The third edition of the REVEL Canyon City Marathon and Half-Marathon started on Saturday, November 12, 2016, under perfect conditions: clear, calm, dry, and cool. Thousands of runners enjoyed a remarkably beautiful course as they made their way through the forests and canyons of the Angeles National Forest to the finish area in the foothills of Azusa.

“It was awesome! A total first class race,” is how Lynda Neuman, who PRd in the half and won her age group, described the 2016 Canyon City race. Noting that she runs about 13 half-marathons per year, Lynda added “this is one of my favorite courses. I could not recommend it highly enough!! You cannot lose choosing this race -- it is one of the most well run and well supported races around!”

“AMAZING AND ASTONISHING,” said marathon finisher Luisa Rivas, adding “I love this race from beginning to end.” Luisa’s comments echoed those of hundreds of runners who finished in either the marathon or half-marathon: “very well organized…volunteers were awesome…and I'm loving my bling!”

The REVEL Canyon City Marathon and Half-Marathon, on November 12, 2016, on the outskirts of Los Angeles, was a remarkable success. In the marathon, runners began the race at the historic Crystal Lake Café, high in the San Gabriel Mountains. With stunning views of the Los Angeles area to the south and beautiful mountains all around, the marathoners were treated to gorgeous scenery of the San Gabriel Valley as they began the race.

Meanwhile, 13.1 miles ahead, the half-marathoners began their race amidst breathtaking views of the beautiful Azusa Canyon, San Gabriel and Morris Reservoirs, and the San Gabriel River.

Marathoners and half-marathoners alike were treated to spectacular views as they ran downhill towards the finish area in Azusa, finishing along the majestic palm-lined streets. Overall, the extremely fast and beautiful downhill course drew outstanding reviews from the marathoners and half-marathoners, and remarkable finish times from the overall winners in both events. First-time marathon finisher Don Aquino described the REVEL Canyon City Marathon as a “great event and location,” saying he “couldn't ask for a better place to try out my very first marathon.”

Top Finishers

Male Marathon Winner Jose Melina 2:33:49	Female Marathon Winner Jamie Kretz 2:55:38
Male Half Marathon Winner Gustavo Catiz 1:17:57	Female Half Marathon Winner Paige Nelson 1:22:07

The marathon winner was Jose Merino, 39, with a finishing gun time of 2:33:49. In second place was Angel Echevarria, 35, with a gun time finish of 2:41:16. Right on the heels of Echevarria was Robert Leonardo, 54, who finished third with a time of 2:41:45.

The top woman finisher in the marathon was Jamie Kretz, 26, with a gun time of 2:55:38. Sophia Chen, 40, was the second-place finisher in 3:01:41. In third place, with a time of 3:03:39, was Felicia Chen 40.

In the half-marathon Gustavo Catiz, 19, won with a gun time of 1:19:29. Pete Sakalowsky, 46, and Brian Duff, 40, rounded out the top 3 with gun time finishes of 1:17:57 and 1:18:08, respectively.

The winner in the women’s half-marathon was Paige Nelson, 28, with a gun time of 1:22:07. In second place, clocking a 1:25:57 finish, was Elizabeth Ben-Ishai, 35. Less than a minute behind was Jamie Cousatte, 43, in third place with a finishing gun time of 1:26:50.

Runners Praise the Overall Course and Race Organization

Heather OConnell, who ran returned to run the marathon a second time, praised Canyon City as a “spectacular race! Well organized, excellent support, beautiful course!” Heather’s advice to runners is to “RUN REVEL!!”

Marathon finisher Kristin Condie from New York called the Canyon City Marathon "the most fun marathon course I’ve experienced," adding "The scenery was spectacular!"

Michael Nemiroff, who ran a 14-minute PR in the marathon, gave high praise to the race all around: "Wow. From pre-race emails, to parking and CHARTERED buses, this race was top notch and seamless. As marathoners we have enough to stress about, and logistics shouldn't be one of them. REVEL was impeccable and I will certainly be back next year."

Dorothy Paxman, who ran beat her PR by 29 minutes in the half marathon, raved about the overall race: "Amazing! Beautiful perfect weather…I was mostly impressed by how well organized the race was and all the wonderful goodies we got. This was my first REVEL race and [I’m] ready to sign up for next year’s race."

