The fifth edition of the REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon and Half-Marathon started on Saturday, September 10, 2016, under perfect conditions: clear, calm, dry, and cold. Thousands of runners enjoyed a remarkably beautiful course as they made their way from the stunning canyon views to the lively and festive finish area. PRs and BQs were plentiful!

"The route is breathtakingly beautiful, fast, and a joy to run," said Heidi Bates, who ran her first half-marathon. Heidi’s comments matched those of hundreds of runners who finished in either the marathon or half-marathon: "I loved watching the sunrise in the valley below us, and listening to the river rushing down the canyon. It was truly an unforgettable experience."

The REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon and Half-Marathon, on September 10, 2016, in Salt Lake City, was a resounding success. In the marathon, runners began the race over 1,000 feet above Brighton Ski Resort on Guardsman Pass Road. With breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and valleys, the marathoners were treated to a gorgeous sunrise as they began the race.

Meanwhile, 13.1 miles ahead, thousands of half-marathoners began their race in the serene and majestic valley, complete with moose sightings and waterfalls nearby.

Marathoners and half-marathoners alike were treated to spectacular views as they ran downhill towards the finish area in Cottonwood Heights. 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. Marathon finisher Linda Sheeran, who beat her BQ by over 17 minutes, described the Big Cottonwood Marathon as "absolutely perfect," adding "this was my first time to run this course and I loved it! Very well-organized race."

Top Finishers

Male Marathon Winner Zachary Cater-Cyker 2:32:55 (course record)	Female Marathon Winner Amanda Blair 2:53:32
Male Half Marathon Winner Jonathon Kotter 1:04:31	Female Half Marathon Winner Sylvia Bedford 1:17:25

The marathon winner was Zachary Cater-Cyker, 31, with a finishing gun time of 2:32:55. This is a new course record. In second place was Jacob Gustafsson, 32, with a finish of 2:35:51. Brent Bailey, 30, finished third with a time of 2:36:47.

The top woman finisher in the marathon was Amanda Blair, 26, with a gun time of 2:53:32. Lyndsy Schultz, 35, was the second-place finisher in 2:54:29. In third place, with a time of 2:56:17, was Shannon McGinn, 40.

In the half-marathon, Jonathan Kotter, 31, won with a gun time 1:04:31. Justin Park, 36, and Brian Summers, 30, rounded out the top 3 with finishes of 1:09:42 and 1:11:54, respectively.

The winners in the women’s half-marathon had a close finish. Sylvia Bedford, 26, was the overall female winner of the half-marathon with a gun time of 1:17:25. In second place, clocking a 1:19:02 finish, was Melissa Terpenning, 33. Only 26 seconds behind Terpenning was Cassandra Allred, also 33, with a finishing gun time of 1:19:28.

Runners Praise the Overall Course and Race Organization

Douglas Avery, who finished with a BQ in his first marathon at Big Cottonwood 2016, lauded the race organization and volunteers, saying "The announcer at the start line kept us well informed of the time and when to be ready, so I was prepared for the start and got off to a great beginning. The aid stations were organized well and all the volunteers were super helpful, so everything went so smooth to keep hydrated and fueled along the way."

Sunshine Szedeli, who ran a 38-minute PR in the half, complimented the race extensively: "This was my first experience with a Revel race. It was not my first experience with the marathon/half marathon distance and man am I impressed! Well organized, great swag, friendly people everywhere, frequent and efficient aid stations, amazing scenery, and awesome bib transfer/withdrawal options on registration. Thank you for a wonderful experience, you definitely stand out in the race business and this customer can't wait to be a 'repeat.'"

"Race day was wonderful," said Kacy Robinson, who PRd in the marathon by 17 minutes. "Everything was well organized. The support on the course was fantastic. Everyone was kind and helpful."

Scott Allen, who ran a 3-minute PR and beat his BQ time by over 12 minutes, praised many aspects of the race organization, saying "the aid stations were plentiful and were staffed by cheerful and helpful volunteers. I liked the professional signage that enhanced the experience. The finish area was lively and well organized."

