Utah Valley Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K & 5K Race Reviews
Average Participant Reviews
Most Helpful Review
I love the new course!
The new course is absolutely wonderful! Previous races were always beautiful coming through Provo Canyon but now it’s beautiful on steroids!….All downhill with just a couple of 5 foot elevations to cross bridges! I loved this race before-I love it even more, now!
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Great Race
Very enjoyable/beautiful race, good steady decline, very few hills, and a great crowd once you get into town.
has attended 1 times
2/2 found this review helpful.
Great Half Marathon
I ran this half last year and it was my first. The declines are really gradual and that helps with a beginners knees. The aid stations were quick and thank goodness for the Honey Buckets!
has attended 2 times
4/4 found this review helpful.
10K
I loved everything about this race. Utah Valley is my new favorite race. I signed up for this race after a very disappointing race at Ogden in May of 2015 and it wasn't just the weather. The Utah Valley had friendly volunteers and the atmosphere was awesome. My kids ran the Kids K and were thrilled with the medals and the experience of running the finish through line. Bravo on one awesome race experienced by our family. We are looking forward to next year. Thank You!!!
has attended 1 times
3/3 found this review helpful.
Great Marathon!
Great course! The boy scouts aid station was the best, they had delicious cobbler!!
has attended 1 times
1/1 found this review helpful.
Great Race
Loved the race, and the K9 dash was awesome. Loved running with my dog and will definitely be back.
has attended 1 times
2/2 found this review helpful.
Utah Valley Marathon
Love this race! Well organized and beautiful! Just wish the last 6 miles were more downhill!
Awesome Well Organized Race
This race was fun on a fast and easy course. It was my first marathon and I was blown away with how well organized and ran everything was. It was a great experience and I look forward to running again next year.
has attended 1 times
2/2 found this review helpful.
A solid race! Can't go wrong.
Most of the course is very beautiful, and has a quite a lot of downhill. The last few miles have some uphill and aren't especially interesting (though I run that course a LOT so I might just be sick of it). The aid stations always had enough water, food, and volunteers when I've passed through. The end-of-race celebrations are well organized, though parking in downtown Provo is what you would expect (a hassle). But I really do love this race, and I think others would too! It's worth doing!
It's the atmosphere that makes this race great!
You can say what you want about the actual course, everyone has differing opinions about hills, steepness, etc., it's the atmosphere that makes this race so great! Not only do the race organizers make sure everything is top notch (expo, start line and finish line, aid stations), but you also have streets packed with people the last 6 miles, cheering you on and helping you fight your way to the finish. I absolutely love the support that Utah county gives for it's runners.
has attended 3 times
7/7 found this review helpful.
Will be back!
I was having IT band issues going into this race so I promised myself just to go with it and have fun. This was the perfect race for that (other than the fact that it's alllll down hill. My IT Band did not like that part)! The volunteers were fantastic, the course was gorgeous and the Boy Scout water stop is by far the best! I will be back and plan on PRing on this course.
has attended 1 times
3/3 found this review helpful.
Kim
Snacks were awesome, the staff was friendly, the race was very well-run. All of us runners got to just support each other and not worry about anything.
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
First Half marathon
That was awesome! The course was perfect on that decline, with awesome people at every stand!
has attended 1 times
2/2 found this review helpful.
Great Course
Great race. Nice amount of hydration stations. Overall good experience. Thanks.
has attended 1 times
1/1 found this review helpful.
"Fast Marathon" is Misleading
Course was organized well. Frustrated that the marathon was advertised as a "Fast Marathon" as the canyon had numerous hills. Not a fast marathon.
Number 3
Really, no water at the finish? The finish was bogged down and folks were strolling over the finish line so that runners had to walk behind. I did not see a big change due to 10-year anniversary.
has attended 3 times
0/2 found this review helpful.
Response from the Race Director
I am sorry you had a bad experience. We had over 1,000 gallons of water left over at the finish. It was right in the runner corral and had 6 different volunteers handing out both water and Powerade. I am sorry to hear that you didn't see this, but we never ran out of water.
