Sun Marathon - 26.2 - 13.1 - 10K - 5K

Sun Marathon - 26.2 - 13.1 - 10K - 5K is held in Santa Clara, in southern Utah, on January 23, 2027. The full marathon (26.2 miles) starts at 7 a.m., the half marathon (13.1 miles) at 8:30 a.m., the 10K at 10 a.m. and the 5K at 10:15 a.m. The courses take in views of the red rock mountains and Gunlock Reservoir, and the terrain is mixed, with downhill sections, rolling stretches and a few climbs.

Downhill miles are kind to your lungs and hard on your quads, so build some downhill running into your training if you are racing the full or the half; the closing miles of a marathon punish legs that have only run on the flat. Sixteen weeks with a weekly long run suits 26.2, twelve weeks 13.1. The staggered starts send the shorter races off once the marathon field is well down the road, so a group can spread across four distances and still meet at the finish.