Big Cottonwood Marathon
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Big Cottonwood Marathon & Half Marathon
The Big Cottonwood event in Salt Lake City, Utah, offers a marathon and a half marathon on September 11, 2027. Both races run from points high in Big Cottonwood Canyon and finish at Cottonwood High School in Murray.
The courses are paved and run primarily downhill through the Wasatch Mountains and alongside Big Cottonwood Creek. The marathon starts on Guardsman Pass and includes nearly 15 miles of downhill averaging a 5% grade. The half marathon begins below the Mill D parking area and follows a continuous downhill route to the mouth of the canyon. The marathon course is USATF certified and Boston qualifying under certification UT15006KH; the half marathon is USATF certified under UT23007TJD.
On-course support includes multiple aid stations, first-aid kits at every aid station, and Intermountain Health caregivers staffed at various locations. Multiple sag wagons, Unified Fire Authority ambulances, and a full-service medical tent at the finish are available for medical support.
For safety, the canyon will be controlled for runners with candlestick barricades placed every 80 feet; runners must stay to the right of these cones. Race volunteers and police will staff major intersections and turns. Spectator parking is available free in the south lot at Cottonwood High School. Busing to the start lines is included in entry fees and all participants must use the provided buses; the bib acts as the bus ticket. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
