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Jun 2, 2024

Moab Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Moab Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.1

Organization 2.5

Spectators 1.8

Number of comments: 32 [displaying comments 21 to 31]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 > ]

George Neil from Williamsburg, Virginia (5/21/2005) "A race that could be great, but..." (about: 2005) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Moab Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 The course is absolutely beautiful, though the number of descents and a few ascents, in addition to the altitude, may prevent this from being a PR experience. The town and surrounding area is terrific to visit: lots to see and do if you like outdoors, and the local restaurants are wonderful. What prevents this from being a surefire hit is the haphazard organization that tries hard but only gets some things right. The course this year by all accounts was much better than last year (which I didn't try). Don't expect anyone to cheer you on except cattle and jack rabbits. There was sufficient water on the course. It had a ~two mile stretch of running on severely broken pavement that required careful attention to prevent a twisted ankle. Worse was arriving at the finish and discovering they had no water there and no food, and no transportation back to the hotel, and further that our personal bags had not yet arrived. So we stood out in the light rain and chilled and waited for our bags. Eventually (30 minutes later) our bags arrived so I could put on my jacket and warm up. Water arrived and pancakes got cooked (yummy)... and a few folks with friends offered rides to the the motel. The medal was beautiful: laser-cut wood. They were even personalized. I wish I had gotten one. They lost mine so I never got it (or even a generic one) despite promises to the contrary from the staff.
T. G. from Williamsburg, Virginia (5/14/2005) "Put this one on your List!" (about: 2005) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Moab Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 I definitely prefer small marathons in scenic places to the large urban marathons, so I was expecting to enjoy the new Moab course. But I had no idea until we approached Moab and drove up to Dead Horse Point what was in store. Folks, this one is a stunning beauty! What a great course! Curt is an experienced race director who runs this one in a 'low-key' mode... no fancy awards presentation, etc. But that is OK, this one is not about cheering crowds and every detail being planned to the nth degree. This one is about running 26.2 miles over the some of the most majestic terrain you will ever see. Although it's a long trip from Virginia to Moab, I will be back (to the fun town of Moab and hopefully to the marathon)! Thank you Curt for picking this spot to organize a marathon!
A. M. from Ambler, Pa (5/10/2005) "Intimate and beautiful race" (about: 2005) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Moab Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 For 2005 at least, this was a very small race (at least for me) with 95 finishers. The smallest marathon or half I had previously run had ~2000 finishers, so this was a totally new type of race to me. I found the small numbers created a very intimate and fun race experience. No dodging in and out of traffic at the water stops, no weaving around people who lined up at the wrong pace, and no hassles. You could talk to the RD when you picked up your number, at the start, or at the finish if you wished. I thought the course this year was very run-able (as well as providing excellent eye candy; it's Utah afterall, how could there not be great eye candy?). As the RD noted, the course started by the entrance to Dead Horse State Park and ran down the bike lane on the side of 313 until approx. 19 miles. From there on it was basically off the roads and onto a separate bike path, dirt/gravel closed access road, and finally ending on the bike path from the entrance of Arches NP to the Colorado River. While the course did run along the side (bike lane) of 313 for the first 19 miles or so, it wasn't annoying as there was virtually no traffic (I counted three vehicles that passed us during the race - and two of those vehicles were driven by the race crew checking up on the course - runners - aid stations). If you need crowd support, then this is not the race for you. The only spot I saw spectators was at the finish. Then again, with a cool misty rain and under 100 runners - would you really expect or want a lot people out on the side of the course?
A. Y. from South Dakota (5/9/2005) "A Gem in a Remarkable Setting" (about: 2005) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Moab Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I wish the word 'awesome' was not so over-used, as that is the best way to describe this course. Pictures of the arches and canyons give you the idea, but there is no substitute for being there. My first trip to Utah will certainly not be my last! This is a small race in a spectacular location. At times, you may be running with no one else around you; I found this a pure positive. [Really, it seems unfair not to give this race 5 stars because of lack of spectators--I would have found them to be distracting.] It allows you to appreciate the grandeur of the vistas, rock formations, and to engage in the sort of reflection we so seldom seem to have time for anymore. If you want a run