"Beautiful views, amazing volunteers, well organized with attention to every detail especially at the finish line, LOVED everything," said Amy DeVries, who ran the marathon. "Best of all, I got my BQ."

Alisha Harrison PRd in the half by 7 minutes, noting that Big Cottonwood "really was a perfect half marathon. Everything was so well organized, volunteers were so happy and cheerful. I do mean all of them from the packet pick up (asking if it was my first race, be sure to kill it, etc.), volunteers at water stations, and after party."

Daniel Gillespie, who ran the half-marathon, raved about the overall organization: "This race was extremely well organized, from the check-in on Friday to the finish line festivities! It seems like they thought of everything, and everything was executed to perfection. I was constantly being surprised at how efficient everything was: getting my bag and number on Friday, parking on race morning, loading buses, having bathrooms available, mile markers and posters along the way, drinks and snacks, getting results, getting pictures, turning in and retrieving my bag. The most memorable thing was the beautiful scenery while I ran, and the outstanding organization let me focus on that. What a great experience!"

Runners Marvel at the Beautiful Course

Pearce McCarty, who ran a marathon BQ, raved about beautiful course: "The most memorable aspect of this marathon is undoubtedly the breathtaking scenery, i.e. the course itself. From watching the sun break over the eastern ridge early in the race, to taking in the dabs of bright color splattered across the mountainside as fall foliage began to appear, to the rugged rock faces later in the race, to the sweeping views of Salt Lake City during mile 19...." McCarty added that "this is a well - organized, well - executed marathon that I would recommend to anyone."

Marla Gale summed up the half-marathon course as "BEAUTIFUL. MAJESTIC. STUNNING."

Alisha Van Orman, who PRd by 20 minutes and qualified for Boston, described the course as "Beautiful!" and added "I love how organized this race is! You do a great job!"

Aleshia Lindhardt finished her first half-marathon and described the course with one word: "Gorgeous!"

Jolie Morris qualified for Boston with her 13-minute PR, happily stating "Today I got a marathon PR and also qualified for Boston! On top of that the course is absolutely beautiful and the race was so well organized! The BEST race!"

Jan DeGiulio, who has run 108 marathons and ran a BQ, said "I love the beautiful course! The mountains are covered in beautiful fall colors. Volunteers were fantastic. Race organization was fantastic. Packet pickup was organized. This was my 108th marathon and the Big Cottonwood Marathon is a favorite!"

Jana Eckles, who raved about the "beautiful scenery and downhill glory," commented that the course was "beautiful all around" and that she "loved the change of scenery as you go down the canyon."

Yulia Kirkpatrick ran a 10-minute PR in the half, summed up her experience as "very impressed. Smoothly run, scenic course, went without a hitch. Highly recommend."

Elizabeth Evans completed her first half-marathon, and described the course as "almost magical - seeing a moose shortly after the start, the sound of the babbling creek, the beauty of trees with colors already changing." Elizabeth added "I'm so glad this was my first half as the course was beautiful, the volunteers were so positive and supportive, and instructions to runners prior to the race were clear."

"This was my fifth half and first Big Cottonwood Half...it has become my favorite," said Angela Curtis who added that the course was "fast and gorgeous, breathtaking in spots."

Carey Roberts called the Big Cottonwood Half-Marathon "the best course I have ever run, love it…I'm already looking forward to next year!"

David Allred, a veteran half-marathoner, noted "This is one of the best run races I have participated in, the the top race in Utah. This was my third Big Cottonwood and will continue to run this race in the future. Great job!"

Nadia Despain PRd in the half by 13 minutes, saying "it was AMAZING! The course was gorgeous. Very well organized. The volunteers were great. Everything was perfect, even the weather was perfect."

Runners Praise the Fast Course

Michelle Lomu, who ran a PR by almost an hour in the marathon, said "It was absolutely incredible. The downhill made me feel like a speedster!" Echoing those comments was Doug Chase, who ran a 52-minute PR in the marathon: "Beautiful, fast, fun…So many extras with this race. You exceeded expectations."