Great!
Well organized, great route, wonderful "rewards" at the end.
has attended 4 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
" Fast Course"
Frustrated that the marathon was advertised as a "Fast Marathon" as the canyon had numerous hills and if you are NOT use to the ALTITUDEs of 8k+ down to 4200+, I train at Los Angeles,CA it is 200 above sea level, you will feel a big change!!! Not a fast marathon course for me. I ran Vegas it was fast. it took me 3:45 which is my PR, this one took me 4:19-
has attended 1 times
1/1 found this review helpful.
Response from the Race Director
Mario thank you for your feedback. I am sorry to hear you did not have the fast time you had hoped for. The race actually starts at 6200 (not 8,000), but that is still quite a bit higher than sea level. For many of our sea level runners we have heard that the nearly 1800 feet of drop more than makes up for the altitude difference. You are right that there are a few climbs. We do have a net change of 1800 feet of elevation loss, but there are 3 spots of hills on the course. Thank you for running with us, and thank you for your comment.
2017 Marathon
Beautiful!!!! Highly recommended race in Provo. No PR but a fun adventure.
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
loved this race
I had no idea what to expect but really enjoyed the experience running the half. The course was well marked and staffed. It was a little chaotic getting on the bus and being dropped off ( I was on the first bus) as the driver didn't know where to go. Wish the fires were on when we got to the start line, had to wait awhile for warmth.
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Great race
Great race. Well organized, plenty of aide stations, loved the free post-race massages. One thing that could be better, from my perspective, is to have the half marathon busses leave later. We spent a lot of time (1.5 hrs) waiting up in the canyon. The fires were awesome and made it bearable, but I wonder if the wait time couldn't be cut a bit.
has attended 2 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Fantastic Experience
This was my first marathon! I had a blast and will be back next year! Beautiful course and easy downhill runs!
has attended 1 times
3/3 found this review helpful.
Fun race!
This was a great marathon for my first! Beautiful scenery, good water stations and volunteers, great police support. The only downside was the finish line. It was quite hectic and unorganized. I ran right through and no one was even there to give me a medal. The after run food options could have been better too.
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Good, Better, Best
I've run this year every year. Hyrum and his organization make a sincere and significant effort to listen to feedback and improve the race every year, as reflected in its current state of excellence and popularity. I'll be registering for 2018 shortly.
has attended 5+ times
2/3 found this review helpful.
Awesome 10k
This was my first ever 10k, and I couldn't have picked a better race. Mostly down hill with one mild incline, awesomely organized, cool jacket and medal.
has attended 1 times
3/3 found this review helpful.
Better start line
While this was my first time running a marathon, I have volunteered at many others and their organization at the start line were much better. I never heard announcements, I only went to the start line cause I knew it was time for me to go. There, I was about 40 people from the start, right up front and I didn't even hear the count down, just the gun. But besides that, the course was well marked and shielded from traffic. Great people and atmosphere, course was wonderful.
has attended 1 times
1/1 found this review helpful.
Response from the Race Director
Thank you for the feedback. It is clear that we need more speakers. Our starting area is not very conducive to the sound, and it is a large area we need to have sound coverage. We will look into some better placement of speakers, and more speakers.
Utah Valley Marathon
A water station at mile 22 would be great.
has attended 5+ times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Love the Race, Hate the pics this year
Loved it both times I ran. Last year I got great pictures. This year...zero! Not one picture. So sad!
has attended 2 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Mrs.
I look forward to this race every year because it is so well organized and a beautiful course. The medal is always awesome too! Thank you for another great race!
has attended 5+ times
0/0 found this review helpful.
My favorite race
I have done the marathon twice and the half marathon five times. I really love this race. It is beautiful! It cold when you start the race, so bring a jacket as you wait at the top for the race to start, but it is worth it because the run doesn't get too hot. You can't beat the views! I already signed up for next year's race.
has attended 5+ times
4/4 found this review helpful.
