Bears Ears Marathon
Bears Ears Marathon race day weather
Cool start, gradual warm-up
Runners will face a cool start at 39°F, with temperatures rising to 53°F by the finish. Light winds at 7 mph will have minimal impact throughout the race. With humidity at 65%, it's advisable for runners to pace conservatively and stay hydrated, especially during the warm-up and early miles. The most beneficial conditions will be from miles 2 to 7, where the course descends significantly.
This course drops 1,798 ft from start to finish, so we forecast it at 3 points, not just the start line. At 9:00/mi, you start at 39° and finish around 11:25 AM in 55°.
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Bears Ears Marathon route and elevation
The Bears Ears Marathon course has about 400 ft (122 m) of climbing and 2,100 ft (640 m) of descent, a net drop of about 1,700 ft (518 m). It drops more than it climbs, and its terrain is faster than 98% of the marathon courses racecast.io has mapped, measured by what the hills cost in time. The hardest mile is mile 21, with 57 ft (17 m) of climbing.
Biggest climbs
- Miles 15.4 to 16.8: climbs about 55 ft (17 m).
- Miles 17.1 to 18.2: climbs about 50 ft (15 m).
- Miles 19.9 to 20.9: climbs about 60 ft (18 m).
What the hills cost
- 3:30 on a flat course is about 3:24 here (6 minutes faster).
- 4:00 on a flat course is about 3:53 here (7 minutes faster).
- 4:30 on a flat course is about 4:22 here (8 minutes faster).
Hills only, priced mile by mile on the course map. The pace calculator above adds the race-day weather.
Even-effort splits for a 3:30, 4:00 or 4:30 finish
| Mile | Climb | Descent | 3:30 | 4:00 | 4:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 ft | 72 ft | 7:58 | 9:06 | 10:15 |
| 2 | 0 ft | 106 ft | 7:51 | 8:58 | 10:05 |
| 3 | 0 ft | 91 ft | 7:54 | 9:02 | 10:09 |
| 4 | 0 ft | 93 ft | 7:53 | 9:01 | 10:09 |
| 5 | 5 ft | 41 ft | 8:06 | 9:16 | 10:25 |
| 6 | 1 ft | 65 ft | 8:00 | 9:08 | 10:17 |
| 7 | 3 ft | 60 ft | 8:01 | 9:10 | 10:18 |
| 8 | 3 ft | 43 ft | 8:05 | 9:14 | 10:24 |
| 9 | 0 ft | 63 ft | 8:00 | 9:08 | 10:17 |
| 10 | 0 ft | 65 ft | 7:59 | 9:08 | 10:16 |
| 11 | 16 ft | 126 ft | 7:50 | 8:57 | 10:04 |
| 12 | 36 ft | 69 ft | 8:07 | 9:16 | 10:26 |
| 13 | 13 ft | 7 ft | 8:17 | 9:28 | 10:39 |
| 14 | 28 ft | 62 ft | 8:06 | 9:16 | 10:25 |
| 15 | 15 ft | 276 ft | 7:27 | 8:31 | 9:35 |
| 16 | 36 ft | 46 ft | 8:12 | 9:23 | 10:33 |
| 17 | 34 ft | 34 ft | 8:15 | 9:25 | 10:36 |
| 18 | 45 ft | 6 ft | 8:35 | 9:49 | 11:02 |
| 19 | 4 ft | 95 ft | 7:54 | 9:01 | 10:09 |
| 20 | 30 ft | 142 ft | 7:50 | 8:57 | 10:04 |
| 21 | 57 ft | 16 ft | 8:35 | 9:49 | 11:03 |
| 22 | 3 ft | 95 ft | 7:54 | 9:02 | 10:09 |
| 23 | 0 ft | 63 ft | 8:00 | 9:08 | 10:17 |
| 24 | 0 ft | 66 ft | 7:59 | 9:07 | 10:16 |
| 25 | 0 ft | 218 ft | 7:32 | 8:37 | 9:42 |
| 26 | 3 ft | 107 ft | 7:51 | 8:59 | 10:06 |
| Last 0.2 | 1 ft | 7 ft | 1:49 | 2:04 | 2:19 |
Explore the Bears Ears Marathon course with the weather and your pace along the route, or compare it with other races.
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About the Bears Ears Marathon
The Bears Ears Marathon is a point-to-point road race held each November in San Juan County, Utah, running along Highway 191 from Blanding to Bluff near Bears Ears National Monument. The USATF-certified, Boston-qualifying course drops about 1,700 feet net over 26.2 miles, starting at roughly 6,150 feet in Blanding and finishing at about 4,300 feet in Bluff. A half marathon starts near the course's midpoint at White Mesa on the same morning. The race began in 2023 and is presented by Visit Blanding.