Deseret News Marathon
Deseret News Marathon race day weather
Warm finish, adjust pace early
Runners will face a steady temperature increase from 58°F at the start line to a warm 78°F at the finish. With a light SSE wind at 5 mph, conditions will feel manageable, but humidity will rise slightly during the race. Adjusting pace early is crucial, especially during the climbs from miles 2 to 3 and mile 8, as the warmer conditions set in. Hydration should be prioritized throughout the run.
This course drops 1,421 ft from start to finish, so we look at it at 2 points, not just the start line. In a typical year, at 9:00/mi, you start at 58° and finish around 9:25 AM in 78°; typical start-line conditions say 71° then.
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Deseret News Marathon route and elevation
The Deseret News Marathon course has about 891 ft (272 m) of climbing and 2,313 ft (705 m) of descent, a net drop of about 1,422 ft (433 m). It drops more than it climbs, and its terrain is faster than 92% of the marathon courses racecast.io has mapped, measured by what the hills cost in time. The hardest mile is mile 2, with 264 ft (80 m) of climbing and a 5% average grade.
Biggest climbs
- Miles 1 to 4.9: climbs about 495 ft (150 m).
- Miles 6.6 to 8.6: climbs about 265 ft (81 m).
- Miles 20 to 20.8: climbs about 60 ft (19 m).
What the hills cost
- 3:30 on a flat course is about 3:29 here (1 minute faster).
- 4:00 on a flat course is about 3:59 here (1 minute faster).
- 4:30 on a flat course is about 4:29 here (1 minute 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 | 10 ft | 129 ft | 7:36 | 8:42 | 9:47 |
| 2 | 264 ft | 0 ft | 10:28 | 11:57 | 13:27 |
| 3 | 113 ft | 3 ft | 9:00 | 10:17 | 11:34 |
| 4 | 38 ft | 10 ft | 8:16 | 9:27 | 10:38 |
| 5 | 79 ft | 1 ft | 8:43 | 9:57 | 11:12 |
| 6 | 0 ft | 96 ft | 7:41 | 8:47 | 9:53 |
| 7 | 16 ft | 21 ft | 8:01 | 9:10 | 10:18 |
| 8 | 174 ft | 0 ft | 9:35 | 10:57 | 12:20 |
| 9 | 74 ft | 43 ft | 8:18 | 9:29 | 10:40 |
| 10 | 0 ft | 247 ft | 7:17 | 8:20 | 9:22 |
| 11 | 0 ft | 233 ft | 7:20 | 8:23 | 9:25 |
| 12 | 0 ft | 165 ft | 7:29 | 8:32 | 9:37 |
| 13 | 0 ft | 143 ft | 7:32 | 8:38 | 9:42 |
| 14 | 0 ft | 126 ft | 7:36 | 8:40 | 9:46 |
| 15 | 0 ft | 137 ft | 7:33 | 8:38 | 9:43 |
| 16 | 0 ft | 136 ft | 7:34 | 8:39 | 9:43 |
| 17 | 0 ft | 138 ft | 7:33 | 8:38 | 9:43 |
| 18 | 33 ft | 21 ft | 8:08 | 9:18 | 10:28 |
| 19 | 1 ft | 103 ft | 7:41 | 8:46 | 9:52 |
| 20 | 4 ft | 37 ft | 7:54 | 9:02 | 10:10 |
| 21 | 57 ft | 12 ft | 8:26 | 9:38 | 10:50 |
| 22 | 4 ft | 176 ft | 7:27 | 8:32 | 9:35 |
| 23 | 3 ft | 113 ft | 7:39 | 8:44 | 9:50 |
| 24 | 0 ft | 144 ft | 7:32 | 8:37 | 9:41 |
| 25 | 0 ft | 75 ft | 7:46 | 8:52 | 9:59 |
| 26 | 17 ft | 14 ft | 8:03 | 9:13 | 10:22 |
| Last 0.2 | 8 ft | 0 ft | 1:52 | 2:07 | 2:23 |
Explore the Deseret News Marathon course with the weather and your pace along the route, or compare it with other races.
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About the Deseret News Marathon
The Deseret News Marathon is the longest-operating marathon in Utah. 2024 will be our 54th year that runners have been racing down the historic pioneer route into the Salt Lake Valley and through the Days of '47 Parade. The Deseret News races consist of a full marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K, and 1K. Source