Myrriah Gomez, who ran a 14-minute PR, praised the course simply as "fast," and marveled that "the sunrise right before the start of the race was beautiful."

Marathon finisher Linda Sheeran, who beat her BQ by over 17 minutes, called the Big Cottonwood Marathon "absolutely perfect," adding "this was my first time to run this course and I loved it! Very well organized race."

Shanny Baldwin, who ran a 9-minute PR in the half-marathon, exclaimed "Beautiful, FAST, downhill but not so severe that it was uncomfortable or that you had to hold yourself back. Loved it and will run it every year!"

Elizabeth Hamilton, who PRd the half by 15 minutes, said "This race took my breath away! It is so beautiful and so fast! This is my third half marathon and by far my favorite!"

James Howton PRd in the marathon by 7 minutes, and complimented Big Cottonwood as the "Best marathon in Utah!"

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

The head coach of REVEL’s Online Coaching Program, who has run a Boston Qualifier in all of the REVEL marathons, has prepared a detailed description of the Big Cottonwood 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 Big Cottonwood Marathon course can be divided into five sections:

• Miles 1-3: The Fast Start
• Mile 4: The Loop
• Miles 5-18: The Canyon
• Miles 19-23: The Out and Back
• Miles 24-26.2: The Straightaway Finish

Similarly, the Big Cottonwood Half-Marathon course can be divided into four sections:

• Miles 1-3: The Speedy Start
• Miles 4-5: The Little Rollers
• Miles 6-9: The Canyon Exit
• Miles 10-13.1: The Straightaway Finish

You can study the courses yourself on the REVEL website. 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 1-3: The Fast Start

Starting at almost 9,700’ elevation, the first 3 miles of the course are on Guardsman Pass Road and include several turns and switchbacks. Overall, this first 3-mile segment loses nearly 1,100’ of elevation. That is a significant elevation loss, and you will want to manage the drops by easing into your pace, settling in for the long haul, and letting gravity pull you along at a comfortably fast pace.

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.

Mile 4: The Loop

You will leave Guardsman Pass Road where it intersects with Big Cottonwood Canyon Road, turn left, and start climbing towards the Brighton Resort where you will loop around the resort area, and then head back towards the point where you began the loop.

Over the course of The Loop, you will climb slightly more than 100’ to the highest point of the loop. 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, 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 5-18: The Canyon

From mile 4 to mile 18, just before you exit Big Cottonwood Canyon, you will experience the fastest part of the marathon course, with an elevation loss of more than 3,700’. There are a few small, short climbs here and there in this segment, but they are minor in comparison to the overall elevation loss.

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 19-23: The Out and Back

Just past mile 18, you will leave Big Cottonwood Canyon Road and turn onto S. Wasatch Boulevard for an out-and-back segment. For the next 2.2 miles, the course flattens out a bit and loses less elevation that the previous miles coming down the canyon. All totaled, you will lose just under 100’ in the “out” portion of the out-and-back, with some climbs along the way.

After the turnaround, you will run 2.2 miles back to the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon and head towards Fort Union Boulevard. Over this 2.2-miles stretch, you will be climbing back to where you started the out-and-back.

During this segment, don’t panic or become discouraged if you find yourself slowing down, or if it suddenly feels harder to maintain your pace. After the significant drop of the early miles, along with the typical late-stage fatigue that is common in marathons, your legs might feel heavy and you might feel as if you are working very hard to keep going. But the key will be to keep going. Once you get past this segment, the closing miles will be downhill again.

Miles 24-26.2: The Straightaway Finish

The finish line is on Fort Union Boulevard. After the right-hand turn from the out-and-back onto Fort Union, the closing 3.6-mile segment drops approximately 470’ total, making it a gradual, straightaway downhill finish. You will encounter terrific crowds who will cheer you towards the finish line of the fast and beautiful Big Cottonwood Marathon!