Half marathon
I enjoyed the last six miles more than the first part. I loved being in the shade the entire time. Disappointed that there were no photos of me. I never even saw a photographer on the course.
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Rider not a runner
Even for someone who prefers to ride and not run this is a great time!
has attended 0 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Mrs
Good
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Awesome
Loved the race
has attended 2 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Covered in Shade
This is a beautiful half marathon course. You run around the base of the mountain and so the mountain blocks the sun. I was in the shade for like the first 10 miles. It helped to keep the temp cool and the views were amazing. The end of the race had so many snacks and food to eat. The medals were high quality. I have completed a lot of races and this was one of my favorites.
Best race in Utah!
Amazing support, landscape, food, friends and weather. Already signed up for next year!!
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Great course
This is the second time I ran this race. I did not care for the new NuN drink, but I was also not used to it. It was especially hot this year, but overall it was an enjoyable course as usual. The hills are deceiving, it is not a straight down hill course, so do hill repeats to help prepare yourself. It does tend to get rather warm by 8-9 o'clock, so run fast. Have fun!
has attended 2 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Great experience
I learned about this specific race after making it a goal this year to run a half marathon. I heard all good things about the race, and I was not disappointed. The scenery was breathtaking (especially since we have had such a rainy season); I also enjoyed that most of the distance gradually declined down the canyon. Everyone that helped out were very kind and encouraging to those who were running the race. There were even neighbors sitting outside on their lawn chairs cheering on the participants.
An amazing race!!
I love this race!! It is a beautiful run and so organized! Can't to run it again!!
has attended 2 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Loved it!
Great run! Very well organized!
has attended 2 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
BEST first marathon ever!!
This race did not dissapoint. The course was challenging but nothing that made me want to stop in my tracks! The views were spectacular. Starting out in the beautiful countryside of Wallsberg, to running through the canyon next to rivers and passing waterfalls! The last few miles are always the hardest but overall I had an awesome experience
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Pretty first half
Great to run in the morning down Provo Canyon. It was breathtaking. Either that, or the running took my breath away. :-)
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Awesome Race!
My first time, but definitely not my last! I had so much fun! My knee injured and I had to walk a lot of it, but that didn't matter. I had a great time!
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
great race
the virtual race went well. . . thanks again
has attended 2 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
half marathon
it was fun and hard, it was my first 1. it took me 2 hours 15 min 23 sec. i Had a huge group of people at the end of it to cheer me on, so it was worth it.
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
First marathon
Overall a good experience
has attended 0 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Great Race
I have run in a number of different races over the years, but this is the one I keep coming back to.
has attended 4 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Great Course! Great Volunteers!
Everyone was so kind and encouraging, things flowed smoothly, and I felt safe and watched over in the heat.
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Great for my first race
I ran my first marathon on this course, so I don't have anything to compare it to. I will say that I thought the organization and experience was excellent and I can't imagine anything better about it.
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Great experience
I was a little nervous about running my first organized race, but ended up having a fantastic time. The whole event was very well organized, and I appreciated the helpful emails and information on the website. The course is beautiful.
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Great Experience
The bus ride was early! The canyon was in cool temperatures but nothing unbearable (60 degrees). You run out of the canyon in those cool temperatures and it is perfect conditions. Once we got out of the canyon there was some shade and some sun and things warmed up. There were plenty of water and snacks and toilets on the way. a few cooling/misting stations near the end. The festivities and snacks at the end were great too. It was easy to find my bag that was brought down for me.
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Mrs.
Beautiful course! Nice expo. Everything was accessible and easy to navigate. We loved the friendly people at the race.
So enjoyable!
First half marathon and I couldn’t have chose a better one! Thanks for everything guys.
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Participant
I felt the entire staff and volunteers were friendly and helpful! The course was gorgeous and fun. Support on the course was amazing post race was really well done! Might be one of the best races and events I’ve participated in! Thank you!
I wish the race was actually 10K
The course is short ~0.15 miles. Lame. Everything else is great. It's a well-run race.
has attended 2 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Wow!