William Biehl, who ran a 14-minute PR and qualified for Boston, lauded the race organization and volunteers, saying "Revel Team: I do a lot of endurance racing across multiple disciplines. Point to Point races are always challenged with getting participants to the right place and making their day enjoyable. You have done an incredible job communicating pre-race, race day, and post-race logistics. I never felt I didn't know what was going on and during the event, everything went extremely smooth. You did an excellent job!!"

Angie Menendez, who ran a 3-minute PR in the half, complimented the race extensively: "This race was organized very well. Everything from the website, the communications we received before, the expo, and finally the day of the race were handled perfectly. I loved the swag we got and the thought put into it - the gloves, blanket, beanie and even safety pins for your bib were all in your race packet. Parking was easy and plentiful. Buses were comfortable. Course was beautiful and well-marked. Volunteers were helpful and friendly. This is the first Revel race I've done and won't be the last!”

"This is an exceptionally well organized and managed race," said Jeremy Roche, who traveled from Massachusetts to run the marathon. “Everything was clockwork and the scenery is inspiring."

Byron Solberg, who ran a 20-minute PR in the marathon and beat his BQ time by over THREE HOURS in the Mobility Impaired Division, praised many aspects of the race organization, saying "Great logistics for the parking, transportation, bag pick-up, start, aid stations, number of bathrooms, finish …pizza! Apple pie!! Friendly photo people! Well stocked aid stations even for us at the back!!”

"The organization of this race was seamless," said Emma Cothren, who ran an 11-minute PR in the marathon and qualified for Boston. "From the shuttles to the bag check you guys did an amazing job. I also really appreciated the signs you put up throughout the course to motivate us,” she added.

Gordon Treadway gave high marks to the course and the volunteers, saying "Had a great time interacting with the people in the race. There were great people performing greatly on the race course. I was grateful for the kind volunteers and supporters along the race route--it's a bit like life, having people there periodically to lift you up and encourage you along your way."

Runners Praise the Beautiful Course

Jian Springs, who ran a 17-minute PR and qualified for Boston, praised the course simply as "fast," and "gorgeous."

Liselle Pires, who ran a PR in the marathon, called it a “gorgeous race,” adding that "the race is incredibly organized and stress free, compared to the popular Chicago/NYC/Philly" marathons.

Vladimir Badong ran his first REVEL half-marathon, saying “Totally impressed! Love the route and awesome views!"

Ann Tanner, who PRd in the marathon by 22 minutes, described the course as "beautiful and fast," and also complimented the race overall as “well organized [with] friendly volunteers, plenty of parking, nice medals.”

Melody Cato from Ohio called the half-marathon scenery “incredible,” and noted that her most memorable view was “seeing a Bald Eagle sitting in his nest!”

"GORGEOUS," said Melanie Edel, who ran the marathon. "Love, love, love the BREATHTAKING SCENERY of the course! I hope to run the REVEL Canyon City Marathon in L.A. again in the future! Thanks SO much to the organizers! Congratulations for a job extremely well done!"

Joseph Umana-Walker, who PRd in the marathon by 3 minutes and qualified for Boston 2018, complimented Canyon City as "world class,” noting that “the scenery was spectacular" on the “fun, challenging” course.

Chesed Bialon completed her first half-marathon, and described the course as "Fun, beautiful, and encouraging." Chesed added, "Beautiful. Downhill is the only way to do it!"

"Amazing! The scenery was spectacular!" said half-marathon finisher Angel Claudio, adding "I love this race."

"LOVED the course," said half-marathoner Alison McDonnell.

Runners Loved the Fast Course

“Fast and beautiful!” is how marathoner Chee Keong Tan summed up the course, happily noting “I PRed and BQed!”

Manuel Luna described the course in three words: “FAST, FAST, FAST!”

Ian Finlay, a first time half-marathoner, noted "The half marathon course was really nice. Beside the fact that it was great to be in the mountains, the elevation gains and losses were great. The mix of uphill and downhill during the first half, the consistent downhill during the second half, and the flat to finish the race made it a great setup."

Leah Jack, who ran a PR in the half-marathon, said "This is a fast and fun confidence-boosting course!"

Dan Murray summed up the half-marathon course as "Fantastic."

Sarah Evans echoed many other runners' comments with her description of the half-marathon course: "Beautiful, serene and calm and fast."

"Majestic and super fast!" added Lorna Willard.

Alberto Morales, who PRd in the half-marathon, said the course is "beautiful, fast, and fun!!"

