St. George Marathon

Not too big, not too small! Well organized, lots of helpful emails leading up to race day. Solid expo, beautiful city, very scenic marathon, Snow Canyon and Zion National Park are beautiful to visit if you have time. There really was nothing I didn't like. National runners are treated to a pasta lunch at expo if you sign up via email.

Downhill race with one solid uphill mile starting around 7.2-8.2. Smaller ups after that, there is a couple hard down hill miles at 14-16 where you will run 30sec faster per mile and will be hard on your toes and quads. Gentle downhill to the finish.

I stayed at the Clarion, 1.5 miles from finish line, provided shuttle to start in the morning. I walked back after race.

Extremely well organized. The Expo was great and easy to navigate. Prices for hats, jackets, stickers, etc was very reasonable. Bus loading was easy to find and volunteers make sure the marathoners get on the correct bus. Some really great views as well.

The elite field of runners starts about 15 minutes before the main field. There was a cool drone show just before the race began as well. The starting line had fires that were fun to gather around and meet other runners. There was also plenty of hydration and fueling available there as well.

I actually felt the 1st 2 miles had a slight uphill vibe to them. Miles 3-7 were a gentle downhill.

The Veyo Hill (at 7 to 8) is no joke. My Garmin only said that hill was 115 feet of elevation gain, but it seemed like much closer to 200 or more. There's no break in the slope either. Just a consistent uphill.

Miles 8-10 were kind of rolling and then 11 & 12 went up again. Maybe not as much as Veyo, but also gentler since it was spread out over two miles instead of 1.

Miles 13-18 were a nice a little steeper than gentle downhill. You can really cruise here and just tick off the miles.

There is another good hill from 18 to 18.75 just as you enter St. George. You can see the hill coming and it's split by an overpass. It can feel daunting. But it's not as a steep as The Hill and not as long as the second one. Once you crest that hill, it's all downhill to the finish (minus a couple rollers that aren't too bad).

There's no shade. No chance for shade. Once the sun is up, it's out. 2025 was a VERY mild day, only got up to 79 or 80, which is very atypical. So take advantage of the sunscreen at the medical tents every other mile. They have lots of volunteers ready with Icy Hot, sunscreen, vasoline, ice baggies, etc. If you're a slower runner, those ice baggies can really help cool you down. Throw them in your vest to help bring your core temperature down.

Lots of hotels are within walking distance, although many of those are probably on the lower-end tier. But Uber & Lyft are ready to take you from anywhere in the city. There's only a handful of places for family or friends to cheer you on during the race. And that will require them driving some small country roads. They could get to Veyo to see you just before The Hill, but then they'll have a 25 mile drive around the course back to STG. They can also get to see you at about Mile 22 just as you're coming into the city. But then they might have trouble finding close parking for the finish line. Buses start loading about 3:45-4:00am. You are assigned a load time, but they won't stop you from getting on at another time. If you get to the starting line before 5:15-5:30 you will likely be able to procure a space blanket from a race volunteer, who are passing them out. It was in the high 30s/low 40s at the start line, so plan accordingly. The race bag, is big enough to stuff a decent blanket in and sweats to stay warm. There was also a truck at the starting line that didn't leave until after the race start (I'm guessing it takes the long way back?) so you can keep your blanket until pretty much until the start of the race. I even brought a light camp chair to sit on wrapped in my blanket & space blanket to stay warm and off my feet until the start.

I love St. George--so incredibly well organize compared to other events in which I've participated (many shorter distance runs, countless bike races, including national championships). Coming around the bend at Cinder Cone and seeing Snow Canyon in the morning light is, alone, worth the run. Volunteer support is incredible, frequent, and enthusiastic. I'm not into hanging around finish lines, but if that's your thing, it looked fine.

You will do well on this course if you become accustomed to sustained downhill. I did several runs with 2000'+ of elevation loss (including a couple with over 3000') and was glad I did--the downhill profile was no big deal. Had I not prepared though--would be rough.

I loved the course, I love the area, and the support and logistics were perfect.

This is a great race, very well organized and even provided Zip Loc bags with ice and cold, wet towels in the late stages of the marathon as the temperature climbed to 88 (at the time I finished, 4:10:39) and higher for athletes who needed more time. Flawless management!!

I focused a good part of my training on running downhill hard and doing lots of quad strength training. That really helped and my quads were fine afterwards. What I neglected was my glutes. I should have done some strength training for glutes, too, and they would not have been so sore the next few days.

Nothing to add; the buses were on time and the walk from the Best Western Coral Hills was about 5 short blocks, so easy!

Beautiful course, get support. Best finish line ever! Even the packet pickup was a party! Friendly staff. Very professional.

Gentle downhill all the way. Can get hot. Wear sunscreen!!! Water and Gatorade along the way.

Don't forget to check out RVS and rv parks for rentals.

Great volunteers and organization. They've been doing this race for 45 years and have it down. Beautiful run through red rock canyons and volcanoes (inactive.)

The race is mostly downhill, but there are three longish up hills. The first is at mile 7 and is the longest and steepest of the three. Take it easy until 7 and conserve up the hill to 9. Then you have another easier hill up to 11. I think you could open it up here. The final hill is at 18 or so and is pretty mild, but at this point... at 20, open it up to the finish if you have anything left. No uphills after that but not much shade, either.

