2023 REVEL Big Cottonwood Presented by Albion Info

Quick Info

Attend Albion group runs for a chance to win a $500 prize!

• Race Date: Sept. 9, 2023
• Download: Road Closures and Detours for Overall Course, Cottonwood Heights, Holladay, and Murray
• Download: 2023 Race Guide
• Expo: The expo will be held at a TBD location on Friday, September 13th from 10:00am to 6:00pm.
• Busing: Marathon buses will depart from the north parking lot of Cottonwood High School and Half Marathon buses will depart from the SE corner of Union Park Ave and Fort Union Blvd in Midvale. Half Marathon buses load from 4:30am to 5:30am, and Marathon buses load from 4:00am to 5:00am.
• Marathon Start Time: 6:45am
• Half Marathon Start Time: 6:45am
• Full Marathon Course: Guardsman Pass to Cottonwood High School
• Half Marathon Course: Mill D Parking Area to Cottonwood High School

Runner Perks

In addition to offering a fully-supported run down an incredibly beautiful Rocky Mountain canyon and getting the best PR opportunity you may ever have, we strive to make the REVEL Big Cottonwood Presented by Albion even more memorable with the additional perks listed below.

Free Photos & Personalized Videos

There will be photographers at multiple locations along the course to take pictures of your race experience. Be sure to smile big, make a tough face, or strike a pose for the cameras as you go by. Please make sure your bib is visible as well. Photographers will also be at the finish to capture your sprint across the line and take your photos in front of our backdrops.

All race photos will be provided for free. We will also use photos you select to create a personalized highlight video for you. It is crazy to pay $50 to $100 for a single image download like you may have experienced before. At REVEL events, your memories are on us! Your photos will be made available shortly after the race along with your results on the results page. You will receive a link via email a few weeks after the event to select the photos for your video. Check out the following personalized video sample:

Medals

Medals are provided to all participants as you cross the finish line. Our race medals are not your run-of-the-mill awards. We award huge, high-quality medals that are equal to your effort. These are certain to win a place at the top of your medal collection. The images below are samples of medals from previous years.

Shirts

Every participant will receive a high-quality, gender-specific race shirt that will be designed and procuced by Albion. We guarantee that this will be a shirt you'll want to keep, and maybe purchase an extra or two! During registration you can select between a long sleeve, tank, or short sleeve shirt. Select the size of shirt you want, but don't sweat it if you're not sure about sizing. You can try it on at the expo, and if it doesn't fit you can exchange it for a better size, as available. We don't want you to be stuck with a shirt that doesn't fit!

Swag

REVEL Big Cottonwood Presented by Albion swag and sponsor swag will be available for pick-up at the expo. In addition to other items, all runners will receive a pair of throw-away gloves and a mylar blanket to be used in case of cold weather. Iced towels will be given to all runners as they cross the finish line.

Finish Line Festivities

Once you cross the finish line, stick around and enjoy the exciting atmosphere at the finish. Runners will be greeted with some great food as you celebrate your achievement with friends and family. Check out the vendor booths, get a photo in front of our beautiful backdrops, and give a hand to the rest of the runners coming in.

Transfer, Withdrawal & Deferral Policy

We understand that things come up, which is why we try to be as flexible and accommodating as possible. We allow runners to transfer between distances (half to full or full to half), transfer their entry to another individual, defer to another event, defer to next year and even withdraw from the race if their plans change. Visit our withdrawal, transfer & deferral page for more details.

Travel

Rental Cars

REVEL Race Series has teamed up with Enterprise & National to get you the best rate! Book your rental car using this booking link.

Airport

If you are traveling to the REVEL Big Cottonwood Presented by Albion, the closest airport is the Salt Lake City International Airport. It is only fifteen miles from the finish line in Murray, and even closer to downtown Salt Lake City.

Visit Salt Lake

The REVEL Big Cottonwood Presented by Albion is happy to partner with Visit Salt Lake. While you are in town, check out their website for great places to eat and other great places to see.

Partnering Hotels

The REVEL Big Cottonwood Presented by Albion is happy to partner with a number of hotels this year to provide special rates and amenities for our runners.

In addition to the discounted rates, a number of hotels are partnering with us to offer busing to the start lines from the hotel and shuttles back to the hotel from the finish line after the race.

Expo

The REVEL Big Cottonwood Presented by Albion Expo will be held at a TBD location on Friday, September 13, 2024 The expo will run from 10:00AM - 6:00PM. REVEL's Online Coach, Paul Carmona will speak at 10:30AM, 1:30PM, and 3:00PM at the Expo & Packet Pick-Up.

A photo ID is required to pick up your race bag. We will allow individuals to pick up someone else's bag, but will require a photocopy of the person's ID and a written note authorizing them to do so.