Jane Santiago called the half-marathon course "AMAZING," adding “Well organized race day, and very happy to join Revel. I will do it again!”

Runners, Friends, and Families Enjoyed the Destination

Tiffany Moreno ran a PR in the marathon, and enjoyed traveling from Long Beach to the race, where she “had dinner in downtown Arcadia, which is a really cute town. I could see it being a little hipsterish in a few years.”

Marathon finisher Debra Vanberg, who described her race day as “a wonderful experience,” enjoyed the local dining and attractions, saying "[w]e had dinner at a wonderful Italian restaurant down in old town and after dinner on Friday night we stopped at a crafts fair in one of your local parks and enjoyed some music and the beautiful warm Southern California evening.”

A course strategy – and overall race strategy – is a must for optimal performance on race day. Whether this is your first REVEL Canyon City race and your goal is simply to finish, or you are Canyon City veteran aiming for a PR or BQ, you should have a well-planned strategy for how you intend to manage the course!

Our head coach, who has run a Boston Qualifier in all of the REVEL marathons, has prepared a detailed description of the Canyon City Marathon and Half-Marathon courses.

Managing the Course Based On Segments

A critical component of your strategy is the course profile itself. Where are the sharp descents? Where are the climbs? Where does the course “flatten” a bit?

You definitely want to plan your race with course segments in mind, and with an overall strategy for varying paces throughout. Your varied paces will be dictated by the elevation losses and gains, and you want to know before the race where those variations will occur.

Generally, the Canyon City Marathon course can be divided into six sections:

Click To View Interactive Elevation Profile

• Miles 1-14: Blazing Fast 14
• Miles 15-17: Climbing Part 1
• Miles 18-19: The 2-Mile Reset
• Miles 20-21: Climbing Part 2
• Miles 22-25: The Last Downhill
• Miles 26-26.2: The Flat Finish

Similarly, the Canyon City Half-Marathon course can be divided into six similar sections:

• Mile 1: The Gently Fast Start
• Miles 2-4: Climbing Part 1
• Miles 5-6: The 2-Mile Reset
• Miles 7-8: Climbing Part 2
• Miles 9-12: The Last Downhill
• Miles 13-13.1: The Flat Finish

You can study the courses yourself on the REVEL Canyon City Course page. You can zoom in, use the interactive elevation chart, and get a feel for what lays ahead of you on race day.

If possible, you should drive the course before race day to get a feel for what the segments look and feel like. Knowing what to expect, and when, is helpful when preparing your course strategy.

The marathon and half-marathon courses are summarized below based on the segments described above.

The Marathon Course

Miles 1-14: Blazing Fast 14

Starting at almost 5,700’ elevation, the first 14 miles of the course descend San Gabriel Canyon and include several winding turns and switchbacks. There are several miles with significant elevation loss and zero gain – notably miles 1, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, and 13. The others have minor gains but with equally notable elevation loss.

Overall, the first 14 miles of the marathon course account for over 4,200’ of elevation loss – more than 300’ per mile. Resist the urge to chase people as they pass you. While you want to take advantage of gravity, you should not feel as if you are running “too hard” or “too fast.” If you do, then you should ease back a bit and aim for a “comfortably hard” pace.

Miles 15-17: Climbing Part 1

Shortly after you pass the halfway point of the race, you will encounter the first noticeable climb on the course. This is actually before mile 14, but the overall elevation loss within that mile is still over 100’. It is the next three miles after mile 14 – miles 15, 16 and 17 – where you will need to “switch gears” to a slower “climbing pace” based on even effort.

The elevation at mile 14 is approximately 1,482’. Over the distance of the next three miles, all the way to mile 17, you will climb over 180’ total. This is a segment where you do not want to get caught up with the pace of other runners if they are passing you. You still have many miles to go, and you want to conserve your energy for the miles ahead. If you feel yourself working too hard, then simply slow down.

Miles 18-19: The 2-Mile Reset

This is where you will “reset” your pace back to where you were in the first 14 miles of the course. Over this 2-mile segment, you will feel the downhill under your feet again. The drop in mile 19 is especially noticeable, where you lose roughly 250’ of elevation and gain zero.

Don’t be surprised if you find yourself running well ahead of your goal pace. This segment is where the downhill profile of the marathon course will benefit you significantly. At the same time, be wary of a sensation of “running too fast.” If you feel out of control, or if you feel yourself working “too hard” while running downhill, then slow down.

