Mylar blankets (which looks hilarious to see the farm … MORE
I’ve run this one 3 times now and love it every time. It’s COOOLD at the start but they give you Mylar blankets (which looks hilarious to see the farm of space people trying to stay warm before the sun comes up). Tons of porta potties spread out so you don’t have to all be vying of the same lines. This year, the swag included a choice of shirt type (triblend or tech) and a hat with a Velcro patch on the front that if you place, you get an AG patch to put on it. The medals are big and cool. The course is challenging but not painful (some are awful when you come out of the canyon, you are forced to climb right away, this has a couple miles of flat before a drop into the finish line. The canyon has lots of curves so be smart and learn to run tangents or you will unnecessarily extend your time. The last 5 are a long straightaway. You can see the finish easily with a mile to go. Good post race support. Will keep running this one because of the experience and the course!
Great except for the "out and back"
Great fast race in beautiful canyons in Utah. There is a tough "out and back" section about mile 18 but in 2023 the course has been altered to remove that … MORE
Great fast race in beautiful canyons in Utah. There is a tough “out and back” section about mile 18 but in 2023 the course has been altered to remove that section (thank goodness) — 2023 here I come – let’s finally crush this course.
STEEP and fun
This is the steepest race I have ever done. I know that is Revel's specialty but my quads and hip flexors were wrecked after this one. The scenery is unbelievable … MORE
This is the steepest race I have ever done. I know that is Revel’s specialty but my quads and hip flexors were wrecked after this one. The scenery is unbelievable going down the canyon. Good sized race with a very excited crowd. Aid stations are great. The provide a good looking medal. I was honestly disappointed with the shirt. It did not last very long and was not high quality as I had hoped.
A must
Revel Big Cottonwood is always and forever my favorite race. From the packet pick up and awesome swag, to the bus ride and the end of the race, every aspect … MORE
Revel Big Cottonwood is always and forever my favorite race. From the packet pick up and awesome swag, to the bus ride and the end of the race, every aspect is completely organized and smooth. The scenery is stunning. The weather is perfect. You may even catch a few moose or two. If this is your first time running, take it all in. Stop and take pictures because it will go by so fast. I love this race.
My overall experience
Near the end of the race, at mile 11, the sky opended up, and it downpoured. Otherwise the view mountains on both sides of the race course took my breath … MORE
Near the end of the race, at mile 11, the sky opended up, and it downpoured. Otherwise the view mountains on both sides of the race course took my breath away. The medal is super amazing and i dream about it in my sleep.
Highly recommended!
This was my first marathon and the worst bits were the training (in Austin TX in a lot of heat and humidity) and the early start in race day. I … MORE
This was my first marathon and the worst bits were the training (in Austin TX in a lot of heat and humidity) and the early start in race day.
I thought the organisation of the event was impeccable and have no idea how they can do and give so much for so little money. The shirt/cup/medal/photos alone seem just about worth the entry fee and everything went incredibly smoothly.
I got REALLY lucky in that I picked up my bib as Coach Paul was starting his talk about how to run the races. He was about my age and a really good communicator. He’s run a gazillion marathons and is the Coach for this and other Revel races. I strongly recommend using him, particularly if you train in TX or other hot places.
Anyway, I don’t think I would have come close to running the time I did without the excellent prep that he enabled for us, just in a one hour session. It meant the course held no surprises for me and I was able to keep spirits up the whole way (well at least until torrential rain made my shirt and shoes/socks weight 5lb more!).
He did say to run at a 7/10 effort and unfortunately I only committed to 5/10 for most of the course, but knew exactly when to hit 7 on a couple of uphills. He showed us how much variation there was in his times (a minute and half delta between the fast and slow miles) and that helped me tremendously.
I didn’t love the early start or darkness and cold in the staging area, but once we began, time really flew. I didn’t spend as much time enjoying the scenery as id assumed I would, but there were some special moments.
