5/5 Stars

Bus loading was easy and organized, plenty of parking was available, Start line was a little crowded but fine, once I got my bearings, The announcer was trying to help us, Loved the music but sad it stopped before the race started. The race was gorgeous, it was fun to look at the beautiful trees, colors, river and small water falls, The course was steep, but I was prepared for it. The out and back was long, but doable, and the finish line was very well organized with lots of good choices for food, pictures, music, water, and cool sports towels. I loved the official result cards. The only negative for me on the course was I wasn't prepared for how cold it would be. My arms and hands went numb, luckily someone leant me their arm sleeve and that helped me warm up a lot.

Yes I did

Course was steep, but doable. I liked that the real tough uphill was at mile 3-4 -- it was hard, but manageable. The out and back was challenging. I loved the last two miles of the race, nice steep downhill.

I use Run faster, Run Less training. I also train on Mount Charleston course which prepared my legs for the downhill. I also run quite a few uphill courses which strengthens my uphill running.

Use Run faster Run Less, and al run on down hill and up hill courses.

Pedicures, out to dinner, visit with family

4/5 Stars

Big Cottonwood is and will always be a special canyon for me. This race day was a little different because my best friend and I decided last year at the 1/2 that we would run the full this year. We did that and it is special to us because her brother was killed in an avalanche in Brighton. In fact the spot where we have his final picture is coming down Guardsman pass.... we stopped and reflected on the fact that he indeed was with us today... helping us get through one of our biggest dreams possible.

No and No

The course is amazing and beautiful, I love it! Storm Mountain kills me every time because of the grade but totally worth it in the end.

16 weeks or good solid training and being close to the course we ran every part of it at some point before race day. I would not train the long runs in the canyon every week but I would definitely train running downhill.

Train downhill but not every run

5/5 Stars

It was amazing.

Yes, by 25 minutes... but I've only ever run a half in training, so not much to go on.

Great course. Beautiful

5/5 Stars

The scene at the top of the canyon was so surreal. Dark. Starry sky. All those runners huddled under their space blankets which were reflecting the little bit of light that was up there. It felt like a dream. (I guess I woke up when I got to mile 18.)

Did not PR but beat my BQ time by 5 minutes.

One of the most beautiful courses I have ever run (at least the first 18 miles). Also one of the hardest - your body takes a beating on the downhill.

I tried to incorporate as much downhill as possible into my training, but I'm not sure you can really prepare your body for that course unless you live in the area and can do long runs there.

I took someone's advice about getting shoes one size larger - was glad I did. I also wore cushiony shoes. It's a great race that's worth the pain, but be prepared.

Came from CO. We enjoyed the beer at Hoppers, the fish tacos at Lone Star Taqueria, the latte and cookies at Beans & Brew. Took a side trip to see the Salt Lake and the Tabernacle.

Also, we thought the staff and service at Crystal Inn were fantastic.

5/5 Stars

Everything was great. I think the race is well run and my favorite of the year.

yes. Ran in 1:27 which is 2 min faster than last year.

I like the course. The mile at the mouth of the canyon is tough after all the down hill.

Not much to say here. I run 3 times per week and increase my mileage closer to the race and try to do to down hill training. I probably needed to do more long runs though.

The events at the finish line are top notch. Nice job. The massage was nice.

5/5 Stars

I came to run the race with my son. Anytime that I can run with my family is a special day for me.
I got to run downhill with spectacular scenery,perfect weather,enthusiastic volunteers and qualified for Boston.
After the race, there was a nice medal,excellent refreshments, and an exceptional live band( a favorite song was Hallelujah).

I qualified for Boston. I did not set a PR, but that is only because I didn't complete a proper training program. I am confident that I could shatter my PR on this course.

Awesome!
The scenery coming down the mountain is spectacular.
The elevation was no problem..even though I flew in from the flatlands of Kansas only the day before.
The grade was spectacular .. I love running downhill and the flat portion at the bottom was very runnable-I was just too tired to do much on that section.

A bit lacking. I ran some half-marathons last spring, but have had no training runs over 11 miles since and no weeks over 30 miles. I generally run shorter races and have not done a lot of miles. As a result, I knew that I would run out of gas at the end, so I used the "Fade from the Front" strategy. I ran as hard as I could for as long as I could and then finished as best as I could.

Dressing.. It is cold prerace(32 degrees), but with a thermal top,running pants and thermal blanket(race supplied) I was fine. I ran in a thin long sleeve shirt,shorts, and the gloves and hat that were also race supplied.
Shoes.. I wore Hoka Cliftons.. They were perfect for this course. I usually race in Hoka Tracers, but found the extra cushioning of the Cliftons ideal for the downhill.
Course.. Take what the course gives you on the downhill and enjoy the scenery.

We visited the Salt Lake (Morman) Tabernacle... Awesome pipe organ and acoustics.
We rented a convertible to enjoy the great scenery and weather.
We went to Lumpys Bar to watch football, with a very spirited crowd watching the BYU-Utah game.
I flew in from Kansas and my son came from Washington DC for the race.

5/5 Stars

perfect course and weather!!!

I was happy with my time 3:00, it was my personal record, but this was only my second half.

Very enjoyable to run.

mild.
two short runs during the week and a long run on Saturday.

Train running downhill.

took pictures a one of the Revel backdrops

5/5 Stars

The canyon was absolutely beautiful. Running with Jon Moss and Elsha.

Yes, by 14 minutes and 42 seconds. I did qualify for Boston.

Beautiful course. Tough if not used to running downhill.

I had a small injury in my arch 8 weeks before the race that had miss 2 weeks of running. Before then, was running 80 plus miles a week with a 2 hour bike ride. Got back up to 70 miles 2 weeks before the race. Did 1 run a week on a treadmill with a decline function.

Practice running downhill. Also use cycling to build quad strength.

From Indianapolis. Went to Utah football game and Snowbird Oktoberfest.

5/5 Stars

Awesome! Best run ever!

Yes! 9 min faster.

Beautiful, FAST, downhill but not so severe that it was uncomfortable or that you had to hold yourself back. Loved it and will run it every year!

Train with some downhill grade so your not hurting the next day.

Dress warm (hat, coat or sweats, gloves, Mylar) for start then shed for race. It was 30 degrees at the start. Warmed up when sun came up.

I just came down from Ogden.

5/5 Stars

Talking with an old friend around mile 4, wife BQ'd with a 3:27, I PR'd with a 3:09

Yes! Beat my PR by 21 minutes! Missed qualifying for Boston by almost 5 minutes sadly.

Fast. Scenic. Pain was worth it. Elevation drop was crazy, sure made you aware when you were inclining later in the race. Turnaround point was kind of brutal.

Hal Higdon Advanced program was insane. Having the three 20 mile runs and introducing speed work definitely helped for this full marathon!

If I could change my training, I would have been more religious on staying on top of pace runs and incorporating more hills into my weekly mileage.

Hardest part is stepping out the door for training. Carbs are your friends. If you hate pasta, make it your friend. Say no to GU gels. Altra footwear will solve all your problems.

Had a victory Starbucks after. Starbucks coffee is horrible, but it was the best post race coffee I've ever had.

But, thank you volunteers. This couldn't have happened without you. Thank you so much for fueling us to achieve our goals!