Traffic to the bus pickup is light, but there are some street closures. Lots of good casual restaurants in town. Wear suncreen and bring throwaway clothes for the start. After the sun rises, there is some shade in the first half of the race, but really sunny after that.

This race was very well organized. Since this was my first time running, I went to the first timers clinic during the expo. They gave out a TON of good information and tips on how to run the course! The elevation profile for the course was really rough for me. I have heard more success stories than not on this course, but I had a rough time. The course is either going up or down with no real flat parts.

A lot of people talk about the beauty of the course. I don't want to sound snobbish, but I don't get it. I am originally from Reno, NV and it looked like everywhere I have ever seen in Nevada. Brown and sagebrush everywhere. There was one small section where I saw some red rock formations that were beautiful...I just personally would not call the course overall beautiful or scenic.

THIS IS A DOWNHILL COURSE! Do some long runs downhill. I failed to do so and by mile 24, my quads were shot. Although this is a downhill course, there are definitely some uphills as well.

Excellent marathon! Very well-organized, amazing aid stations with the best volunteers along the entire course. Beautiful scenery and weather! Fast course on second half, prepare for hills in first half! I was able to PR and BQ. I highly recommend this marathon.

Organization is somewhat good. A long delay for buses and no one informed runners what's going on. Although I really appreciate the aids group who help put icy hot topical on runners with painful legs during hilly course.

This is not an easy course if you didn't train hills properly. With some climbs to run up would be enough to destroy quads, calves hence it's difficult to enjoy downhill.

Exceptional support from volunteers and town. Surprising crowd support, given the wilderness aspect of the course. One good uphill pull around 9, but gets really fast toward the end. Scenery is fantastic, and you can go tour Zion before the race.

We hit the expo on Friday then drove 40 minutes up to Zion National Park. Phenomenal scenery, great way to spend the day.

Look at your pace carefully at the first 7 miles dont push too had until you get to mile 16.

bring sleeping bag if you arrive too early to the start line, very very cold.

Its the perfect marathon to make the time of your life, but.... you have to be prepare.

Very well organized race actually the best!!!

I ll be back.

Bus situation needs improvement! Get there early because it is a mess. Every year is getting more unorganized. Course is a rolling one, not all downhill, but many steep, long uphills too. Train hard on hilly routes. Very warm second half.

Start off slow

This race was well organized. Volunteers were friendly & supportive. Post race snacks were great.

There is no shade most of the race until you get down into the city around mile 20. The scenery is pretty but gets a little repetitive after so many miles. Running pretty much point to point is nice in that there are few turns on your knees but mentally makes it feel a little long.

My friend & I parked in town by the finish line the day before & hitched a ride to the start line the next morning.

Tough uphill at mile 7 just as tough downhill around mile 15.

Great support

The St. George marathon is extremely well organized with great race volunteers and very supportive crowds. Weather can vary greatly from year to year, and if it is warm, it can feel really warm. Beautiful scenery and a great crowd. After 40 years of running it, they pretty much have it down.

The overall course profile is downhill, but there are a couple of significant climbs. Generally, the second half is faster - unless you fade badly like I did. Hydrate, it is the desert. Pace yourself at the finish - longest finish alley ever - the barricades start .75 mile out, and you can see the finish, but it is still a ways off.

Book your hotel early. The town fills up. It is point-to-point, with an early morning bus ride out to the starting point, then run back to the town center. Don't hesitate to take an early bus, as they have food, fires, music, blankets, etc at the start.

Friendliest, most organized race ever. The organizers really thought of everything!

Be prepared for more uphills than advertised.

Best marathon I've ever done. Fabulous organization, great spectators, plenty of volunteers and aid stations, beautiful course.

Don't rely on getting into a Port-a-Potty on the course very quickly. I waited over 2 minutes to get in. If there's a line, run ahead to the next group. The pacers were awesome. You can hit a hard, challenging pace early on due to the downhill grade. The uphills will certainly add a bit of that time back though. I walked the uphills (3 of the big ones) and still had a PR.

The date for this marathon is too early in the Fall, 1st weekend of October. I think this results in too many years in which the temperature at the finish is too warm. Its a sunny course, no shade. 2016 was too hot.

Stay below goal pace the 1st 10-12 miles as Veyo hill and the following inclines can take a toll. If the weather is good and you are conservative early, this can be a fast course.

This course ROLLS. Make no mistake. Could just be the toughest course I've ever done. Don't come here chasing a sub-3. Do the training and find a real course. This course was a joke.

Save the hotel money. Drive your EV to the start and just sleep there.

This year was the 40th running of the St. George Marathon and my first time at the event. It absolutely lived up to its reputation for the beauty of the course and the expert organization.

The good things:
- Well run expo that wasn't very large but had anything you might have forgotten to bring. I attended the first timers talk and was treated to a speaker who has run the race every year from the 1st to now. If it's your first time, I highly recommend attending the talk.

