St. George Marathon Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Vinh N.
North Charleston, SC

  (10-13-2009)

First off, I want to say that is my favorite marathon thus far. There were several reasons on why I chose to run the St. George Marathon but my main reasons would probably be the scenery/course and the medal. The race was filled with beautiful scenery of the Pine Valley Mountains filled with numerous canyons and valleys. It definitely made the race more enjoyable. The finisher’s medallion is made of sandstone I believe and is in my opinion, the most unique marathon medal I’ve seen. The race was also well coordinated and the expo was great. I really can't think of anything bad to say about this marathon.
Although this may seem like an easy course b/c of the amount of downhill portions, there are several hills that made me think twice. Remember to train for both hills and downhills! I will definitely say that I did not train properly for this race. There were a lot of downhill and uphill portions on this course. Charleston, SC (where I’m currently living) is very limited to that type of terrain for training. This race is also at a higher altitude starting at 5200 ft and decreasing to around 2500 ft. I was really unsure about how the altitude would affect my performance. I think it did affect it a bit b/c I was comfortably averaging a 8:25 marathon pace in SC. I ended up running almost a minute slower. However, I am happy that I beat my previous fastest marathon time by 13 minutes. St. George is a beautiful place and the people were very friendly. St. George is definitely a must for any marathon runner.

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Don S.
Fayetteville, GA

  (09-07-2009)

There is something about the St. George Marathon that will always be special to me yet I can’t put a finger on it, unless it’s beating my good friends, Speir and Grady. Maybe it’s because it was my sixth marathon and the most among the Run Club members. Maybe it’s because of the stunning beauty that greets you at Mile 14 as you enter Snow Canyon. Maybe it’s the world-class volunteer support and flawless execution of race logistics. It’s all of those things and more, but it’s mostly beating Speir.

This year’s race was particularly special as I was attempting to run a sub-4 hour marathon. My previous PR was 4:27:45 at the Boston Marathon in April 07. My next best time was 4:34:45 at the New York City Marathon in November 06. A 3:59:59 seemed like a possibility, but I still had my doubts!

I had spent hours in the days leading up to the race pouring over the average splits I needed – 9:09/mile. I had to figure out how to maximize the down hills and conserve while running the up hills. After studying my training, reviewing the maps and general knowledge of the course, my projected time, my best case scenario came out to be 4:02:04. But Team Utah threw me a curve the day before the event – they challenged me to run a 3:50:00 marathon. That seemed too fast but I have never backed down from a challenge. We decided to run with the Cliff Shot Pace Setter by the name of Star. Star was a 32 year old female runner with dozens of marathons to her credit. Her PR was 3:17:00. While it seems tedious if not anal to micromanage splits over a 26 mile distance, Star believed it’s incredibly important when a specific time is desired and on a course as unique as St. George.

Race morning temperature at Central (5,200 elevation) was 36 degrees with a 10 mph wind mostly out of the west. The skies were clear with just a sliver of the moon and billions of stars. I got off the bus at 5:45 giving me one hour to ponder, pee, poop, and freeze…and then pee again and again and again. I took full advantage of the bonfires. The bonfires were really a neat aspect of the race. The bit of wind was just enough to make standing elsewhere completely unbearable. It’s fun to gather around the bonfires in the pitch black night listening to people talk about the upcoming race. I could tell that Speir was nervous.

I exchanged pleasantries with the Grady and Speir, but Gravitt and I had business to take care of – it would take a tremendous effort from me for the team of Gravitt / Swinford to defeat the team of Grady / Speir. What many of you don’t know is the injuries that Gravitt has had to deal with for the past 4 months. There’s no doubt that he’s a Warrior – a Samurai.

The starting horn went off at 6:45 am MDT. That first quarter mile into the early morning chill is always breathtaking. I decided to start with a long-sleeve shirt, a cap and gloves to help my body warm up. Man it was dark but I’m used to running in the dark so it wasn’t anything unusual.

Mile 1 came in at 8:52. A bit faster than I wanted but not surprising given the adrenalin that comes with the start of any race. It definitely wasn’t silly fast like a 8:10 or something.

Mile 2 split was 9:02 which was a very comfortable pace.

Mile 3 was 8:30. It marked the first water station which I missed because I had to pee and I didn’t want to waste any time getting water this early in the race. I did have a small bottle of water that I generously shared with Speir. He drank the whole bottle of water — a little rude I thought. Peeing cost me at least 30 seconds and I was a good 20 yards behind Star (the Pace Setter). I quickly jumped back up with the pace setter and I was feeling good.

At Mile 4 the pack was still largely intact. The split was 8:53. It was a bit of a drop in elevation and I knew I needed to take advantage of it with the mile-8 hill at Veyo. I was on a sub-4 hour pace and I was doing well. No problems to speak of. The first signs of daylight were in the east but temperatures were still cold.