Summary of the Marathon Course

The Big Cottonwood Marathon course loses almost a mile 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

Miles 1-3: The Speedy Start

Starting at almost 7,335’ elevation, the half-marathon course drops almost 450’ total from the start to mile 3. That is an average of about 150' per mile, which is a significant but manageable descent each mile. You will want to manage the early downhill drops 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 4-5: The Little Rollers

The term "rollers" usually brings to mind rolling hills. That is not at all what you will face in this segment. Instead, you will find occasional dips and short climbs that occur in miles 4 and 5. Overall, you will drop a total of 611' in this segment, which averages more than 300’ per mile. Although you will almost certainly feel very fast on the downhills in this segment, you will want to slow down on the occasional climbs and conserve your energy for the miles ahead.

Miles 6-9: The Canyon Exit

At mile 5, where the "Little Rollers" are behind you, you will be at 6,275’ of elevation. At mile 9, just before you exit Big Cottonwood Canyon, the elevation is 5,033'. In other words, you will run 4 miles down the canyon and lose a net of 1,242’. That is more than 310’ per mile.

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 10-13.1: The Straightaway Finish

Just past mile 9, you will leave Big Cottonwood Canyon Road and continue straight onto Fort Union Boulevard. At this point, you can say to yourself "now downhill to the finish!"

The final 3.1-mile segment, which is entirely on Fort Union Boulevard, drops approximately 425’ total, making it a gradual, straightaway downhill finish. In this final stretch, the crowds of spectators will grow larger as you make your way towards the finish line of the fast and beautiful Big Cottonwood Half-Marathon!

Summary of the Half-Marathon Course

The Big Cottonwood Half-Marathon course loses 2,894' of elevation from start to finish. That's an average of more than 220' per mile, making 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.

If you are training this summer for REVEL Big Cottonwood or Canyon City, or are maintaining your base mileage for REVEL Mt Charleston or Rockies, you are dealing with training in the summer heat.

There are many common tips to help runners train during hot summer months: wearing cooler, moisture wicking garments; running in early morning or late evening hours; and finding shaded areas to run.

But there are two important tips that runners often overlook when training in the heart: proper hydration, and electrolyte replacement.

Running in the heat means dehydration and loss of electrolytes, both of which can have moderate to severe impact on your performance. In order to continue training in the summer without suffering the potentially debilitating effects of dehydration and electrolyte loss, it helps to understand how and why heat, dehydration, and electrolyte loss affect your running.

Heat, Running, and Dehydration

During exercise, heat dispersion is your body’s way of keeping you cool by increasing blood flow to the skin for conductive cooling. Meanwhile, your muscles are like small furnaces that produce heat when you convert fuel to energy while running. Your brain detects this rise in body temperature, and triggers your body’s sweat glands for evaporative cooling. The water that helps cool you down - sweat - comes mostly from the blood, so the end result is decreased blood volume as you dehydrate. In lay, non-medical terms, the loss of water results in “thicker” blood.

At the same time, your muscles need oxygen to keep working. The need for oxygen means a need for a continued flow of blood to the muscles.

Putting all this together, what you end up with is a situation where your blood is getting “thicker” as you sweat, meaning it is less efficient at flowing to the skin and muscles. Your body is less able to cool itself by conductive cooling, and is less efficient at delivering oxygen to the working muscles.

So how do heat and humidity affect all of this? A hot day triggers more sweating. A humid day means your evaporative cooling system is not working very efficiently, because moisture in the air suppresses the evaporation of sweat on your skin. You are left with a situation where your body finds it harder to meet the demands being placed upon it. Your muscles need oxygen-filled blood in order to keep you running; your skin needs blood to help keep the body cool; and in the meantime dehydration from sweating means your blood is less and less capable of performing both tasks.

Furthermore, your body responds to decreased blood volume by decreasing blood flow and suppressing sweat in order to conserve bodily fluids. In turn, your muscles simply cannot perform well without adequate oxygen, your sweating declines, and your body temperature can rise to dangerous levels.