- The bus ride to the start line was run as smooth as silk. I have to admit that my 3:15AM wake up call was tough, but the friendly volunteers and the perfectly run process of loading the buses made this part of the race completely painless.

- The hour and a half wait at just over 5000' of elevation at the start line was made much easier by the bonfires that were lit to take the edge off the cool morning. This year's race was actually very warm at the finish, but the start line temperatures were in the low 50's.

- The race itself was amazing, the course was incredibly beautiful. Be prepared for plenty of uphills, though, it's not all downhill. The hill at Veyo is no joke and the gradual climb from mile 10 through 12 is sneakily tough. There are some rolling hills around mile 22 that actually help break up some of the downhill and are a bit of a relief to your legs that have been pounded by all the downhill.

- The finish area is in a small park and definitely gets a bit congested, but the finish line food is excellent. Plenty of fruit and chocolate milk as well as ice cream which was wonderful after a warm finish.

Things to watch out for:

- Be prepared for the pounding of the downhill, do plenty of training, your quads and hamstrings will be decimated by the finish line. Things to watch out for: - Be prepared for the pounding of the downhill, do plenty of training, your quads and hamstrings will be decimated by the finish line. - It's very easy to go out way too fast, watch your pace and this is an easy negative split. - This year got very warm and there is no cover on the course so once the sun was out there was no escape. I trained all summer in the Texas heat so I was OK, but the shuttle was constantly running back and forth to carry people out. Things to watch out for: - Be prepared for the pounding of the downhill, do plenty of training, your quads and hamstrings will be decimated by the finish line. - It's very easy to go out way too fast, watch your pace and this is an easy negative split. - This year got very warm and there is no cover on the course so once the sun was out there was no escape. I trained all summer in the Texas heat so I was OK, but the shuttle was constantly running back and forth to carry people out.

- It's very easy to go out way too fast, watch your pace and this is an easy negative split.

- This year got very warm and there is no cover on the course so once the sun was out there was no escape. I trained all summer in the Texas heat so I was OK, but the shuttle was constantly running back and forth to carry people out.

This was easily the most smoothly run of any race event I have done so far. The city of St. George is a beautiful place with very friendly people and plenty of food options if you don't want to do the pasta dinner. I gave the spectators a 4 because you don't see many until you get into town for the last couple of miles. But, those spectators are wonderfully full of enthusiasm and definitely give you a boost for the final miles. If you love running and running marathons, St. George is an absolute must-run.

So incredibly organized. Beautiful scenery.

Very gradual and long uphill from about miles 8-13.

Flying into Las Vegas then driving to St. George was easy.

Organization - I can't imagine what more they can do. Expo was good (not too big), shuttles were efficient, campfires at the start with water, hot chocolate, coffee.

Race - first 7 miles and then 14 to finish are downhill and very fast. Miles 7-14 are uphill with some flats and rollers. The last few miles are in St George and the spectators are fantastic.

Finish Area - Lots of post race food choices. I don't eat a lot after a marathon, but generally will gravitate to ice cream and fruit -- plenty of choices...

Medal - best ever. Cut from local red rock sandstone - all are slightly different.

Although it is a net downhill you will need to train for the 4 mile grind up from Veyo to the the Volcano. Marathon starts at high elevation (5240 ft) at 6:45 AM, so gloves and a long sleeve shirt will be necessary for the first few miles.

Three marathons in St George, I used Marriott (Fairfield Inn and Courtyard). Hotels are very accommodating and have shuttles.

Gorgeous scenery, great community support. Downside it can get hot before you finish.

Practice running downhill. It gets steep in spots and it's later in the race, so your quads need to be prepared for that.

Come a couple days early and visit Zion National park (just an hour away). There are many low impact, low energy expenditure hikes you can do. You owe it to yourself, especially if you've never been in this part of the country before.

This marathon was my first ever and I loved it!!! Great run, and great volunteer help at each station. They also provide icy hot at the later stations which was a complete Godsend!!!!

Don't let anyone tell you there are no hills in this race, and I promise you, that you will not hit a wall, because there are no walls on the course!!!!

Plan to ride the first bus. It's not that cold in the morning, I didn't even bring a jacket or pants, they have plenty of fires to keep warm.

Great location, wonderful volunteers, and very well organized. I have done this one before, and I plan to do it again this year.

Train for Veyo Hill. After a few miles of downhill from the start, you will be faced with a long, drawn out hill as you leave the small town of Veyo. You'll know it when you cross a bridge and see a huge hill in front of you. Train for long hills like this, after miles of downhill. You'll need to switch which muscles you are using, and it will be a huge mental challenge to keep at it. Just pick your pace and stick to it. The hill eventually tapers out and gets back to flats and then downhill again... it just takes a few miles to do so. Hang in there.

Buy clothes at a 2nd hand store like Goodwill, so you can stay warm for the hour or two while waiting for a bus to the start line and while standing around at the start line in the dark. The start of the race is above 5,000 elevation, so it is chilly up there before the sun comes up. You can drop your extra clothes (long sleeve hoodies and pants, etc) in a drop bag before the start, or you can wear them for a mile or two and then drop them on the side of the road as you race. Anything not left in a drop bag with your number on it will be donated to charity.