The course itself is as advertised: gentle downhill in a scenic and safe environment. The organization was outstanding! I have been involved in race planning myself (on a much smaller scale) and found this to be the most well thought out and incredibly organized event I have ever been associated with. Hats off to the individuals who put this all together! I will definitely promote this race to any who want a first class experience! Thank you!
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Phenomenal Race
I will do this race for as long as I can run! Cannot say one negative thing. So many positives - safety, organization, volunteers, fun, scenery, shirts, medals, Just amazing!
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Love, love, love this half marathon course!
Third time with this race (2nd in-person). Great half marathon course. Fast, beautiful scenery, with amazing course support. A very well-run organization with so much support for not only those in the front but those in the back (back of the pack "wogger" here...lol). The only thing I would like to have seen done differently is they had motorcycle support in front of elite male marathoners, asking those of us bringing up the rear to move to the side for the runners. While they did provide motorcycle support for the female elites, they were behind the runners, which caused them to have to dodge and weave the slower runners from the half. Other than that, AMAZING job! Planning on attending again next year with even more friends in tow. Definitely, a must-do for someone looking for a Utah 1/2!!
has attended 3 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Great weekend!
My son and I go at least once per year to visit a place we have never been and to run a race together. This year we chose the Utah Valley half marathon. It was a wonderful weekend in ever respect. The scenery was wonderful, the people were friendly and accommodating, and the race was well managed. Family members that saw the pictures and comments have already decided that they wish to include Provo in their future travel plans. Thanks for a great event. By the way, we always choose to try locally owned and operated restaurants. We generally ask locals we meet for their suggestions of things to do and places to visit. We were never disappointed by the tips and information we were given.
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Great Experience
This was an amazing race. Enjoyed the whole experience. Look forward to next year.
love it
Love this race! It is very well organized, tons of support and I love the expo! It would be nice if more of University Avenue was closed to traffic, the car pollution is really bad in some places.
has attended 2 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
KJ
I ran both the 5k and 10k. The 10k was spectacular and just well done. The 5k was good, but the running around the mall proved to be a little iffy with traffic not always cooperating with the volunteers. Part of the 5k was on a trail which was tight and made navigation difficult at times. Overall, the 10k 5 stars, the 5k 4 stars.
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Fantastic Race
I have done both the Half and the Full on this course. Both are incredibly well organized. I don't know where they get their volunteers but they are amazing. The scenery coming down the Canyon is incredible and there is tons of law enforcement keeping runners safe. 10/10 would recommend this race to anyone. It is a fast course but there is definitely some uphill on the marathon that will challenge you.
has attended 2 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Happy Camper
the course setting and atmosphere is great, the volunteers are friendly, and the security is awesome.
has attended 5+ times
0/0 found this review helpful.
I love the new course!
The new course is absolutely wonderful! Previous races were always beautiful coming through Provo Canyon but now it’s beautiful on steroids!….All downhill with just a couple of 5 foot elevations to cross bridges! I loved this race before-I love it even more, now!
has attended 4 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Awesome Race
Love the new course... there is not a better race around! Also, the "bling" by far the best awards presented at any race.
has attended 5+ times
0/0 found this review helpful.
I love this race!
Thank you so much for a wonderful experience! The course is gorgeous. The organization is great. The aid stations and bathrooms were perfect. I loved it and had a great time!
has attended 2 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Mrs.
Best course ever totally enjoyed it!
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
The best!
Favorite view, favorite race, amazing volunteers… 100% will do it again
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Great race!
Great race!
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Always a great race!
Great race. Great organization. I love everything about this race.
has attended 4 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Great race!
