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Jul 4, 2024

St. George Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.8

Organization 4.8

Spectators 4.3

Number of comments: 216 [displaying comments 111 to 121]

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V. F. from Mexico (11/5/2007) "Great Views, Great for qualify to Boston" (about: 2007) 3 previous marathons \| 1 St. George Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 It was a great experience to run this marathon. I did not expect such beautiful views through the race. I think that the photos on the website do not really transmit the amazing views. I went there to qualify for Boston, and i did not know how fast and helpful will be for me. At the end i did it!. It is important to consider Downhill on your training.
D. O. from Minnesota (10/27/2007) "Great Fall Marathon" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 St. George Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a great marathon. And, if you approach it right, you can really enjoy it. The key is to understand the course and to prepare for it. You have to understand how you want to run each mile. Although the marathon is downhill, there are a number of miles with significant uphill stretches. I am indebted to a Excel spreadsheet that I found. It lays out the course by mile and models your mile splits based on your desired time. To find it, go to the St. George Marathon website, click on the marathon chat forum, go into general discussion and search for "cougar race calculator." "Cougar" is the name of the poster of it and I express my thanks to him/her. I wanted to qualify for Boston, put in 3:33:00 as my target time, modified the spreadsheet for my slow start and finished at 3:33:16 (8:08 per mile). I laminated the mileage splits and checked them off one by one. (It was dark for the first 4 miles, which I didn't anticipate - so I was blind to my progress until then). My miles ranged from 9:00 to 7:40s. This race is four races, and the first 6.5 miles are downhill. Use them to warm up and come out of it fresh. The next 7 miles have significant uphill stretches, particularly at Veyo Hill. It is beautiful; enjoy it and don't blow your race on it. (I ran Veyo Hill at 9:00 per mile and the 2nd 10K at 8:30 overall) and then from 13 to 21 you gain time and endure the decline. The last 5 you just hang on. You should run negative splits. My first half was 90 seconds slower than my last half. And, I let up a little on the last half because I was ahead of plan and had back spasms. Remember to cut the corners. I was surprised how many people run down the middle of the road and add significant distance to their run. Run the tangents. Learn how to run downhill. Practice it before the race. This was my first marathon with lots of downhill and even though I trained, I didn't train enough. It is a different technique and you need to learn it and practice it before the race. I laminated a card with my downhill focus on it, but still, when I got tired, my technique degraded when my mental attention was diverted. My quads got beat up and I had lower back spasms. You must train so that your muscles have memorized the technique. If not, your technique will revert and you will lose time. The race organization was superb. Once you get into populated areas, the crowd is great. Kudos to whoever puts up the signs along the route - even the unpopulated part. My favorite sign was "Run for Rabies Awareness." One other tip: They have a great clothing drop. I dropped a bag labeled with my number in the clothing drop truck and carried the plastic clothing bag they gave me at registration in my back pocket. It is pretty compact and didn't bother my running. At mile 3, I put my hat, gloves and second shirt in it and dropped it on the side of the road and it was waiting for me at clothing pick up. This is a very friendly marathon and one worth running. Prepare for it right and it will be your all-time best race.
N. B. from Nampa, Idaho (10/18/2007) "Fabulous Marathon Overall!" (about: 2007) First Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 From the scenery to the weather to the fans, this was a great marathon. I spent almost half the year training for it and it still exceeded my expectations. I will definitely keep it on my list for a repeat if I can get through the lottery again. The fans who were out were supportive and enthusiastic, and the race was wonderfully organized. There are some uphill sections but that's obvious in the race profile, but overall the course had so much downhill running that it was not hard to run.
T. Z. from Texas (10/13/2007) "Beautiful scenery and great organization!" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 St. George Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my 14th marathon and first trip to St. George. Everything was well organized, and staffed with friendly, enthusiastic volunteers. One note - a friend arrived late the night before, and made it to the expo before it closed, but they had run out of shirts. They took his information and are to mail his shirt to him. The bus ride to the start (at 4:15 a.m.) was fine - we boarded early to participate in the early-bird drawings. There were plenty of bonfires to keep the runners warm, great music, and lots of porta-potties, although the usual potty lines were present close to race start time. The course was gorgeous, with a start in the dark that made for a beautiful sunrise over the mountains. Not a lot of spectators due to the closed course, but the ones present were very enthusiastic. Plenty of water and good (not watery) Gatorade, fruit, Gu, Vaseline, quick "run in" sports cream rubs provided by the volunteers, accurate mile markers, sufficient potties on the course, and a mostly downhill course. Another note - there are a couple of significant lengthy inclines in the first half, so be sure to train on hills. A big hit were the big, red, white, and blue Popsicle bullets at the finish line! Overall, two thumbs up - an excellent race!