The “out and back” wasn’t half as bad as Paul had prepped us for and probably the steeper downhill sections challenged me more than the very few uphills.
I finished WAY too fresh (as a result of just not trying hard enough) but as I write this on day 3, I feel 80% recovered (massage yesterday helped). Quads are less sore than they would be after a days water skiing (or after a PT session if I haven’t been for a while).
I can’t think of no reason not to run the BCC and lots of reasons to run it. Yes, I guess the time flatters me as I’m sure I wouldn’t do that on the flat, but it was a really nice ease-in to running.
I’d never run more than 6 miles pre-Covid and intend to stop when/if it receded, but I’m really glad I did this marathon and would encourage you to consider it – and maybe make a weekend of it by staying in Park City.
COVID Running
This is going to be a review of a very different event than what this race normally is. However I must say that this was one of the few races … MORE
This is going to be a review of a very different event than what this race normally is. However I must say that this was one of the few races that I actually enjoyed while following the COVID difficulties.
Unlike other races during COVID, this race did not have a select time that you had to show up. Instead you could show up during a long block of time on the one day and launch yourself on the digitally guided course. There were officials at the starting line (which also was the finish line) and a small finish festival area.
The course was marked but also was guided by the Brooksee app. This app is also used in other races like the Portland Marathon to give you auditory splits and tell you about the areas you are passing through. In this case it was also giving you turn by turn directions and making jokes of mixed results.
The course was an out and back on a park path in Jordan UT. I thought the park was rather pretty and I enjoyed myself. There were a few water stands along the course as well as areas to fill your own water as guided by the prompts from the app. The app made what is essentially a lone run through a park feel more cohesive as you passed other runners in various stages of the course.
The finish area did have some refreshments and booth to sample the boot massager. I did not perform as well as when I have direct competition, but I didn’t actually care because it was a very nice experience. I would like to someday run the non COVID race, but until then I am very pleased with the way that this race was handled in a very difficult time.
Downhill doesn’t mean easy
Like all Revel races this has a huge elevation drop. However the last stretch of the race is partially flat which absolutely killed me after running 18 miles downhill. Plus, … MORE
Like all Revel races this has a huge elevation drop. However the last stretch of the race is partially flat which absolutely killed me after running 18 miles downhill. Plus, it is a boring mile out and back which was unfortunate.
The course is beautiful and the production was well above average. I would recommend, I would just caution you to know what you are signing up for and not to think the elevation loss will mean it will be easier.
Gorgeous but challenging
Big Cottonwood is a fantastic race and I have run it twice (2017 and 2019) It is fast for the first 18 miles, but there is a very tough 5 … MORE
Big Cottonwood is a fantastic race and I have run it twice (2017 and 2019)
It is fast for the first 18 miles, but there is a very tough 5 mile out and back that can really make or break your race. Revel is a fantastic race organization and this is a must run course.
One of my favorite canyon races
This was my first Revel race. It was outstanding! The expo is really well organized--you start upstairs getting your bib and then going down through the expo. There is an … MORE
This was my first Revel race. It was outstanding! The expo is really well organized–you start upstairs getting your bib and then going down through the expo. There is an app you can download to collect codes and earn points towards a drawing for various prizes. The shirt was a nice shirt, with several upgrade choices ranging from tanks to long sleeves to hoodies. The bag for pick up is your drop bag and includes gloves and a mylar blanket–very welcome given how cold it can be at the start. As in most canyon races in UT, you need to be at the bus well before the sun comes up. There are lots and lots of buses with more than enough parking (don’t be a lemming and follow the line, realize there is parking every which direction and it’s all about the same distance to walk to the buses!). The buses leave by 5:30A and take you up the canyon. I promise, it will be COLD at the start. Plan accordingly!! You are going to be standing around for no less than 45 minutes (and possibly much longer) and the sun isn’t up until just as you start. There are lots of porta potties at the start. It’s self seeding. You start off running up hill for a short bit before u-turning and tearing down the canyon. There is nothing more beautiful than running down a canyon as the sun comes up. If you’ve run Run Elevated Little Cottonwood, the difference here is the grades are less steep but you run longer in the canyon. As you run down, pay attention to the tangents. Every year I see people hugging the curves. You can easily add several tenths of a mile doing this. There are lots of support stops and the canyon is mostly closed to traffic so it’s a great run down. As you exit the canyon, you continue straight to the finish line on the roads through the city. Around mile 11 there is a bit of a challenge up hill but you will be rewarded by a wonderful, fast down hill to the finish line. Lots of food and well organized gear check at the finish. Awesome medal and you have a very short walk to your car from the finish. Love, love, love this one.
