Rock ‘n’ Roll Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, UT
- Half Marathon, 5K
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
Run Elevated! Surrounded by awe-inspiring mountain views and infused with a culture that’s West of Conventional, Salt Lake City is the perfect destination to elevate your next half marathon or 5K experience. From the snow-capped peaks surrounding the Valley and a vibrant downtown culture, to the unforgettable on-course entertainment and … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Aug 18):
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
| H (°F) | 97 | 93 | 73 | 99 | 94 |
| L (°F) | 71 | 73 | 57 | 74 | 65 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
Beautiful tour of the city
Unfortunately, this seems like a one and done for Rock 'n' Roll, but it was a beautiful event. The elevation and hills on the course made it a tough first … MORE
Unfortunately, this seems like a one and done for Rock ‘n’ Roll, but it was a beautiful event.
The elevation and hills on the course made it a tough first half of the race, but the beautiful views of the city made it worth it.
The aid stations were will stocked and manned, and the volunteer support was fantastic.
We ran by the Capital, The Salt Lake Cemetery, The University of Utah, and Liberty Park.
There was plenty of post race refreshments, a beer garden that offered a soft drink option, and a post race band.
Public transportation to/from the airport was easy, and if you had a vehicle, visiting the Great Salt Lake and Donut Falls were great side trips.
RnR SLC 2023: Tough course, Nice Views
Inaugural races are like a "box of chocolates..." (you know the rest). Salt Lake City is a scenic city with the mountains in the background. Stayed at the downtown Sheraton … MORE
Inaugural races are like a “box of chocolates…” (you know the rest). Salt Lake City is a scenic city with the mountains in the background. Stayed at the downtown Sheraton (highly recommend; <20 min from airport) which was in walking distance/super quick Uber ride to mostly everything downtown – including race expo and start/finish…Expo located in spacious convention center…Course is SUPER HILLY (I've done 100+ races to know) from miles 1-9. Be careful on the long, steep downhills if you have back issues (or other issues) like me. Some good views of SLC. Good on course support. Nice start/finish line. Nice shirt and medal design.
Get ready to climb
I’m a big Rock’n’Roll fan and this was one of the races on my list. Out of all the RNR’s this course was the most challenging but the beautiful scenery … MORE
I’m a big Rock’n’Roll fan and this was one of the races on my list. Out of all the RNR’s this course was the most challenging but the beautiful scenery made it all worth it. There’s, no easing into it, you begin to climb in the first mile and continue to climb until around mile 6 where the course takes you downhill and levels out the rest of the course. Plenty to see and lots of opportunities to take pictures. Lots or aid stations and cold towels at the finish. Swag was ok. Food was typical.
Beware of hills
The first 6 miles were uphill - beautiful view of Salt Lake City but who can run uphill for six miles? Expo - was so disappointing - very few vendors … MORE
The first 6 miles were uphill – beautiful view of Salt Lake City but who can run uphill for six miles? Expo – was so disappointing – very few vendors and very little choices of Rock n Roll merchandise to buy. I can remember when Rock n roll expos were the best. Race course – again 6 miles uphill in the beginning was ridiculous. The down hill part was not enjoyable either – in some parts – straight down. and then alot of wasted time around a park. But it was fun to see the high school in High School Musical and the University of Utah. The saddest after race snacks that I’ve ever seen. Not that many volunteers – I asked a volunteer general directions how to get back to my hotel and she didn’t know and didn’t try to help me further. Would Not recommend or do this race again. I’m so disappointed – I used to love Rock n Roll races but this one was very poorly done – especially for the inaugural one.
Rockin' Salt Lake City
When I first looked at the course map for the Inaugural Salt Lake City Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon, it appeared that the course would be similar to the Salt … MORE
When I first looked at the course map for the Inaugural Salt Lake City Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon, it appeared that the course would be similar to the Salt Lake City Half Marathon Course, only in reverse. And that I would be complaining about the heat rather than the cold.
Not so much. The course was different enough to be interesting to the locals, and interesting enough to travelers to make it worth their investment. The course took us past several Salt Lake City attractions – starting with the State Capitol, through City Creek Canyon to the University of Utah campus, past Ute Stadium, past East High School of High School Musical fame, and past the new – but now iconic – whale statue at 9th South and 11th East.
August in Salt Lake City is HOT. Thankfully there were multiple aid stations with cold water, electrolyte drinks, and snacks. My sincere apologies to the runner behind me that I sprayed water on as I was dumping a cup of water on my head at mile 12. There were cold, wet towels at the finish line – a brilliant touch that most of us took advantage of.
Per Rock ‘n Roll tradition, there were live bands (or DJ’s) near all the aid stations and along the route. So, if you forget to pack your earbuds (like I did), no worries. There was plenty of entertainment.
Yes, the course was hilly. There were enough downhill stretches to give the racers a break from the uphill climb through the canyon to the University, and from there it was mostly downhill.
The Rock ‘n Roll race series puts on a great race expo. You will want to go to the expo as early as possible to get the best selection of merchandise. By the time I arrived the t-shirts with all the participants’ names were almost gone – and there were no stickers for the half-marathon distance.
It’s official – Salt Lake City is now on the Rock ‘n Roll Race Series map! Come see us next year – you’ll have a great time on a fun and challenging course.
Super Flat Run
One of the flattest courses I’ve seen. It’s a down and back format. Not really much scenery, mostly just houses. Not very crowded. Kind of wish they had it on … MORE
One of the flattest courses I’ve seen. It’s a down and back format. Not really much scenery, mostly just houses. Not very crowded. Kind of wish they had it on the same day as the half marathon. Not really any food trucks or food options after the race.