Bear Lake Marathon

This race is the third of the "Trifecta" - Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah, in that order - and this was my second of those (I skipped Idaho). I loved the Wyoming leg (separate review) and I really liked this one too. Setting aside that it is a later race, it is significantly more challenging than Wyoming. The elevation didn't seem to bother me much even though I came from sea level, but unlike the Wyoming leg, this has a 2-3 mile trail path that is hilly, slightly rocky in parts, and new for me as a mostly road runner. So expect more effort if you're planning the trifecta. And the sun is relentless, with shade along maybe a couple hundred feet the entire race, even with a 7 am start. As for safety, this is along mostly country roads, most of them quiet, and I had no problem with local traffic, but you do need to be mindful of it. The race has a small field (I think around 70 this year) but I have found that to be a major plus as the runners were very supportive, with a lot of 50-staters who bring a positive vibe, along with family that would follow their racer along the event. This made up for the fact that without those people, there would be very few spectators except for maybe the first and last mile. Beautiful views and really a nice out and back. I found the organization and support to be excellent. It's small and informal, but robustly supported for the size of the race, with water/snack stations (mostly manned) every 2-3 miles, appropriately placed and spaced toilets, and clear trail markings with very little chance of getting lost. (The only turn I almost missed was right at the 26.0 mark when there is a little u diversion on a city street that your mind wants to ignore when you can clearly see the finish line. An attendant or sign there would be good in addition to the trail markings that were there). The support from the volunteers and the friends of other runners really made the race. I really loved this race, which was my first back-to-back marathon run. I highly recommend it.

Utah's day of the Bear Lake Trifecta was Saturday. On Thursday we ran Idaho. On Friday we ran Wyoming. Utah's course was the most varied and challenging with a steep trail portion but we also were treated to the best views of Bear Lake. The race was sold twice between the time I signed up for the challenge and the time I ran it. The new owners are working on improving it and I think they did a lot with limited resources. This was my first multiple marathons back to back. I had the opportunity to meet a lot of crazy marathoners from all over, including a couple of Englishmen. The camaraderie during the series was wonderful. The courses are very wide open so bring your sunscreen. Port-a-potties were every two miles and the water stops were well supplied. Once I finish my fifth states I hope to return.

Well. I don't have a lot of good things to say about this race. It was very disorganized. They didn't give us hardly any race details until the week of the marathon. The morning of, things weren't set up and the director informed us that the half marathon was a mile short. The course had about eight miles of dirt track and half of it was an ATV path covered in dangerous rocks. Along those paths was a septic pond and nothing pushes you four miles like the smell of turd. The track was a 13.1 mile course that you turn around and ran back. There was no mention of that and there was no mention of dirt paths. When I finished I looked forward to collecting my 'awesome swag' they advertise. Apparently all swag was was some ugly shirt and a metal. Disappointing. Honestly, find a better marathon.