Utah Valley Marathon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Utah Valley Marathon
Date	June 1, 2019
Location	Utah Valley
Event type	road
Distance	Marathon Half Marathon 10k_run
Established	2008
Official site	http://www.utahvalleymarathon.com/

The Utah Valley Marathon (UVM) is a big running event held every year in Northern Utah. It takes place on the first Saturday of June. This marathon race is officially approved by USA Track & Field, which means it meets high standards. It's also a "Boston Marathon qualifier," which means if you run fast enough here, you could get to race in the famous Boston Marathon!

History of the Race

How the Utah Valley Marathon Started

The Utah Valley Marathon began in 2008. It was started by two people, Hyrum Oaks and Jeremiah West. The very first race happened on April 12, 2008. For a few years, from 2009 to 2018, the race was held on the second Saturday in June. But starting in 2019, they moved it back to the first Saturday of June. This change helps avoid other local events happening at the same time.

When the first marathon was held in 2008, about 120 people ran the full marathon. The next year, in 2009, that number grew a lot to 748 runners! Since 2009, the Utah Valley Marathon has been part of the Utah Grand Slam, which is a series of big races in Utah.

Helping Others Through Running

Many volunteers help make this race happen. The marathon also supports four main charities. These are CharityVision, Mentor's International, Mac's Gift, and Road to Success. Mac's Gift (which used to be called the Children with Cancer Christmas Foundation) has been involved since the very first race in 2008. CharityVision joined in 2010, and Mentor's International and Road to Success were added in 2013.

Adding More Race Distances

When the event first started, it included a 5K race (about 3.1 miles) from 2008 to 2011. In 2012, the 5K was replaced with a 10K race (about 6.2 miles). A half-marathon race (about 13.1 miles) was added in 2010.

In 2009, something cool happened: twenty-five firefighters from Pleasant Grove ran the marathon as part of their yearly fitness test! Also in 2009, the Utah Valley Marathon was the first local race to allow footbikes to participate.

Race Courses: Where Runners Go

The Marathon Course: A Long Journey

The full marathon course is about 26 miles and 385 yards long. It runs through two counties in Utah: Wasatch and Utah Counties. The race starts early in the morning at 6:00 AM. For the 2014 race, a maximum of 2,000 runners could sign up for the marathon.

The race begins in Wallsburg, Utah, which is high up at 5,963 feet. Runners head northwest through Wallsburg on Highway 222. When they reach U.S. Route 189, the course turns west. It follows the Deer Creek Reservoir until U.S. Route 189 reaches Provo Canyon. This part of U.S. Route 189 is also known as the Provo Canyon Scenic Byway.

The race continues southwest through Provo Canyon, following the Provo River. The road then joins University Avenue in Orem. Runners keep going south on University Avenue through Orem and Provo. The finish line is in Provo, at the corner of University Avenue and Center Street, at a lower elevation of 4,504 feet.

Marathon Winners: Who Ran Fastest?

Before 2010, only runners from Utah had won the men's or women's marathon races. But in 2010, that changed! Hillary Kibet Cheruiyot from Kenya won the men's race, and Claudia Camargo-Nero from Argentina (who lived in New York) won the women's race.

In 2011, Hillary Kibet Cheruiyot won the men's race again! Kassi Harmon from Utah, who was a great runner at Brigham Young University, won the women's race.

In 2012, Peter Kemboi from Kenya won the men's race for the first time. Emily Bates, a Utah resident, won the women's race.

In 2013, Bryant Jensen and Amber Green, both from Utah, won the men's and women's races. This year also saw a change in the marathon course. For the first time, runners ran against traffic. Special cones were used to create a safe path for runners, which also helped traffic flow better.

The Half-Marathon Course: A Shorter Challenge

The half-marathon course is about 13.1 miles long. It starts in Provo Canyon, right in the middle of the full marathon course. The starting line is just south of the Highway 92 and U.S. Route 189 intersection. Runners follow the same path as the marathon, going down through the canyon and along University Avenue. The finish line for the half-marathon is at the Provo Towne Centre mall.