S. O. from Pittsburgh, PA (10/13/2007) "Spectacular scenery and organization; fast course." (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 St. George Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This marathon is first-class all the way. The race director/race committee must be runners because of the great attention to detail given to this race. The course is incredibly fast with spectacular views. We actually passed a real cowboy on horseback along the road watching the runners! The aid stations are perfectly placed and well-stocked with water, Gatorade, Vasoline, etc. Only a couple of concerns: More port-o-potties at the start line, the mile markers were sometimes difficult to see, and the start was a bit crowded for a mile or two. Otherwise, I would highly recommend this marathon to anyone looking for a race that is well organized, with spectacular scenery, and a PR. (Ps. The elevation at the start was not a factor - something we were concerned with coming from the East Coast.)
B. Z. from Sandy Utah (10/10/2007) "Great first marathon!" (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon \| 1 St. George Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I wished I'd trained better for this, but it was still a great race for a first marathon. Don't let anyone fool you; there seems to be almost as much uphill running as there are downhill running, so train on both! By the time I finished (5:30:xx), the crowds that I'd heard so much about were largely dissipated. Still, excellent weather and great organization, and great aid stations, just often enough. Loved it.
S. M. from Columbia, MO (10/10/2007) "Great event!...but where are the prizes?" (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon \| 1 St. George Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Awesome weather, great course, and good organization made everything go off without a hitch (except some delays with return of clothing dropped at mile markers on the course). I think it's great that so many door prizes are given as an incentive to people who get on the 4:30am shuttle to the start line (e.g., 10 X $250 cash awards, iPods, etc.), but how about providing some comparable awards for those who finish in the top 10 overall? Either way, I'll be back to enjoy the friendly people, fun atmosphere, and beautiful setting of St. George. Thanks for making this an amazing experience!
Bruce Hartranft from Chicago (suburbs), Illinois, USA (10/9/2007) "Beautiful Scenery, Great Support, Smooth Surface" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 St. George Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was my 25th state, 30th marathon. St. George runs a great marathon! I recommend it to first timers as well as serious marthoners looking for a Boston qualifier. Beautiful course - winds through some of the dynamic buttes and high desert of southern Utah. Cactus, horses, and ancient volcanes all make their apperances over the 26.2 mile (mostly down hill) run. The organizers provide buses out to the start, plenty of bon fires to keep you warm (but bring a piece of cardboard to sit on and/or a garbage bag for warmth). Fantastic water and aid stations. Every station is staffed with medical staff, plenty of water/energy drink, and all the nice amenities (Vaseline, bananas, oranges, etc). Copiously staffed so no waiting for a beverage or first aid. Finish line and finishers area is equally well supported. Plenty of refreshments and food at the end. An extra nice touch they provide... they actually RETURN your 'dropped' clothing to you! Clothing drop boxes at throughout the first 10 miles are hauled to the finish line. When you arrive the clothes have been spread out for easy identification (marked by mile marker of the box), this is done in addition to the usual pre-start bag return. The St. George Marathon organization does a great job!
D. W. from North Georgia (10/9/2007) "Awesome Experience" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 St. George Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my fifth marathon and the best to date. My personal preference is for a smaller field and an event focused on 26.2. We had spectacular weather. The start in the dark was eerie, but stimulating, too. The sunrise was inspiring. I guess this early rising and early start is easier to bear when your body is on Eastern Time. There were many more spectators than I expected, given the rural nature of the course. And, everyone was filled with enthusiasm. My only concern is related to the posted map of the finish area. It was not accurate and that made connecting with family and friends a challenge. After the crowds cleared, we finally found each other. I hadn't heard about running out of medals. I finished in 5:00 + and there seemed to be plenty at that time. What a disappointment that must have been. If you run this marathon, participate in the chat forum! I learned so much that helped me prepare for this unique race. And it was like meeting old friends once we saw each other face to face at the bonfires.
J. M. from florida (10/9/2007) "No medals for late finishers" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 The scenery was beautiful and the fans and volunteers were awesome. It was my birthday and I traveled from Florida to do the race. When I finished I was told that they ran out of medals; I couldn't understand how a race with entrants chosen by lottery didn't have the corresponding number of medals. There wasn't anyone announcing finishers when I came by and that was a little sad too. This was my 10th marathon so I know each one is a little different but I expected a better finish line experience. I'm sure that some of the 100 plus people that finished after me were first timers. I really can't imagine not getting a medal after completing your first.

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