If you will be arriving in town after the expo is closed or are otherwise unable to attend the expo, you may elect to pick up your packet and bag on race morning for an additional fee. This option may be selected during registration.

Parking & Busing

Race parking is available at Cottonwood High School to the immediate north of the finish line. All parking is free.

The REVEL Big Cottonwood Presented by Albion is a point-to-point course, and as such we will bus you from the finish line to the start line. The cost of busing is included in your entry fees. You do not need to reserve a spot on the bus, as your bib is your ticket to ride. ALL PARTICIPANTS must take a bus to the start lines (you may not park at or be dropped off at the start lines).

Marathon buses will depart from the north parking lot of Cottonwood High School and Half Marathon buses will depart from the SE corner of Union Park Ave and Fort Union Blvd in Midvale. Half marathon buses will load from 4:30 to 5:30 AM, and full marathon buses will load from 4:00 to 5:00 AM. Please make sure that you are on time and that you get on the right bus! Staff will be on hand to help direct runners and ensure that parking and busing runs smoothly.

There will be post-race shuttles available to transport Half Marathon runners and spectators from the Finish Venue at Cottonwood High School back to the Half Marathon parking area in Midvale. These shuttles will run regularly between 8:00am and 11:00am.

Please click to enlarge the below map for more parking and busing details.

Drop Bags

You will receive a race bag when you pick up your packet at the expo. This bag is for you to take to the starting areas. A number that matches your race bib will be put on the outside of your race bag. This is to identify your bag at the finish area after the race, and you will need your bib to prove ownership of your bag when you pick it up.

You may take your race bag and any personal belongings with you to the starting areas. For security and identification purposes we require these bags to be used to carry any clothes or personal belongings to the starting area, as opposed to any other personal bags. Bags must be placed in the transport vehicles at the starting areas no later than 6:30 AM.

Start & Finish Areas

Start Areas

The half marathon will begin approximately 10 miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon just below Mill D parking area, and the full marathon will begin at the very top of the canyon at Guardsman Pass.

Porta-potties, water, Nuun, basic first aid items, and last-minute instructions will be provided at the starting areas. While we will provide gloves and Mylar blankets, we highly recommend that you come prepared for cold temperatures at the start line by layering and then shedding your layers to put in your drop bag just before the race begins.

Finish Area

The finish line is located at 5715 South 1300 East in Murray. The finisher's area will be packed with food, massage, awards ceremonies, vendor booths, and more. A designated family meetup area will also run along the south side of the finisher's area so you can easily find your family in the crowd.

Refer back to the above map under the Parking & Busing section, which will show the layout of the finish venue and indicates the locations of all the areas listed above as well as the designated areas for bag pickup, hotel shuttles, results, porta-potties, team tent space, and so forth.

Timing & Bibs

Timing

The races will be chip-timed using timing tags adhered to the back of your bib. Your time will begin when you cross the starting line, not at the start gun, and will stop when you cross the finish line. Overall prize winners (top 3 in each race) will be determined by gun time, not chip time. Please do not tamper with the timing chips, as they cannot be replaced once linked to your bib number.

Bibs

Because the timing tag is adhered to the back of your race bib, it is important that you do not cover your bib with clothing or other objects that may interfere with the tag reader when you are crossing the start and finish lines. Furthermore, in order to ensure that race volunteers, officials, and photographers can properly identify you, you must wear your bib on the front of your person in an unobstructed position. If the photographers along the course cannot see your bib number, we will have no way to get your photos to you.

Aid Stations

Aid stations will be located approximately every two miles along the courses. All aid stations will be supplied with Nuun Lemon Lime electrolyte drink, water, and basic first aid supplies. Additionally, various aid stations will be supplied with doTERRA Deep Blue, Energy Gels, fruit, and medical personnel. The aid station map below indicates the locations of each aid station as well as the supplies and amenities available at each.

Any clothing that is left at aid stations or along the course will be considered a donation to charity. We recommend putting your clothing in your bag and letting the bag truck transport it to the finish line.

Safety & Medical

Course Safety

The canyon will be partially closed to traffic from 7:00 AM until 11:00 AM on race day. During this time, the westbound lane will be reserved for runners. Traffic in the eastbound lane will be limited to one direction, and will be coordinated by police escorts. Candlestick barricades will be placed every 80 feet along the center of the road, and for your safety you must stay to the right of these cones at all times while in the canyon.

Road Closures and Detours for Overall Course, Cottonwood Heights, Holladay, and Murray

Once runners leave the canyon, the course will continue to be marked by candlestick barricades and road signs. Race volunteers and police officers will be present at all major intersections and turns on the courses to guide runners and stop traffic when necessary. Runners must follow their directions at all times in order to ensure their safety. Any runners seen intentionally running on the wrong side of cones or barricades will be disqualified.

