2016 REVEL Big Cottonwood: "Breathtakingly beautiful, fast, and a joy to run"
REVEL Race Series
Sept. 13, 2016

The fifth edition of the REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon and Half-Marathon started on Saturday, September 10, 2016, under perfect conditions: clear, calm, dry, and cold. Thousands of runners enjoyed a remarkably beautiful course as they made their way from the stunning canyon views to the lively and festive finish area. PRs and BQs were plentiful!

"The route is breathtakingly beautiful, fast, and a joy to run," said Heidi Bates, who ran her first half-marathon. Heidi’s comments matched those of hundreds of runners who finished in either the marathon or half-marathon: "I loved watching the sunrise in the valley below us, and listening to the river rushing down the canyon. It was truly an unforgettable experience."

The REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon and Half-Marathon, on September 10, 2016, in Salt Lake City, was a resounding success. In the marathon, runners began the race over 1,000 feet above Brighton Ski Resort on Guardsman Pass Road. With breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and valleys, the marathoners were treated to a gorgeous sunrise as they began the race.

Meanwhile, 13.1 miles ahead, thousands of half-marathoners began their race in the serene and majestic valley, complete with moose sightings and waterfalls nearby.

Marathoners and half-marathoners alike were treated to spectacular views as they ran downhill towards the finish area in Cottonwood Heights. Overall, the extremely fast and beautiful downhill course drew outstanding reviews from the marathoners and half-marathoners, and remarkable finish times from the overall winners in both events. Marathon finisher Linda Sheeran, who beat her BQ by over 17 minutes, described the Big Cottonwood Marathon as "absolutely perfect," adding "this was my first time to run this course and I loved it! Very well-organized race."

Top Finishers

Zachary Cater-Cyker
Male Marathon Winner
Zachary Cater-Cyker
2:32:55 (course record)
Amanda Blair
Female Marathon Winner
Amanda Blair
2:53:32
Jon Kotter
Male Half Marathon Winner
Jonathon Kotter
1:04:31
Amanda Blair
Female Half Marathon Winner
Sylvia Bedford
1:17:25

The marathon winner was Zachary Cater-Cyker, 31, with a finishing gun time of 2:32:55. This is a new course record. In second place was Jacob Gustafsson, 32, with a finish of 2:35:51. Brent Bailey, 30, finished third with a time of 2:36:47.

The top woman finisher in the marathon was Amanda Blair, 26, with a gun time of 2:53:32. Lyndsy Schultz, 35, was the second-place finisher in 2:54:29. In third place, with a time of 2:56:17, was Shannon McGinn, 40.

In the half-marathon, Jonathan Kotter, 31, won with a gun time 1:04:31. Justin Park, 36, and Brian Summers, 30, rounded out the top 3 with finishes of 1:09:42 and 1:11:54, respectively.

The winners in the women’s half-marathon had a close finish. Sylvia Bedford, 26, was the overall female winner of the half-marathon with a gun time of 1:17:25. In second place, clocking a 1:19:02 finish, was Melissa Terpenning, 33. Only 26 seconds behind Terpenning was Cassandra Allred, also 33, with a finishing gun time of 1:19:28.

Runners Praise the Overall Course and Race Organization

Douglas Avery, who finished with a BQ in his first marathon at Big Cottonwood 2016, lauded the race organization and volunteers, saying "The announcer at the start line kept us well informed of the time and when to be ready, so I was prepared for the start and got off to a great beginning. The aid stations were organized well and all the volunteers were super helpful, so everything went so smooth to keep hydrated and fueled along the way."

Sunshine Szedeli, who ran a 38-minute PR in the half, complimented the race extensively: "This was my first experience with a Revel race. It was not my first experience with the marathon/half marathon distance and man am I impressed! Well organized, great swag, friendly people everywhere, frequent and efficient aid stations, amazing scenery, and awesome bib transfer/withdrawal options on registration. Thank you for a wonderful experience, you definitely stand out in the race business and this customer can't wait to be a 'repeat.'"

"Race day was wonderful," said Kacy Robinson, who PRd in the marathon by 17 minutes. "Everything was well organized. The support on the course was fantastic. Everyone was kind and helpful."

Scott Allen, who ran a 3-minute PR and beat his BQ time by over 12 minutes, praised many aspects of the race organization, saying "the aid stations were plentiful and were staffed by cheerful and helpful volunteers. I liked the professional signage that enhanced the experience. The finish area was lively and well organized."

"Beautiful views, amazing volunteers, well organized with attention to every detail especially at the finish line, LOVED everything," said Amy DeVries, who ran the marathon. "Best of all, I got my BQ."

