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☰
Deseret News Classic Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Deseret News Classic Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.8 
Organization 3.3 
Spectators 3.2
Number of comments: 96 [displaying comments 71 to 81]
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M. C. from Arizona
(7/27/2004)
"Great course, too bad about organization." (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 The course was great! It was a tad fast & steep in the beginning, but I enjoyed every step. (It reminded me a lot of my previous eleven St. George Marathons.) However...(and I just have to ask) WHAT'S UP WITH THE 3:15AM & 3:45AM (ONLY) BUS SHUTTLE SERVICE TO THE TOP OF THE HILL?!!!! We stood around for an hour and a half shivering at the start line, trying to stay warm in an over-crowded canopy. (Brrrrr.) Or some got back on the bus (if you could find room) and waited it out until 530AM. Who's idea was that anyway, and why did we have to be up there so darn early?! OH YEAH... P.S. The finish line needed a lot of things. Like something more than Gatorade and bananas! H E L L O? I thought they were joking when they said: 'Sorry, that's all we have left!' Anyway, all in all, this marathon was still an okay experience. | |
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B. J. from AF, UT
(7/27/2004)
"Much improved but still room for more." (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Deseret News Classic Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I ran Deseret News this year as part of the Utah Grand Slam. Comments from other runners over the last few years left me very wary of the quality and organization of the race. However, with the new race director I was hopeful, as were many others, that things would improve drastically. And for the most part, we weren't disappointed. The organization was great. The expo, although small, was very orderly. Packet pick-up was a breeze. The course was great except for a couple of the out-and-backs they threw in after mile 17 to take up a few miles. Had the strong headwind heading up Sunnyside not been a factor, I might be singing another tune about this section. The Days of '47 parade committee really screwed up by not allowing the race to run along a greater portion of the parade route. That whole one block was more or less a joke. I liked the race. I was disappointed with the finisher's medal: it was about as generic as they come. I would think that with the association with the Day's of '47 and the history of the marathon itself they could come up with something unique. I could probably go to any trophy shop and pull an exact copy of it off the shelf, have them print the name of the marathon on it and claim it as an official finisher's medal. I expect better next year DNM officials. All in all though, it was a good race. | |
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C. C. from Hershey, Pennsylvania
(7/26/2004)
"Lots of downhill = fast run + sore quads" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Deseret News Classic Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 After reading comments regarding this race from those who have run it in past years, I was pleasantly relieved to find that many of the criticisms of previous marathon participants were addressed and improved. Many of the grueling hills were cut out and replaced by downhill sections (the race features a elevation drop of 3,000+ feet). The view along the race was spectacular through the Emiration Canyon area. Water and Powerade were plentiful at aid stations placed every two miles. Fans along the way were great, especially at the end along the parade route. Overall a great first marathon. | |
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F. F. from Salt Lake City, UT
(7/26/2004)
"Good Race, Ugly Shirt" (about: 2004)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Deseret News Classic Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 My 9th marathon but first Desert News. There were pros and cons to the course. The cons - way too fast of a decline and the route was nowhere near the parade. The pros - plenty of spots for friends and family to cheer you on. Yes the shirt was ugly and the medallion was uber cheesey. Not to sound 'unpatriotic', but the typical red/white/blue striped ribbon holding a flakey gold thing reminded me of the awards you see for some kids soccer league. But even with all that I rather enjoyed the race and I'll be out there again next year cussin' as I head up to Hogle Zoo with a 20 mph headwind. | |
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Ray Shepherd from Kearns, Utah
(6/17/2004)
"A tough, challenging race!" (about: 2003)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Deseret News Classic Marathons
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I ran the race because I thought it would be the last Deseret News race. I wished the course had not been changed and the steep hill by the hospital was rough at the end of the race. I would have much rather made the loop on big mountain in the old course than have such a steep hill near the end. Weather got hot, but who can control that? I think these challenges are part of a marathon, I liked the challenge. Lets keep a Deseret News Marathon on July 24. For me, it has been something to look forward to for the past 20-plus years. I'm glad you are planning another race, I'll see you there. By the way, thanks for all the hard work you do. And thanks to all the volunteers for being there to help--we need you! | |
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A. H. from Utah runner
(8/30/2003)
"Good First Marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 This was a good first marathon. The scenery was outstanding. The people who gathered around the course were the best. I can't thank them enough for cheering the runners on. I wonder if I could of done it without them. Overall, it was great. The only negative things I can say about it were how the raced ended and the fact that I was listed as a female racer. With all due respect to all the female runners out there, I was unable to proudly show my friends and co-workers the paper listing the final results. All in all, it has done nothing to discourage me from running in another race. | |
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a. b. from Taylorsville, Utah
(8/29/2003)
"Great Experience" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and I decided that I was going to enjoy every minute of it. I had a great experience! I believe that life is what you make of it. So enjoy... I was intimidated by the hills; however, intense training paid off. I recommend this marathon to anyone up for a challenge. | |
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s. g. from Salt Lake City, UT
(8/28/2003)
"Warning - stay away from this race" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 This was the most poorly organized race in which I have ever participated. The packet pick-up was a mess - I should of seen the warning signs. Unless you finished the race in less than 3 1/2 hrs, it is a dangerous race in which to participate. In the last six miles, the air temperature was well over 80 degrees, and the only fluid at the aid station was water that was very warm. That is a dangerous and irresponsible situation. Apparently, the 2,000 10K runners had cleaned everything out before the marathoners could get there. No ice, no popsicles, nothing at the end. When asked about it, the race organizers simply said, 'Sorry, it was hot, how could we keep anything cool in such heat?' That is negligence, and a dangerous situation in which to run a marathon. I think the race organizers were simply interested in raising money. They were inept, incompetent and dangerous. Do not run this race unless you plan on finishing under the 3 1/2-hour mark. | |
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D. J. from Utah
(8/7/2003)
"This race sucked!!!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 I want my money back! This was the worst race I have ever run. I don't even know where to begin complaining. The packet pick-up was a joke. I stood in line for an hour and when I finally got to the tables they were so un-organized that they couldn't find my number. When they finally did find it, they were out of t-shirts. I doubt I'll ever get one mailed to me. During the race the mile markers were off and they didn't even have markers the last 5 miles. The aid stations were terrible - no Powerade, no gel, just water. The finish line was area was the worst I have ever seen. No food (except a few brown bananas), no sports drink, no bread, nothing to eat or drink. They had no massages available, so what did I pay $40 for???? I am still trying to figure that out. The awards were very late getting started and the results were all screwed up. They're still incorrect. Now they're talking about keeping the marathon; well, they better get some new race directors. I will never run that race again, and won't let anyone I know run it either. This is a marathon; it's supposed to be a big event and I take it seriously, so why didn't the race organizers? | |
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R. B. from Utah
(8/5/2003)
"Great Course, Bad Organization" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 I have no complaints about the course. Yes, it is tough and starts early, but we all knew that when we signed up. I am very disappointed with the organization of this event. The packet pickup was nowhere near the start, finish, or anything remotely related to the race. The aid stations didn't have Powerade until mile 7, and not all aid stations had Powerade after that point. If they did, it was watered down. The finisher's medal was nice, except for the fact that it says 'Deseret News Marathon and 10K' If I wanted a medal that said '10K', I would have only run the 10K. |
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