Utah Valley Marathon
If you are new around here, I’m trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon but recently the standards have been lowered by FIVE minutes per age group and then at that you need to be several minutes below that.
I did a google search for most downhill marathons and found this one. I am a school guidance counselor full-time and a part time nurse and coach lacrosse so this fits my schedule perfectly.
Registration: Registration is online. The earlier you register the cheaper the pricing is. If you know you are going to run I would encourage you to register early.
The Expo: The expo was on the smaller side. It was easily accessible. Our hotel was on the diagonal, just across the street, so we just walked over. The downtown area, in my opinion, was small with plenty of parking. There were free give always like sunglasses and running belts from State Farm along with demos of equipment. Bib pick is here. The bibs have your name on them with mountains. They were very well designed. They also gave a sample of protein pancake mix!
Shirts/ Shorts: When you registered you were asked for a t-shirt and short size. The t-shirts are technical material with no brand on the tag or on the inside. The fit is boxy. The shorts did not have a tag with a brand. The shorts had two different size leg holes and no two pairs fit the same. I gave my shorts to my mom for a tag sale. Don’t get your hopes up for the swag!
Accommodations: I did not stay at the recommended host hotel. I stayed at the Hyatt on the diagonal because it was cheaper. The bus to that start line was actually directly behind the Hyatt.
The Start of the Race: There are fires at the start of the race and it is cold! Bring a throw away! It warms up nicely while running but it is dark out when you arrive at the start. There are plenty of restrooms at the start.
The Course: Hands down one of the most beautiful courses I have ever seen in my life. The scenery was breathtaking! There is one hill around mile eight, other than that the course is a downhill. It is point to point and there are cones lining the street to keep the runner on one side. There are also police working too. I wished I had my phone to take photos. The scenery of the fields with mountains in the backdrop looked like a painting.
The Medal/ Finish Line Area: I loved the medal. In size it is one of the biggest I have. It has mountains on it and spins. There were also backdrops at the finish to take photos. If you qualified for Boston they had an extra shirt for you and if you ran a negative split they had a plaque for you.
After the race I walked back to my hotel which was very close by. I didn’t not need to check any gear. There was a bus at the start that took the checked gear back to the finish line.
This is by far one of my favorite races. Which race have you run with your favorite scenery? Leave me a comment so I can add it to my list!
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