where you can glory in the beauty and solitude of nature, not to mention the joy of running, sign up for this race. The course is mostly downhill, which most folks found to be a plus. (I prefer more variety, as do my quads, but I am in the minority on that, I know). The first few miles are not downhill, and I heard some few comments about altitude, but my impression was that those were minor concerns. At the finish, I heard only very positive remarks from other runners about the course and their experiences. The organization was great. Easy packet pick-up, great place to wait for the buses, porta-potties at the start, no glitches with baggage handling and good aid support. The finisher medals are unique, as befits this very special race. I hope I can make it an annual event. Kudos to the race director (and his son) and all the hard-working volunteers.
M. R. from Huntsville, Utah (5/8/2005) "Great job, Curt and crew" (about: 2005) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Moab Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 Lots of desert and beautiful scenery and very little traffic. The course started in the desert and continued through the red-rock canyons and cliffs around Moab. When we got near a busy highway, the course moved onto a bike path. There was a short stretch of mud near mile 21 but that seemed to be a part of the character of the course rather than a problem for the runners. There was plenty of water, fruit and pancakes and even mints at the finish. The water stations were well stocked by the volunteers. Very few spectators but what can we expect with less than 100 runners. Thanks to Curt and everyone involved for a great experience.
G. S. from Moab, Utah (12/14/2004) "Finally a marathon in Moab" (about: 2004) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Moab Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 With the success of the Canyonlands Half Marathon (March), this race has great potential. Very scenic course, but I found the upper half too steep (would suggest having the entire race on highway 128). Organization was okay for first-time event, but needs to improve. Closing the highway would make a huge difference (it's done for other races), but it won't be an option unless the race grows in popularity... and race won't grow under current conditions.
Greg Burnett from Cedar Hills, Ut (11/9/2004) "1st 1/2 great, 2nd 1/2 not so great" (about: 2004) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Moab Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 Maybe I was naive to think that one lane of the highway down the river would be closed. The traffic was miserable with exhaust fumes and having to run on the shoulder of the road. It may be impossible to do anything about the traffic but an attempt would be nice. The scenery was beautiful. Not so sure I will run it again.
D. C. from Provo, UT (9/13/2004) "Nice course, organization could be better" (about: 2004) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Moab Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 This was a nice, scenic marathon. I like running in smaller races like this one. There were some organization problems. The aid stations were kind of randomly placed. Based on information the organizers gave me I was expecting a station at one place where it didn't exist. If I had known that I would have had a bigger drink at the previous station. That led to a bit of dehydration later on. You won't get a best time on this course because of the rolling hills during the last half of the race. You should be prepared to be a little bit independent on this marathon. Bring your own gel if you want gel.
G. S. from Wanship, Utah (4/26/2004) "Great course and fantastic scenery" (about: 2004) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Moab Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This run is a gem with limited entry. The scenery on this course can't be beat. The 1st half as you run down Castle Valley is fast downhill but not too steep, very runable. The 2nd half rolls alongside the Colorado River but overall loses altitude. The oganization can be improved for next year but not bad for a first time marathon. Not many fans along the way, just a few people camping along the river but then you're not in a city either. What would you expect in the middle of a wilderness? The spectators at the finish were very vocal and into the race. I found the course and the race to be very enjoyable and relaxing. Not only would I do this race again but I'd mail it in tomorrow if they had entry forms available.
B. W. from Littleton, CO (4/23/2004) "Good Potential" (about: 2004) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Moab Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 This race has great potential. The scenery is awesome, but the race was not organized very well, from packet pickup to the finish line. Curt, here are some ideas for next year's race: Have the band at the marathon finish, not the 20k finish. Hand out the medallions at the finish line instead of putting out on the table. I saw one guy taking two medallions because no one was watching them... and I don't think he was a runner. Get a better 'flow' at the packet pickup area. Start on time. Curt, delegate your tasks... it was very obvious that you were 'spread too thin'. You can't be at the finish line AND the start line. Please take this as constructive criticism... this race can be one of the finest races around.

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