Was staying up at East Canyon for the weekend and decided to run this inaugural event just down the road in Morgan. They offered a marathon, half marathon, and 5K. I've had good experiences with 1st time events and decided to run the half marathon. From the course profile, I knew this was going to be a challenging course. It was a loop course above 5000' with constant rollers.
Mile 1: 7:58 The race started right on time with perfect temps and cloud cover. As we turned east for a short distance I notice a headwind coming through the canyon which must be constant and predictable up here. As we turned west I didn't notice the wind anymore and we encountered the first of what would be a series of constant rolling hills.
Mile 2: 7:49
Mile 3: 8:19 Turned south onto SR66 (I think they forgot a 6) and headed up towards East Canyon.
Mile 4: 8:20
Mile 5: 8:24
Mile 6: 8:34 This mile had two significant hills. The second hill was decieving. I thought I was near the top until I rounded the corner and saw that I was only halfway up the hill. The highest point on the course was at the crest of the second hill.
Mile 7: 8:40 Still very hilly and trying to recover. Turn off of SR 66(6) and head west then north back towards Morgan along the west side of the valley.
Mile 8: 8:08 The toughest part of the race is behind me. Very much enjoyed the rest of the race.
Mile 9: 8:16
Mile 10: 8:26 Still perfect weather with cloud cover.
Mile 11: 8:38 Turned east onto the straightest and flatest mile of the course just past the "10 mile" marker. Instantly noticed the headwind again. It became stronger as I neared the canyon. Near the end of this mile I notice a guy who had passed me back at mile 3ish and was maintaining a 1-2 minute lead was coming back to me. He also appeared to be in my age division. I decided to try and use him as some motivation since I tend to tank the last 2-3 miles of most half marathons.
Mile 12: 8:21 Course turns north onto a bike path and out of the wind so I decided to pass my motivator.
Mile 13: 8:10 Found some energy for the last few tenths of the race (6:18 pace) I could have used that last Monday at DesNews
Last .06: 0:23
Kudos to the event directors. Very well organized. The Marathon was small (60-70), but the Half Marathon was just under 300 runners. It would be nice to see a race like this turn into a bigger event. I don't think I would ever try this marathon because of the possible combination of rolling terrain/altitude/heat. The half marathon was great. I like the fast downhill events too, but If you're looking for something different this would be a great pick. | 