Miles 20-21: Climbing Part 2

From the start of the race up to mile 20, you will have run mostly downhill, with a total elevation loss of roughly 4,400’ – which is almost 220’ per mile. There is no question that your legs will have worked very hard up to this point. Starting just past mile 19, you will “switch gears” again to your “climbing muscles.” In reality, you still have a slight net elevation loss from 19 to 21, but it might feel harder than that. The good news is that once you reach mile 21, the climbing is over, and you will have a very nice, gradual downhill ahead of you.

Miles 22-25: The Last Downhill

The 4-mile stretch that includes miles 22 to 25 is where you will exit the San Gabriel Canyon and enter the City of Azusa. You will lose over 600’ of elevation in this segment, with almost zero climbing. With an average loss of about 150’ feet per mile, your legs will appreciate the gradual downhill.

Miles 26-26.2: The Flat Finish

The final 1.2 miles of the course are relatively flat. The elevation gain and loss essentially is a net zero. Better yet, you will encounter terrific crowds who will cheer you towards the finish line of the fast and beautiful Canyon City Marathon!

Summary of the Marathon Course

The Canyon City Marathon course loses almost 5,100’ of elevation from start to finish. Over the 26.2-mile course, you likely will surprise yourself with your speed on the downhill segments. Although it is generally true that you never want to "go out too fast" in the opening miles of a marathon, remember that gravity is your friend, and you want to take advantage of the benefits of downhill running.

The Half-Marathon Course

Mile 1: The Gently Fast Start

Starting at 1,591’ of elevation, the course drops around 100’ from the start to mile 1. That is a comfortable and manageable descent for your first mile. You will want to manage the early downhill by easing into your pace, settling in for the long haul, and letting gravity pull you along at a comfortably fast pace. You should not feel as if you are running “too hard” or “too fast.” If you do, then you should ease back a bit and aim for a “comfortably hard” pace.

Miles 2-4: Climbing Part 1

Shortly after you pass the first mile of the race, you will encounter the first noticeable climb on the course. Over the next three miles - 2, 3 and 4 –you will need to “switch gears” to a slower pace based on even effort.

The elevation at mile 1 is approximately 1,477’. Over the distance of the next three miles, all the way to mile 4, you will climb about 160’ total. This is a segment where you will likely be slowing down on the uphill segments, which is normal. Remember, this is still fairly early in the race, and you have downhill miles ahead where you can expect to speed up significantly.

Miles 5-6: The 2-Mile Reset

This is where you will “reset” your pace back to where you were in the first mile of the course. Over this 2-mile segment, you will feel the downhill under your feet again. The drop in mile 6 is especially noticeable, where you lose more than 250’ of elevation and gain zero.

Be wary of a sensation of “running too fast.” If you feel out of control, or if you feel yourself working “too hard” while running downhill, then slow down. However, you will definitely be “warmed up” by this point, and will want to take advantage of the favorable downhill miles.

Miles 7-8: Climbing Part 2

From the start of the race up to mile 6, you will have run mostly downhill, with a total elevation loss of roughly 350’. There is no question that your legs will have worked very hard up to this point. Starting just past mile 6, you will “switch gears” again to your “climbing muscles.” In reality, you still have a slight net elevation loss from 6 to 8, but it might feel harder than that. The good news is that once you reach mile 8, the climbing is over, and you will have a very nice, gradual downhill ahead of you.

Miles 9-12: The Last Downhill

The 4-mile stretch that includes miles 9 to 12 is where you will exit the San Gabriel Canyon and enter the city of Azusa. You will lose about 600’ of elevation in this segment, with almost zero climbing. With an average loss of about 150’ feet per mile, your legs will appreciate the gradual downhill.

Miles 13-13.1: The Flat Finish

The final 1.1 miles of the course are relatively flat. The elevation gain and loss essentially is a net zero. Better yet, you will encounter terrific crowds who will cheer you towards the finish line of the fast and beautiful Canyon City Marathon!

Summary of the Half-Marathon Course

The Canyon City Half-Marathon course loses more than 1,000’ of elevation from start to finish. With an average loss of more than 74' per mile, this one of the fastest half-marathon courses you will ever run. Over the 13.1-mile course, you likely will surprise yourself with your speed on the downhill segments.