In 2010, Seth Pilkington and Lindsey Dunkley, both from the USA, won the men's and women's half-marathon titles.

In 2011, Brad Osguthorpe won the men's half-marathon, and Andrea North won the women's.

In 2012, Kyle Perry won the men's half-marathon, and Kassi Harmon won the women's.

In 2013, Joshua McCabe won the men's title, and Kassi Harmon won the women's half-marathon again!

The 2014 Utah Valley Half-Marathon allowed up to 2,500 runners. This race also starts at 6:00 AM.

The 10K Course: A Faster Run

Starting in 2012, the race added a 10K event, which is about 6.2 miles long. This race begins in the neighborhoods just south of Provo Canyon, near Canyon Crest Elementary school in Provo. It ends at the same finish line as the other races, in downtown Provo at University Avenue and Center Street.

The 2014 Utah Valley Marathon 10K allowed up to 2,000 runners.

The 1K Kids' Race: Fun for Young Runners

In 2012, a 1K (about 0.6 miles) kids' race was added! This race is for children aged 12 and under. It's free for all kids who want to join. The race ends at the same finish line as the full marathon, half-marathon, and 10K.

The 2014 Utah Valley Marathon Free Kids' 1K allowed up to 2,000 children.

The 5K Course: No Longer Part of the Race

The 5K race was stopped after the 2011 event, so it was not part of the races from 2012 onwards.

List of Winners by Race Distance

Marathon Distance Winners

Year	Men's Winner	Time	Country	Women's Winner	Time	Country
2018	Nicholas Arciniaga	2:21:26	United States	Kayla Brown	2:51:31	United States
2017	Bryant Jensen	2:20:20	United States	Ramona Sanchez	2:46:47	United States
2016	Stanley Boen	2:23:41	United States	Amber Green	2:50:37	United States
2015	David Tuwei	2:30:10.0	United States	Natalie Callister	2:48:52.2	United States
2014	Ezekiel Kiplagat	2:25:36.6	Kenya	Danya Crawford	2:51:21.5	United States
2013	Bryant Jensen	2:20:27	United States	Amber Green	2:51:43	United States
2012	Peter Kemboi	2:28:56	Kenya	Emily Bates	2:56:49	United States
2011	Hillary Kibet Cheruiyot	2:19:18	Kenya	Kassi Harmon	2:49:19	United States
2010	Hillary Kibet Cheruiyot	2:21:28.9	Kenya	Claudia Camargo-Nero	2:46:21.9	Argentina
2009	Seth Wold	2:26:22.90	United States	Mary Ann Schauerhamer	3:00:41.60	United States
2008	Steven Ashbaker	2:37:08.60	United States	Josse Tobiasson	3:15:40.40	United States

Half-Marathon Distance Winners

Year	Men's Winner	Time	Country	Women's Winner	Time	Country
2018	Nathan Peters	1:07:04	United States	Joy Miller	1:18:50	United States
2017	Nicolas Montanez	1:04:29	United States	Samantha Diaz	1:17:00	United States
2016	Brett Hales	1:05:45	United States	Sariah Long	1:19:35	United States
2015	Brett Hales	1:05:45.2	United States	Natalie Como	1:18:38.0	United States
2014	Tylor Thatcher	1:05:45.8	United States	Natalie Como	1:19:54.2	United States
2013	Joshua McCabe	1:06:53	United States	Kassi Harmon	1:18:44	United States
2012	Kyle Perry	1:06:43	United States	Kassi Harmon	1:21:16	United States
2011	Brad Osguthorpe	1:05:03	United States	Andrea North	1:17:54	United States
2010	Seth Pilkington	1:06:05.8	United States	Lindsey Dunkley	1:13:33.0	United States

How Many People Finish Each Race?

This table shows how many runners finished each race distance over the years.