Even if you are able to continue running in the heat, research indicates that most people - not just runners - are in a constant state of dehydration. With regular exercise in the heat, that dehydration is worsened. In turn, your overall performance as a runner suffers. You might feel sluggish, suffer from headaches and nausea, lower GI problems, rapid pulse, chills, and muscle cramps. These symptoms can last for days, not just during or immediately after a run.

Over the course of several days, this constant dehydration, inadequate rehydration, and subsequent chronic dehydration, can lead to poor training and very difficult runs.

Pre-hydration and Rehydration

“Dehydration” simply means “water loss.” It’s going to happen when you run. The important thing to remember is that no matter how much you drink during a summer run, it can be extremely difficult to keep up with the amount of lost fluid. For every pound of water lost during exercise, you need at least 16 ounces of fluid replacement - and that is the minimum.

Of course, most runners drink from coolers, drinking fountains or their own water bottles immediately after or during runs to quench thirst. That is fine, but do not forego a rehydration plan just because you chugged down a full bottle of water or sports drink immediately after a run. First quench your thirst, then slowly rehydrate over the course of several hours.

You can counter the effects of the dehydration by “pre-hydrating” before a run, stopping to drink at regular intervals during a run, and then rehydrating after a run.

Before you run, “pre-hydrating” is the specific act of preparing yourself for exercise and the normal dehydration that accompanies exercise. At a minimum, drink 8-12 cups of water throughout the day, especially during summer months. At least one hour before a run, drink 12-16 ounces of water.

During a run, drink 6-8 ounces every 15 minutes, even if you are not thirsty.

After you run, it can take anywhere from 24-48 hours to completely rehydrate. Remember that your body is only going to absorb 24-28 ounces of water every hour after exercise. If you have lost 2, 3, 4 or more pounds of sweat during a workout, it will take several hours just to absorb that much water, assuming that you drink enough to catch up. Even then, you will begin to lose some of that fluid through digestion, so you’ve got to continue drinking regularly for many hours after exercise.

The Importance of Electrolytes

Electrolytes are minerals in your bodily fluids that carry electrical charges. They exist in your blood, inside the cells, and in the fluid surrounding the cells. Your nerve cells and muscle cells use electrolytes to carry electrical impulses. Thus, when your brain sends an “electronic signal” to your muscles to contract or relax, the electrolytes carry that signal from the nerves to the muscle cells.

Two of the major electrolytes in the human body – sodium and potassium – are critical for muscle functions, but are lost through exercise and sweat. Together, these two electrolytes perform essential functions for the contraction and relaxation of muscles. With heavy fluid loss through sweating, the loss of electrolytes can result in cramping. As dehydration continues, entire muscle groups become fatigued and begin to fail.

Replacement of electrolytes is important when training in hot weather. The most common way that runners replace electrolytes during exercise is by consuming sports drinks. Also, some gels and electrolyte tablets typically have very high quantities of sodium and potassium. There is no single answer to the questions of how to replace electrolytes, and when. Sweat rates and electrolyte loss-rates are different from person to person. It is a process of trial and error, which means you should experiment with electrolyte replacement techniques to find the ones that work best for you.

Summary

There is no question that running in summer months will mean slower overall paces, tougher finishes to your workouts, and a lot of fatigue associated with dehydration. You should expect to find it harder to maintain your training paces and overall mileage during hot weather. That’s perfectly normal.

However, you can improve your training by adhering to a hydration plan that includes pre-workout hydration and post-workout rehydration. You are asking a lot of your body when you run in hot summer weather. Likewise, your body will be asking a lot from you (hydration), and it is important to listen to your body.

Similarly, hydration does not simply mean water. You will lose significant amounts of electrolytes when you train day after day, week after week, in hot weather. Replacing lost electrolytes is critical to maintaining your body’s ability to perform under the demands of training in summer months.

With proper hydration and electrolyte replacement, you will be better able to maintain your training regimen as your work your way towards an awesome race day at your REVEL events!