Each aid station will be supplied with a first-aid kit that will include items such as bandages, moleskin, vaseline, anti-inflammatories, etc. If you are in need of any of these items, simply stop and ask the volunteers at the aid station.

In addition to the first-aid kits, various aid stations will be staffed by caregivers from Intermountain Health. These caregivers are trained nurses, physical therapists, critical care techs, and certified athletic trainers and work in Intermountain hospitals across the Salt Lake Valley. They will provide more advanced medical care to support runners. See the Aid Stations section for more details.

Multiple sag wagons and Unified Fire Authority ambulances will be roaming the course as well to respond to any emergencies and transport runners who cannot continue to the finish line. A full-service medical tent staffed by Intermountain Health caregivers will also be at the finish line to provide any needed care for runners.

Pacing & Time Limits

Pacing

Pacers will be running both the full marathon and half marathon to lead everyone to a fast time. Because of the downhill nature and uniqueness of the courses, we will be using the Smart Pacing strategy, which is an effort-based pacing strategy that varies the pace of each mile based on the % grade. This pacing strategy has proven to be very effective, particularly on courses like Big Cottonwood.

The full marathon will include pacers at various Boston-qualifying paces, including:

• 3:00 (Men's 18-34 BQ mark, 6:52/mile pace)
• 3:05 (Men's 35-39 BQ mark, 7:03/mile pace)
• 3:10 (Men's 40-44 BQ mark, 7:15/mile pace)
• 3:20 (Men's 45-49 BQ mark, 7:37/mile pace)
• 3:30 (Women's 18-34 BQ mark, 8:00/mile pace)
• 3:35 (Women's 35-39 & Men's 55-59 BQ mark, 8:12/mile pace)
• 3:40 (Women's 40-44 BQ mark, 8:23/mile pace)
• 3:50 (Women's 45-49 & Men's 60-64 BQ mark, 8:46/mile pace)
• 4:05 (Women's 55-59 & Men's 65-59 BQ mark, 9:20/mile pace)
• 4:20 (Women's 60-64 & Men's 70-74 BQ mark, 9:54/mile pace)

The half marathon will include pacers at the following paces:

• 1:30 (6:52/mile)
• 1:40 (7:38/mile)
• 1:50 (8:24/mile)
• 2:00 (9:10/mile)
• 2:10 (9:55/mile)
• 2:20 (10:41/mile)

Time Limits

Because road closures for the race must be re-opened for normal traffic, we are required to set course time limits. Road closures will be lifted based on a 6:33 marathon time. Any runners still on the course after the rolling cut-off times may continue to proceed along the course route to the finish area, but aid station and traffic control support will not be available.

For the full marathon, the cut-off time is equivalent to a 15:00/mile pace. This is equivalent to a very light jog or brisk power walk. Because the half marathon begins further down the canyon and heads straight to the finish line after exiting the canyon, the cut-off pace for the half marathon is slower than the full marathon, at roughly 30:00/mile.

Based on the USATF certification standards the course is measured on tangents or SPR-Shortest Possible Route. Therefore if you run on the inside or outside line the entire length of the race your GPS may reflect a distance slightly greater than 13.1 or 26.2.

Weather

Although we cannot predict the weather, we can provide some historical weather averages for the area on the date of the race:

• Average Low: 55 F
• Average High: 77 F
• Average: 66 F

Please remember that these are average temperatures for the Salt Lake Valley, and that temperatures in the canyon will likely be considerably cooler in the morning. While we will provide gloves and Mylar blankets, we highly recommend that you come prepared for cold temperatures at the start line by layering and then shedding your layers to put in your drop bag just before the race begins.

Spectator Locations

Because the canyon will be completely closed to traffic,spectators will need to stake out a cheer spot elsewhere on the course. Refer your fan club to the course maps to plot out their desired locations. Spectators will also be allowed to park at the finish line to cheer you in and celebrate with you after you cross the line.

Road Closures and Detours for Overall Course, Cottonwood Heights, Holladay, and Murray

Results & Awards

Age Divisions

Age divisions include the following:

• 1-14
• 15-18
• 19-24
• 25-29
• 30-34
• 35-39
• 40-44
• 45-49
• 50-54
• 55-59
• 60-64
• 65-69
• 70-74
• 75-79
• 80+

Results

Your results will be available shortly after you cross the finish line in the results tent indicated on the finish venue map. Results will also be posted online as soon as possible after the race.

All runners completing the race will receive one of our famous finisher's medals. Additional awards will be given to the top 3 runners in each age division. Runners that place in the top 3 of their age division can claim their awards at the awards booth, indicated in the finish venue map. Age division placers must pick up their awards at the race.

Awards

All runners completing the race will receive one of our famous finisher's medals as they cross the finish line. Age division awards (1st, 2nd, & 3rd) and overall awards (top 3 men and women) will be given as well and can be redeemed at the Results Tent. Team awards will be sent out after the event.