The Mile 5 split was 8:39 and it marked the next water station. It was time for some Gatorade. I grabbed a cup of it from the faithful volunteers and drank it gone. I learned from Master Sensei Millican that when you grab water or Gatorade from a volunteer it’s important to make eye contact with the volunteer that I’m going to take the cup from so they know I’m coming. I even point right at them. I didn’t want to slow down. I had five miles in the rear view mirror and I’m feeling great, I’m well hydrated and tolerating the cold.

Mile 6 has a pretty decent downhill. I knew from my race preparation that this needed to be a fast mile to take advantage of the downhill. The split came in at 8:39 – a little disappointing. It was fast for me but it needed to be a little faster. I could ill-afford to stroll through mile 6 with the daunting uphill miles of 8-12 still to come. But overall I was pleased to this point.

Mile 7 was in 8:41. Another good mile. I shed my hat and long-sleeve shirt. This was also the third water station, which I drank 5-6 ounces of water and was feeling very good about my hydration so far. Veyo is an important landmark in the race. Despite its tiny size, the town always manages to have people out cheering in the morning. Perhaps there are people crazier than marathoners. It also marks the end of what I consider to be Phase One of the marathon. The course has shed 787’ of elevation at this point and over the next four miles, we will have to gain 249’ feet of that right back, nearly 100’ of that coming in less than one mile. Miles 8-12, in my estimation, are where you have to be very smart about how you run and be patient or you will ruin your chances for success. I believe the race cannot be won from 8-12, but can absolutely be lost.

As we started Mile 8, which is almost entirely up Veyo hill, the pack had thinned. Grady and Speir had taken off ahead of me while Gravitt dropped back a little. Please understand Randy was dealing with pain from his injuries – but he was hanging tough. I had planned to give back some time to Mr. Veyo Hill and run about 9:45 up it. As a pack we reminded each other to take it easy up the hill which we did. I crested the hill having finished Mile 8 in 9:32. It was exactly where I wanted to be when I assessed the situation entering Veyo.

While Veyo is pretty steep hill, I actually think the next three mile are harder because they give a false sense of security. They aren’t steep but their climb is steady and it’s really easy to run them too fast. Mile 9 came in at 9:01. I also was feeling very good and knew that I had run Veyo properly and that my time would come down to make up for the uphill stretch. I was also able to get a good swig of Gatorade at the aid station. I urinated again at mile 9 which cost me another 30 seconds.

By Mile 10, I was at least 40 yards behind the Pace Setter and I could no longer see Grady or Speir and I had no idea of where Gravitt was either. I was alone but focused. Mile 10’s split was 9:09.

Miles 11 and 12 I ran a 9:12 and 8:55.

Mile 13 is pretty flat. I picked up the pace a bit after running the toughest stretch of the race and wound up with a 8:31 at 13. At the half way point I crossed at 1:56:20. My previous best half marathon was 1:55:30, so I was pleased with my performance so far.

With the toughest and slowest part of the race behind me, I was feeling as good as you could feel after running half a marathon. I knew my best was yet ahead. But, another 13 miles is still a long way to go. Where were the guys? They must have been feeling good to be so far ahead of me.

Mile 14 marks the end of Phase 2 and the beginning of Phase 3. It features the most beautiful stretch of running I have ever witnessed and at about the time I first saw the sun. At Mile 14 I’m still seeing my breath. Mile 14 is a slight downhill and I checked in at 8:40.

Mile 15 and 16 are stunningly beautiful but brutal downhill stretches. Running the tangents on these two miles is critical unless you want to end the race having run 27 miles. You lose 450’ of elevation over these two miles. Mile 15 I was a fast 8:08 and the next mile I backed off a little and did a 8:28. Once again I drank some Gatorade and urinated for the third time – another 30 seconds were wasted. At this point I could barely see the Pace Setter.

Miles 17 and 18 were blistering as well. I grabbed Gatorade at 17 and plugged along. These two miles drop another 282’ in elevation. Mile 17 comes in at 8:12 and mile 18 at 8:25. It was at this point where I started to feel the effects of the punishing downhills. The calves were aching which was good because it meant I was pushing off on the downhills rather than braking. But overall the quads felt good. It was at mile 18 I decided to push harder and harder.

Mile 19 drops a modest 43’ feet in elevation. Mile 19 came in at a very respectable 9:00. This was my slowest mile on the second half of the race. I was thrilled because I felt really good. I continued to push and push hard.

Miles 20 and 21 combine for a drop of 392’ in elevation drop. I took very good advantage of mile 20 managing 8:38. It was at this point I was expecting to hit the wall, but instead I passed the Pace Setter. Mile 21 was a 8:14. That was a huge mental boost because it showed I still had something left with only 5 miles to go.

