Utah Valley Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K & 5K
The Utah Valley Marathon weekend is a road-running series in northern Utah, typically held on the first Saturday of June. It features a marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K, and a kids race. The marathon begins in Wallsburg at an elevation of 5,963 feet and concludes on University Avenue and Center Street in downtown Provo, at 4,504 feet above sea level. This USATF-certified course is a Boston Marathon qualifier, and the marathon field is generally limited to 2,000 participants. The event originated with 120 marathon runners and later incorporated shorter races, evolving into a full race weekend. The marathon course crosses Wasatch and Utah Counties, following Highway 222 from Wallsburg. It turns onto U.S. Route 189 near Deer Creek Reservoir, then descends through Provo Canyon alongside the Provo River before reaching Orem and Provo on University Avenue. Hyrum Oaks and Jeremiah West founded the race, which has been a component of the Utah Grand Slam since its initial years. Volunteers contribute significantly to the event's operation, and it benefits charities such as CharityVision, Mentor's International, Mac's Gift, and Road to Success. Notably, members of the Pleasant Grove Fire Department once used the marathon as their yearly fitness assessment, and the race was the first local event to permit footbikes.