This was my 40th marathon and there was a lot of hype going into it. I think it lived up to part of the hype but not entirely. I'll preface this by saying that I had run Jackson Hole Marathon three weeks earlier, which is probably the most scenic race I've done yet and in my top 3 favorites overall. My expectations were high given the reviews of STG.

Great expo; nice size and lots of vendors. It was crowded but bib and shirt pickup was efficient. Best Western Coral Hills was a convenient place to stay; walking distance to some good restaurants (walk to the Iceberg burger and shake place across the street after the run; giant thick milkshakes!!) and if you're inclined, a shuttle to the park where bus loading is, plus an early 3:00am runners breakfast. I walked to Worthen Park the morning of and after the finish, only about ten minutes away on foot.

I think I was on one of the first buses out on race morning at 4:00am. Simple process. The start area had lots of bonfires ready to be lit as runners filed in. It was fun sitting there chatting with other runners, though if you're an earlybird like I am, you'll be there about two hours! RD had space blankets and free pairs of gloves, hot chocolate, coffee, Gatorade, and water at the starting area, though the temperature was not too cold that morning. Also TONS of portajohns which was great given the size of the race.

We started about 7 minutes late due to a bus on the course. The course itself is pretty fast, but do not underestimate the hills! There are a couple of big ones, and then some rollers later on. Once the sun comes up, there's not much in the way of shade, and it was a warmer day this year. Great aid stations with Gatorade and water, some kind of gel if you wanted, also fruit at several of them. Towards the end in St. George there were people with Otter Pops (AWESOME in the heat), bags of ice, and wet towels. There were also misters near the end and after the finish line. Great crowd support at certain spots during the race and throughout the last 3 miles.

Scenery-wise, I guess it was just okay, in my humble opinion. Around mile 14-15 you see some beautiful red rock canyons which was stunning, but that was the highlight for me.

Overall assessment: great organization, with an RD and team that understand runners and what's important to us. A fast course with some significant uphills but net downhill so PR potential if your'e ready. Great aid stations and support from volunteers and crew. Comfortable starting area with lots of amenities. The medal was nice and unique and the shirt is long-sleeve technical; lots of goodies in the expo bag. I think it's definitely worth doing and is a good choice for Utah if you're knocking out the states.