The Full Marathon starts overlooking Salt Lake City at the Big Mountain Pass at the top of Emigration Canyon and heads East. This course follows along pine trees, aspens and follows several miles along the East Canyon Reservoir. The Full joins Half Marathon about 3/4 around East Canyon Reservoir where the Half Marathons starts and then heads down Red Rock Canyon which has great views and landscapes and unique rock formations. Around Mile 20 of the race the course turns into farmland with beautiful fields of grain and cool barns. The 10K and 5K are out and back courses that start where all distances finish at the Morgan County Fairgrounds.
The East Canyon Marathon was the 415th largest marathon in the U.S. last year and was the 454th largest in 2022.
This year 17.8% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon and 11.3% of runners qualified for Boston in 2023.
This gives the East Canyon Marathon the 157th highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in the U.S. last year and the 62nd highest percentage so far in 2024.
Its Course Score of 98.97 ranks it as the 203rd fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 10th fastest course in Utah.
The typical race time temperature and humidity levels are the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. This, coupled with the Course Score, gives the East Canyon Marathon a PR Score of 98.97. This PR Score ranks it as the 148th fastest marathon in the U.S. and the 10th fastest in Utah.
Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.
East Canyon Marathon Elevation Chart
Max Elevation: 7429 feet (2264m) Min Elevation: 5054 feet (1540m)
This was a fantastic race. It was small and had to adhere to safety standards with Covid-19, but the organization and execution was phenomenal. The course was beautiful, the weather felt better than expected, and I was able to finish with a PR and a BQ with over 9 minutes to spare.
Race Tips
Best if you are already trained for elevation, and you can speed through the first several miles downhill. You'll need some time in the bank for a big mile at 11 and some small rollers in the second half. Excellent aid stations every 2 miles will fill you up with all of the water and electrolytes needed.