Alisha Harrison PRd in the half by 7 minutes, noting that Big Cottonwood "really was a perfect half marathon. Everything was so well organized, volunteers were so happy and cheerful. I do mean all of them from the packet pick up (asking if it was my first race, be sure to kill it, etc.), volunteers at water stations, and after party."

Daniel Gillespie, who ran the half-marathon, raved about the overall organization: "This race was extremely well organized, from the check-in on Friday to the finish line festivities! It seems like they thought of everything, and everything was executed to perfection. I was constantly being surprised at how efficient everything was: getting my bag and number on Friday, parking on race morning, loading buses, having bathrooms available, mile markers and posters along the way, drinks and snacks, getting results, getting pictures, turning in and retrieving my bag. The most memorable thing was the beautiful scenery while I ran, and the outstanding organization let me focus on that. What a great experience!"

Runners Marvel at the Beautiful Course

Big Cottonwood S-Curve

Pearce McCarty, who ran a marathon BQ, raved about beautiful course: "The most memorable aspect of this marathon is undoubtedly the breathtaking scenery, i.e. the course itself. From watching the sun break over the eastern ridge early in the race, to taking in the dabs of bright color splattered across the mountainside as fall foliage began to appear, to the rugged rock faces later in the race, to the sweeping views of Salt Lake City during mile 19...." McCarty added that "this is a well - organized, well - executed marathon that I would recommend to anyone."

Marla Gale summed up the half-marathon course as "BEAUTIFUL. MAJESTIC. STUNNING."

Alisha Van Orman, who PRd by 20 minutes and qualified for Boston, described the course as "Beautiful!" and added "I love how organized this race is! You do a great job!"

Aleshia Lindhardt finished her first half-marathon and described the course with one word: "Gorgeous!"

Jolie Morris qualified for Boston with her 13-minute PR, happily stating "Today I got a marathon PR and also qualified for Boston! On top of that the course is absolutely beautiful and the race was so well organized! The BEST race!"

Jan DeGiulio, who has run 108 marathons and ran a BQ, said "I love the beautiful course! The mountains are covered in beautiful fall colors. Volunteers were fantastic. Race organization was fantastic. Packet pickup was organized. This was my 108th marathon and the Big Cottonwood Marathon is a favorite!"

Jana Eckles, who raved about the "beautiful scenery and downhill glory," commented that the course was "beautiful all around" and that she "loved the change of scenery as you go down the canyon."

Yulia Kirkpatrick ran a 10-minute PR in the half, summed up her experience as "very impressed. Smoothly run, scenic course, went without a hitch. Highly recommend."

Elizabeth Evans completed her first half-marathon, and described the course as "almost magical - seeing a moose shortly after the start, the sound of the babbling creek, the beauty of trees with colors already changing." Elizabeth added "I'm so glad this was my first half as the course was beautiful, the volunteers were so positive and supportive, and instructions to runners prior to the race were clear."

"This was my fifth half and first Big Cottonwood Half...it has become my favorite," said Angela Curtis who added that the course was "fast and gorgeous, breathtaking in spots."

Carey Roberts called the Big Cottonwood Half-Marathon "the best course I have ever run, love it…I'm already looking forward to next year!"

David Allred, a veteran half-marathoner, noted "This is one of the best run races I have participated in, the the top race in Utah. This was my third Big Cottonwood and will continue to run this race in the future. Great job!"

Nadia Despain PRd in the half by 13 minutes, saying "it was AMAZING! The course was gorgeous. Very well organized. The volunteers were great. Everything was perfect, even the weather was perfect."

REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon - Storm Mountain

Runners Praise the Fast Course

Michelle Lomu Running REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon

Michelle Lomu, who ran a PR by almost an hour in the marathon, said "It was absolutely incredible. The downhill made me feel like a speedster!" Echoing those comments was Doug Chase, who ran a 52-minute PR in the marathon: "Beautiful, fast, fun…So many extras with this race. You exceeded expectations."

Myrriah Gomez, who ran a 14-minute PR, praised the course simply as "fast," and marveled that "the sunrise right before the start of the race was beautiful."

Marathon finisher Linda Sheeran, who beat her BQ by over 17 minutes, called the Big Cottonwood Marathon "absolutely perfect," adding "this was my first time to run this course and I loved it! Very well organized race."

Shanny Baldwin, who ran a 9-minute PR in the half-marathon, exclaimed "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!"

Elizabeth Hamilton, who PRd the half by 15 minutes, said "This race took my breath away! It is so beautiful and so fast! This is my third half marathon and by far my favorite!"

James Howton PRd in the marathon by 7 minutes, and complimented Big Cottonwood as the "Best marathon in Utah!"