Death By Downhill
Revel Big Cottonwood marked my 5th Revel race. While I hate downhill running, I love the beauty of mountain roads and the organization of the Revel Race Series. Since I … MORE
Revel Big Cottonwood marked my 5th Revel race. While I hate downhill running, I love the beauty of mountain roads and the organization of the Revel Race Series. Since I did not yet have a marathon in Utah, Big Cottonwood called my name.
Mandatory packet pickup was on Friday from 10 am – 8 pm at the Lifetime Activities Center in Taylorsville, approximately 10 miles from the finish. For an additional fee, participants could pick up their packet on race morning ($20) or have it mailed to them ($40).
Free race morning parking was in various business lots immediately south of the finish line. Full Marathon buses departed from 4 am – 5 am and Half Marathon buses departed from 4:30 am – 5:30 pm. Both races started at 6:45 am.
As I like to arrive to races early, I was on the first bus heading up the mountain. The bus ride was blissfully uneventful. We arrived at the starting line with plenty of time to use the porta potties and stretch. While the air was crisp, it wasn’t nearly as cold as I expected. Over the next hour, buses continued to drop off runners. The porta potty lines grew longer and longer.
The race started promptly at 6:45. Like other Revel races I have run, the National Anthem was not played. “Well that was anti-climatic,” a nearby runner stated when we realized that the race had suddenly started.
The views in the first 18 miles were absolutely spectacular. The first 18 miles were the most scenic of the Revel races I have run. I was in love. There was a minor hill just after mile 2. Due to the high elevation, I started breathing a lot harder than usual. It took me a full mile to feel completely recovered from that hill. Once I was recovered, I went back to being in constant awe of the scenery around me.
The volunteers were excellent. The aid stations provided water, Powerade, oranges, DoTerra muscle rub and Honeystinger gels (my favorite). One aid station also offered popsicles.
Mile 18 – 23 was when I stopped enjoying the race. Mile 18 – 23 is an out-and-back. Past participants warned me that it would feel like it was uphill both ways. While it was only gentle rolling hills, it felt much worse. It is in direct sunlight. You are breathing in the exhaust from vehicles stopped in traffic. You are no longer surrounded by nature. The joy I felt running the first 18 miles completely dissipated and the wind left my sails. Many people claimed to have lost their BQ in this stretch. While I’m not fast enough to BQ, I likely lost a PR in this stretch.
The final 3 miles were down Fort Union Blvd in Cottonwood Heights. While I was happy to be finished with the out-and-back, I felt like I was just trudging along at this point. The beauty of the first 18 miles was quickly becoming a distant memory.
At the finish, there was cardboard-like pizza, donuts and soda in addition to the water, heavenly towels soaked in ice water and bananas given out in the finish chute. Massages were available. The beer garden served beers from Ogden Brewery. The red ale was ok, but the blueberry hefeweizen was delicious. I heard positive things about the other beers as well.
Like all Revel races, the race offered free photos that were available online a few days after the race.
Overall, I really liked this race. I loved miles 1 – 18. I hated miles 18 – 23. I was over it from mile 23 – 26.2. Now that I have run a marathon in the state of Utah, I wouldn’t run this race as a full marathon again. I would absolutely consider returning to run the half marathon though.