You always put on a great race! Structured, always starts on time, AWESOME course. I thought running on the river trail was a terrible idea, but it wasn't too crowded at all and worked out just fine. Thanks for the fun experience.
has attended 5+ times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Great for 1st Marathon
I wish people were given heat blankets and heaters at the beginning of the race
Wonderful race AWFUL prep
My wave was set to start at 5:55 am. The latest shuttle, with no ability to drop off in proximity to the start line, was 3:15 am. This means that my partner and I left our airbnb at 3 o'clock, walked to the shuttle, rode 30 minutes to the starting line, and then waited in 40 degree weather for TWO HOURS in running gear before the event started. There were hundreds of people that had to do this, and the fire pits they provided were wood burning pits, smoke constantly got in my eyes and throat, burning them profusely, there wasn't enough room for the majority of people to stay warm, volunteers just walked up and squirted lighter fluid all over them without any notice causing huge bursts of flame that shot at people who were huddled around for warmth. No one seems to know why people needed to be shuttled down to the starting line OVER TWO HOURS prior to the run with let's be frank, piss poor accommodations. The course itself was absolutely beautiful, but my partner and I are in absolute agreement that we will NOT be returning to this event. It's unreasonable to spend $100 or more then freeze for two hours prior to a half marathon, smell like a BBQ pit, and have people shooting lighter fluid all over the place.
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Marathon
Great race. Very well organized and carried out. The new part of the course from about miles 16-22 that follow the path by the river was scenic and amazing. Great change!!
has attended 2 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
GORGEOUS Course!
This is a small(er) event that is very organized and logistically easy to participate in! Of the 35+ marathons I've completed, this event now ranks up in the top 3. Course: Absolutely beautiful! While a descent like this may sound "easy", it will shred your quads quickly if your body is not prepared to handle all of the downhill running. If you are like me and live at sea level, the elevation (above 5,000 ft at the beginning of the marathon) may impact you a bit as it did with me. You may not feel it until you hit the portion with some rolling hills. Totally worth it! Course Support: The ample road closures and plenty of space was so appreciated. I felt very safe and not "squeezed" in with other runners at any point. It was AMAZING! I carry fluids and all nutrition with me, so I found the aid stations sufficient to supplement. HOWEVER, the ONLY issue I had with this is that Nuun endurance was the advertised electrolyte drink, but it was Powerade on the course. As one that carefully calculates electrolyte intake and had researched Nuun to understand the sodium content and how to supplement what I was carrying. An electrolyte drink that I cannot use because I doesn't agree with me was not a welcome surprise on the race course. This is the ONLY part of the race experience that wasn't favorable. (Hence the 4.5/5 stars) Expo: I'm not a fan of race expos in general because I don't feel like interacting with sales people pushing product. This expo made it very easy to quickly get the race packet/shirt, grab some free donuts (Hellooooo carb loading assistance... SUPER!!), and be on my merry way. Perfection in my opinion. Logistics: Seamless transportation to the starting line where I greatly enjoyed a mylar blanket and sitting by the fire before being told to make the short trek to bag check area and then the start line. The finish chut/hospitality and celebration area was AWESOME! Lots of great food and drink options, activities, but not so large that one couldn't navigate the area on tired legs to get back to any of the very nearby hotels. (Mine was 3 blocks away) Beautiful little city, beautiful course, less stressful race experience. I'm a fan!
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Provo 1st timer
Excellent experience, elevation is a killer for those of us at sea level
has attended 1 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Great course, such early start sucks
This was the 3rd year I've ran this race. The scenery and the organization was excellent. The only thing that is so horrible is that you have to get up so much earlier than normal (2:30am for me), which always messes up by stomach and sleep schedule. Especially being from out of town, its just not cool. But the people are great and I like the route being changed just slightly as you come out of the canyon to stay on the path a bit more instead of the road. So this is really a great race. Just fix that early start! And especially for this year as it didn't even get that hot so the race could have easily started an hour or two later and it would've been fine temperature-wise. I know that is more time to arrange to block road with the city but I think you'd have a lot of happy runners if so. I did an Ironman race this year for the first time and I got more sleep for a dawn start on that than I did for this marathon.
has attended 3 times
0/0 found this review helpful.
great
the race was fabulous - I love the change made to go onto the trail! I wish it was made years ago but it is done. You guys put on a great race!!
has attended 5+ times
0/0 found this review helpful.
Utah Valley Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K & 5K Review Details
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