Race Recap: Salt Lake City Half Marathon

There are many reasons why I love running. Well, I should say running and racing. They're very much two different things in my book. Running is the journey. It's the embodiment of adventure, ambition, goals and just ... life. Racing are the short stories or chapters that capture the intangibles of those ambitions, goals and whys. 

I love lining up at races because to me they are each blank chapters ready to be written. I know that sounds disgustingly poetic and I suppose it is. But, I love how each race is a blank slate. You can plan for each race, train for each race and get yourself to the start line of each race, but what you do once you cross that start line is an unknown story that only you can write.

My cousin Dulci and I at the start
line of the Salt Lake City Marathon.

Again, all of this is disgustingly poetic. 

And, all of this to say, going into this race, I didn't know how this story would enfold. I didn't have a goal outside of finishing the race besides having fun and having a meaningful experience. I knew it would be an adventure because I was planning on running it with my friend Blu. However, the week of the race he told me that he forgot to sign up for the race. Total non-shocker, mainly because it's happened before. Plus, he just got back from New York City and trashed his feet from all the walking he did during his trip.

So come Saturday morning, I really didn't know what to expect. I knew I didn't want to just buckle down and focus on a time goal. I never do that with my first half marathon of the year. The first half marathons are usually the ones that get my running legs underneath me.

I knew I wanted to run with someone. My friend Rick was running the race and felt we could probably keep pace together and if not I'd let him go ahead while I found someone else along the way ... an old or new friend. I wasn't TOO worried about finding someone to run with, I just knew I didn't want to run this one alone. 

Since I got married getting to the start line of the race is much easier. I used to drive from Bountiful to my office's parking lot and then talk over to the start line near the Olympic Legacy Bridge or to the 1300th South TRAX station and ride the train to the University Hospital stop. Both were fairly easy, but not convenient.

However, now I just hop on at the University Hospital Clinic in South Jordan and take the red line all the way to University Hospital stop, which is essentially from end of the line to end of the line. It's a bit longer commute but I like not having to drive more than five minutes. Plus, the hour or less commute allows me to either zone out and prepare myself for the race ... or chat with whoever I am riding with that morning.

This race I rode up with my father-in-law Van, who was running the 10K. His race started (and ended) at the Salt Lake City Library so he got off a bit earlier than me. But, I always enjoy riding with him whether its' TRAX or a bus going up a canyon. I really lucked out in the father-in-law department.

Once I got to the end of the line the entire train was now full of runners. The mass exodus took a few minutes to navigate as we all funneled toward the port-a-potties and starting corral. There were 8,000 plus runners at this start line (11,000 in total between all races), the energy was unreal, even more so than previous years.

Rick and I running down Capitol Hill. This
might be one of my favorite running pics
as of late.

I met up with Rick and decided to start off with him. He had to make use of a port-a-potty so while he waited in line I moseyed around in one place. I knew if I wandered we would have lost each other, so I just kind of stay put and took in the crowd. It truly was electric and inspiring.

I got a little overwhelmed thinking about the many people that found themselves at the start line. It's hard not to wonder what brought them here. Was this their first marathon? Half marathon? Are they running for something? Or perhaps someone? Are they overcoming something that sidelined them? The thoughts were many and it really made me feel the reasons why I was there.

The race had started well before Rick was done with the port-a-potty line, but runners in the corral were still funneling toward the start line. Rick and I hopped in the line alongside the marathon sweepers, one of which was my friend Rachel. We funneled our way to the start line and then we were off!

I was wrestling with whether or not I wanted to use my Jeff Galloway app to monitor my run/walk intervals. Since we started off slow I decided to just take what the terrain and crowd would give me to start off the race. Then depending on what my later miles looked like I would potentially turn it on the app to help get me to the finish line. But, like I mentioned I didn't have a set race plan, I just wanted to enjoy it and get my race legs.

My father-in-law Van and I at
the finish line of the Salt Lake
City Marathon!

The first 2-3 miles was spent mainly with Rick before he stopped for a port-a-potty stop. I kept going, not too fast because I wanted to keep running with him, but once we got to Memory Grove I caught up with my friend Rachel and spent the miles around the grove with her until Rick caught back up with me at the state capitol. 

After running down Capitol Hill and into the city Rick and I pretty much stayed together the rest of the race until mile 10 when he stopped again for a port-a-potty break. I got about a 1-2 mile solo run in before Rick caught back up with me at Liberty Park. I won't lie, I got a little emotional during that brief solo run (it doesn't take much to make me cry, I cry at grocery store grand openings after all) as I took in the crowd working toward the finish line.

It was the same thought that caught me at the start line. The whys. What were these runners around me running for? Who were they running for? For themselves? A loved one? Others that couldn't. My thoughts turned to those who can't, especially those who aren't with us anymore. I intentionally leave one corner of the my race bib unclipped as a reminder of those friends and fellow runners -- Robert Merriman, Robert Merkley, Reese, Elsha, Don, Carlee, Dave, Marie, etc., etc., etc. -- the list is sadly too long. The moment was brief, but I am glad I had it, because I needed it.

Once reunited with Rick we ran the last couple of miles together. As tempted as I was to stop for a Slurpee at the 7 Eleven on the corner of 200 East and 800 South, we kept going. I just wanted to get done. We had been on the course just a shade over three hours and while we weren't completely wiped, we weren't "I need a Slurpee before I die kind of the tired."

My earned blingity bling.

Rick and I crossed the finish line with an official time of around 03:15 or so. Not horrible. My legs still felt fresh which was good and considering I had two more half marathons in the coming couple of weeks that bodes well for me. I plan on pushing it a bit harder next week and hopefully more at Vigor Big Cottonwood. But, that's a post for another day.

Overall, the race was what I needed. It was great time spent with Rick, Rachel and my father-in-law Van. I love this race and love being able to represent it as an ambassador. This race has been life changing for me, something I talk about here, and I will keep coming back to the start line because it always feels like an adventure for me and even if it isn't, I love being able to just take in the crowd it attracts.

See you April 24, 2027!

RACE (2026): #6
HALF MARATHON (2026): #1
SALT LAKE CITY MARATHON RACE (OVERALL): #11
SALT LAKE CITY HALF MARATHON (OVERALL): #8
RACE (OVERALL): #314
HALF MARATHON (OVERALL): #185

NEXT RACE: Provo City Half Marathon (May 2, 2026)