REVEL Big Cottonwood Course Guide

A course strategy – and overall race strategy – is a must for optimal performance on race day. Whether this is your first REVEL Big Cottonwood race and your goal is simply to finish, or you are Big Cottonwood veteran aiming for a PR or BQ, you should have a well-planned strategy for how you intend to manage the course!

The head coach of REVEL’s Online Coaching Program, who has run a Boston Qualifier in all of the REVEL marathons, has prepared a detailed description of the Big Cottonwood Marathon and Half-Marathon courses.

READ MORE

Price Increases Next Week for REVEL Big Cottonwood

REVEL Big Cottonwood in Salt Lake City has a price increase coming next week! Prices will increase at midnight on August 9. Save $10 by registering now!

REGISTER FOR BIG COTTONWOOD

Can’t Race This Time? No problem!

How many times have you signed up for a race, only to be sidelined due to scheduling conflicts, injury, or other issues that required you to miss the race? Chances are you encountered this from race organizers: “In accordance with industry standards: No refunds, deferrals, or transfers of registration fees.” Not with REVEL! We're here to change industry standards. All of our races offer a transfer, withdraw, and defer policy. REVEL: Fast, beautiful, and fair!

REVEL is Known for Speed

The top 6 fastest marathon courses in the U.S. include three REVEL events: Canyon City, Mt Charleston, and Big Cottonwood. Meanwhile, REVEL Rockies is listed as one of the top Boston qualifiers, with a 21% qualifier rate. REVEL means FAST!

Training Tip: Don’t “Bank Time,” But Build a “Cushion” Instead

Some runners use the phrase “banking time” to allow for the typical slowdown that occurs in latter miles of a race due to fatigue. Generally, the idea is that if you run faster than your overall goal pace for early miles, you will have “banked time” by putting yourself “ahead of schedule” by a certain point of the race. Later, as you slow down, you will be “making withdrawals” against that “banked time” to stay on schedule overall.

For a number of reasons, the “banked time” concept is not a good idea. Instead, think of building a “cushion” of time that you expect to use in your favor on the slower parts of the course. The cushion is built by taking advantage of gravity in the segments where the downhill profile favors faster running. As opposed to the “banked time” concept of running very fast (or too fast, as some critics say) early in the race, with the expectation of slowing down later in the race, the “cushion” idea is that you are doing nothing more than taking advantage of gravity, while using good course management to gauge where you are overall vis-à-vis your goal pace.

This “cushion” idea is the concept that you should embrace for a downhill race. Instead of “banking time” on the downhills, you are merely running faster than goal pace, or as fast as you can comfortably run downhill, to account for the favorable downhill profile. Likewise, slowing down on the climbs is expected. Don’t think of it as “making withdrawals from banked time.” Instead, think of it as sound, smart course management. You know that you will run fast downhill, and you know that you will slow down uphill.

CHECK OUT REVEL COACHING OPTIONS

Price Increase Aug 9, 2016!

HOKA ONE ONE is back once again as the official running shoe of REVEL Big Cottonwood. New this year, HOKA will be sending one lucky runner on a trip to the Boston Marathon! Runners who wear their HOKA's during REVEL Big Cottonwood will be entered to win. Stay tuned for more info!

These are super soft tri-blend t-shirts for every day wear. 26.2 or 13.1 print with actual course topography design printed on front. Men's and women's specific fit.

REVEL 26.2 & 13.1 T-Shirts

As we approach REVEL Big Cottonwood, we'd like to give a shout out to our largest team, Run4Fun. With 62 members, this group based out of Utah, has runners participaing from all aross the country. Close behind is team Chasing Boston with 60 members!

As a 14 year breast cancer survivor Laura Beard has run 139 races to date, and she's completed all these races in just the last 5 years. In 2015 Laura (age 57) ran the Big Cottonwood Half Marathon with her 26 year old daughter and friend. She cruised down the course and beat both of them! As a cancer survior and speedy mom we congratulate her!

Congratulations to Mia Bennett who ran the 2015 REVEL Canyon City Marathon. She was randomly selected as the winner of a FREE race entry to any 2016/2017 REVEL event. Keep your eyes out each month to see if you're the next random winner. Mia, email revel@runrevel.com to claim your prize.