Yesterday I decided to ride the Utah Marathon route. For those that have ridden the Salt Lake Marathon this is not that ride. All the downhill for the Salt  Lake Marathon converts to uphill for the Utah Marathon.

The climbs from the start are not anything to worry about, at 2700 south and 11^th east they get a little longer, the Evergreen climb is just short of 1 mile and the last of it begins to show you the elevation increase.

Enjoy the downhill from the top of Evergreen to 4500 south, as you come around the corner and look up…. How bad can it be? Well its starts off not bad but with more than half way that all changes, all the way to Wasatch Blvd. 

The Blvd. is not anything after tackling 4500, a climb up to the trailhead for Parleys gulch. The Gulch,  gee it looks downhill mostly, ah that section that reverse’s up to the overpass for the freeway, lots of bikers slow here.

A short ride along Foothill Blvd, quick right at the top of a slight hill, left on Wasatch Blvd. and  you’re on what is sometimes referred to as Bonneville shoreline trail.  Around 1300 south you start a gradual climb that increases as you go through the golf course heading east.  Left turn at the top of this and a fast downhill to the mouth of Emigration Canyon, left turn and down past the Zoo and on to Arapeen Drive.

From here I took a different route because of traffic and construction, I returned to the route at Federal Heights Drive, from here the route is clear except the transition to 11^th Ave. I would expect going up Alta to Fairfax, up Virginia and left onto 11^th Ave.

Slight uphill and finally some well-earned downhill, just about to the finish!  I rode 36 miles while doing this and it took me 2 ½ hours of steady going, considering the traffic it was a good ride!

I learned if I am going to ride this event I need to ride a lot more hills, A LOT MORE!   Enjoy the riding, Dave.