Mile 22 was a huge gut check. I had to stay focused – I couldn’t get distracted by pain or boredom. It was towards the end of the 22 mile that I saw Grady ahead. I clocked in at 8:35 on mile 22. I ran directly behind Grady for almost a mile until I pulled up beside him at mile 23.5. We ran together for a little while until Brian started having cramps. Mile 23 I ran a very respectable 8:18.

All I remember about Mile 24 is it sucked but I somehow managed a 8:35. I have no idea how. With two miles to go, I was assured of a sub-4 hour marathon as long as nothing really bad happened. The best part of mile 24 was I saw Speir some 75 feet ahead of me. I didn’t think I could catch him at first but as I watched him I realized that I had a chance to do so.

Miles 25 and 26 were 8:16 and 8:31 respectively. Very acceptable! As I turned on to 300 South to complete the last quarter mile of the race I began to really appreciate my accomplishment. But Speir was still in front of me with .2 mile to go. I made by move with thousands of onlookers cheering for me. I pumped my fist and they cheered louder. I was on Speir’s butt and on my way to victory! Just before the finish line I pulled next to Speir and to see his expression is something I’ll never forget. To say the least, Speir was surprised. As a true gentleman I finished the race side by side with Speir. He did start the race before me so my time was actually 4 second faster than his. I ended up at 3:48:03. I ran a negative split! My second half was 1:52 and some change. The second half was actually a PR for a half marathon.

And then to greet Grady and Gravitt at the end and see how happy we were for each other was something we’ll remember forever. The Gravitt / SWinford victory had a sweet taste to it.

This race was perfect in every way. The weather was sublime. Finishing temperature was around 55 degrees, a far cry from Chicago’s weather the next day…the race that Dr. Cox ran.

I am so blessed. God has blessed with the mental and physical toughness and determination to beat those guys, especially Speir. I am so blessed. We all achieved PRs and beat our sub-4 hour goals.

I am very grateful to the organizers of this race and particularly to the volunteers. There is no finer run marathon in America (at least until the next one).

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2007

Jenny V.
San Francisco, CA

  (08-20-2009)

I would definitely have to say this is one of the most organized races I've ever participated in. Everything from the Expo, to parking, to the shuttles to the aid stations was very well planned out. Even through pouring rain, freezing cold temperatures and fierce headwind, I still think this was a great race. The net decline of the course makes it fast, especially the last 2 miles when your fuel tank is running low. The aid stations are perfectly sectioned out at every 2 mile mark so you know exactly when to expect one. The crowds were very supportive despite having to stand around in the rain and cold. There were some areas where it got pretty quiet but I suspect that had the weather been nicer, more people would've lined the entire course.

One negative - at some points in the course, the road banks quite steeply to the right or left which can take a toll on your body. Something to watch out for since this can come back to haunt you later.

Although St. George is a beautiful city, there's not much to pick from in the way of food. If you're a fan of fast food or chain-type restaurants (Chili's, Red Lobster, Sizzler, Applebee's) than you're in luck. For pre-race pasta fueling, pickings are slim and we had to wait over an hour for our dinner at Olive Garden even though we had phoned in our order half an hour earlier. The plus side is that Vegas is only about 1.5 hours away so post-race feasting options are much better.

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008

Mike M.
Syracuse, UT

  (05-18-2009)

Probably the key marathon in Utah, and once I feel privileged to have done as my first. 2008 was a miserable year to run it though, due to the rain and wind, but aside from that, I had a good run.

The course is mostly downhill (2500+ ft drop in elevation). It starts out gradual, then has about a mile of 7% grade hill at mile 7, followed by another mile or 2 of very slight incline.

After half-way, you being some pretty significant drops as you descend through Snow Canyon and into the City of St. George itself.

Spectators line most of the route - even in the remote area's and the crowds get bigger and bigger as you get closer to the finish.

The finish shoot as amazing and I was met with a Blue Bunny Sundae Cone - Not what you would think you'd want after 26 miles in the rain and wind, but it was just what I wanted.

All in all it was a great experience, despite the weather.

I've complained enough to the organizers about the disorganization of the "Early Bird" deal they had to entice people to catch the early bus up to the start, but I'll just say, that I would catch as late of a bus as I could next time. Had I done that I would likely have stayed warmer and been done with my massage way before I actually got done with it based on my special early bird express pass!

Due to demand the race is now run on a lottery system. I put in for it again this year, and didn't get selected, but I may well try again next year. Odds are that it'll be another 12-15 years before they have another rainy race, and I'd like to give it a go without being dripping wet.

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008

Denise C.
San Francisco, CA

  (05-06-2009)

This was the most organized race I've ever run. There were aid stations every 2 miles exactly. The rain and headwind left a bad impression for me but i think it was only the 2nd time it rained in 25 years or something rediculous like that.

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008