Training for a marathon is hard work, but the payout on race day is enormous. Whether this is your first marathon or your yearly tradition, you want to make sure that you pick a race that is going to reward you with challenge, awesome scenery, and all the perks that come with accomplishing a marathon.
While there are many marathons to chose from throughout the beehive state, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorites for your consideration. If you haven’t quite prepared for a full fledged marathon at this point, take a look at our list of excellent half marathons.
Utah Valley Marathon 
June 11, 2016
The Utah Valley Marathon is the best choice for truly taking advantage of some of the most beautiful sights you’ll see in Utah Valley. It begins in Walburg, Utah (a town up Provo Canyon) and you’ll spend much of your time winding around the canyon roads that follow the Provo River and run right up next to the mountains. You’ll get great views of natural wonders like Bridal Veil Falls as well as historic views of downtown Provo. The race will finish at County Clerk Park in downtown Provo.
There are two locations where busses will be picking up participants – one at the Provo Marriott Hotel and another at the Zermatt Hotel in Midway, Utah. The Mariott Hotel in Provo has kindly provided discounts for marathon runners hoping to stay there. All participants will receive a Utah Valley Marathon t-shirt, and all participants who finish the race within the six hour allotted time will be awarded a finisher medal. All finishers will also receive prizes from Sierra West.
If you’re in this to win it, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to be rewarded for your hard work. The top five finishers in each age group will receive an award, and the top five men and women will receive prize money. The course is chip-timed, and is a Boston qualifying race.
Registration is limited to 2,000 participants, and the earlier you register the cheaper the tickets will be. So what are you waiting for? Register for this memorable marathon today! You can feel good knowing that all of the proceeds for this race will go to our guest charities.
Miss the deadline? Just want the VIP treatment? Register for a VIP position in the race here. VIP runners will be treated to a dinner with our symposium speaker the night before the race, and will get a seat on the last bus up to the starting line which will be filled with elite marathon runners. You’ll also receive a race hat, and will be able to skip the wait in line at the pick-up.
Deseret News Classic Marathon
July 25, 2016
This marathon is special because of its historical significance to the state of Utah. The oldest road race in the state, it follows the path the pioneers took when they entered the Salt Lake Valley for the very first time. This race takes place on Utah’s State holiday, Pioneer Day, every year.
Busses will transport participants from University of Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium to the starting location at t
he top of Big Mountain, and will be waiting at the finish line along 700 East of Liberty Square to take you back to your car. Aid stations at every other mile (after mile three) will provide runners with water or Gatorade.The top three racers in each age group will receive an award medal, and everyone else will receive finisher medals. The race course will be closed and roads will be reopened to traffic six hours after the race begins.
The St. George Marathon
October 1, 2016
The St. George Marathon has been around for 40 years and is a fan favorite of destination marathons. The race starts in the beautiful Pine Valley Mountains and slopes downwards towards Worthen Park. Because it’s set on a decline, it can be a pretty quick run, but you might just want to slow down to soak in all the beauty that is Southern Utah along this course.
Participants will be bussed to the starting line and will have 6 hours and 15 minutes to complete the course. All participants will receive a t-shirt, poster, and an electronic marathon certificate. Finishers will receive a finisher medal, and there will be refreshments provided at the finish line. Because this is a highly sought after marathon, registration will be based on a lottery system. Registration begins on April 1 of this year, 2016.
This race takes place on a Saturday, and would be a great excuse to make a weekend trip to St. George. But remember to make hotel arrangements ahead of time because St. George gets booked up quickly on this busy weekend!
We hope you’re getting as excited as we are about all the great marathons taking place in Utah this year. Be sure to register early to ensure your spot among the thousands of racers that are going to be competing for marathon glory this year. Make sure to check out the Utah Valley Marathon so you can do good for others while you do good for your body, mind, and soul.
