Big Cottonwood Marathon

Location: Salt Lake City
Country: United States
Website: https://www.runrevel.com/bcm
2025 Marathon Date: 13/09/25
2026 Marathon Date: TBC
Winning Time 2025: 02:28:36
% Sub-3s: 2–5%
# Sub-3s: 10–49
Total Runners: 1k–3k

The Big Cottonwood Marathon, part of the REVEL race series, is one of the most downhill marathons in the United States. Starting at nearly 10,000 feet in the Wasatch Mountains and descending more than a vertical mile into the Salt Lake Valley, the course is designed for speed but demands discipline. Sub-3 runners are drawn here for its reputation as a personal best and Boston-qualifying course, but success depends on controlling effort against gravity.

The route follows Big Cottonwood Canyon Road for the opening miles before flattening slightly through Brighton, then continues down towards Salt Lake City with a final out-and-back stretch along Wasatch Boulevard. The scenery is dramatic, with canyon walls, riverside stretches and mountain vistas, but the defining feature is the sustained drop in elevation. Those gains can quickly unravel if pacing isn’t kept steady, especially in the first half.

Organisation is streamlined, with bus transport to the high-altitude start and a finish area set up close to the city. Support is concentrated at accessible points, with aid stations well placed for hydration and refuelling. For a sub-3 attempt, the key is to treat the opening descent with caution, maintain efficiency on the loop and out-and-back, then close decisively as the course levels towards the finish.

Big Cottonwood is a specialist’s race: fast, uncompromising and built for those who know how to hold form downhill. With patience and precision, it can deliver exceptional results — but only for those who respect the course.