Salt Lake City Marathon

The Salt Lake City Marathon was founded in 1981, during the golden age of mass-participation running. Now 45 years old, it has established itself as a beloved fixture in Salt Lake City, growing from its early editions into a race with genuine character and loyal following.

The course record of 02:09:34, set by Abdi Nageeye in 2023, speaks to what the Salt Lake City Marathon offers elite athletes: a fast, honest course where serious times are achievable. The record has drawn increasingly competitive fields year after year.

Runners come to the Salt Lake City Marathon for one reason: personal bests. The flat, fast course through Salt Lake City has a reputation as a PB factory, with the roads seemingly designed to keep your pace honest and your splits consistent from start to finish.

With 23,400 finishers and spectators lining the course deep, the Salt Lake City Marathon generates an atmosphere that carries runners through the hard miles. The crowd support in Salt Lake City is not polite applause — it's visceral, personal, and often the difference between hitting the wall and breaking through it.

For thousands of runners each year, the Salt Lake City Marathon is their first marathon. The combination of a forgiving course, generous time limits, and supportive crowds has earned this race a reputation as the place where marathon journeys begin. The first-timer energy on race morning is palpable.