Distance: 13.10 mi
Type: Point-to-point, Road
Difficulty: 4 / 10
More Info: Visit Web Site
Address: PO Box 743, Moab Utah 84532
Phone: 435-259-4525
Filed Under: Running
The Canyonlands Half Marathon is a beautiful desert run in the biking, climbing, and 4x4 mecca of Moab, Utah. The draw for athletes from across the nation? The ability to race on some of the most beautiful section of highway anywhere. The Half Marathon starts at 10a.m. 11 miles up Highway 128 from Moab. The Five-Mile Run, beginning at 9:30 a.m., follows a course on the same road about three miles out. Both races follow the winding Colorado River along the highway, which is closed for four hours that morning.
The half marathon starts approx 11 miles up scenic Hwy 128 and parallels the Colorado River into Moab. The course continues on Hwy 191 and through the streets of Moab to City Park and the finish line. The five mile starts approx 3 miles up Hwy 128 and follows the same course as the half marathon. The course is rolling; it starts at approximately 4400' and finishes at approx 4000'.
Even though it is March and the ski season is going strong in the mountains a few hours away, the weather has traditionally been warm and sunny for this event. The temperature varies and runners should be prepared for anything, but last year most people ran in shorts and tank tops.
Hwy 128 will be closed from 8am to noon on race day. Only authorized vehicles will be allowed. No dogs, bicycles, rollerblades, or baby joggers are allowed on the course. Traffic control will be provided along the course; however, each runner must assume the risk and responsibility for his or her own health and safety.
Buses will begin loading in front of Helen M Knight School at 7am Saturday for both races. The five mile starts at 9:30am and the half marathon starts at 10am. Participants should be prepared for any and all weather conditions. Sweat vehicles will be at the start of both races to transport personal belongings to the west side of the swimming pool at the finish area.
Portable toilets, aid stations with water and sports drink, medical help and mile markers are provided along the course.
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Posted by: tradkelly and last modified on Aug 17, 2006 by tradkelly
Comments
sean said ...
The pre-race meal was tasty but the speaker (Dave Scott) boring and I zoned out after he started droning about all the great benefits some herbal suppliments which also happened to be one of his (and the race's) sponsor.
Weather was a critical factor, as it usually is out in the desert. This year's race had everyone shivering at the starting line for about 2 hours standing in the shaded canyon, and then you finish just in time to run the last 3 miles in the blazing sun of an unseasonably hot spring Moab day with temps in the high 90s.
The rest of the race was great. The canyon was absolutely beautiful, aid stations plentiful and well manned and it was nice to have the entire road closed for the race.
If I had any complaints, they would be with things that happened before the race started. The race director must have thought it funny to hand a dozen high school kids megaphones. They were constantly entertaining everyone by hollaring and chasing people that had strayed off the road or were too much in the road. If the race director wanted everyone to stay on the pavement without trampelling the desert vegetation, he should have closed road and hour earlier (before he put 3,000 runners on a 1/4 mile two lane stretch of highway that was not closed to traffic).
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