Marathon and Half Marathon Courses

are USA Track & Field Certified

Come and experience a race event like no other.  The Escalante Canyons Marathon and Half Marathon Run offer wildly scenic vistas across a landscape of unmatched ruggedness, a course with dramatic topography, pristine air, and a profound sense of serenity.

WELCOME TO THE 2024 ESCALANTE CANYONS

MARATHON, HALF MARATHON, & 5K …

9 DAYS AND COUNTING!

As October 12th approaches, our excitement is mounting, and we hope yours is, too!  The forecast promises a crisp autumn morning for running across some of the most beautiful terrain in the world.  While we take care of final race prep and you prepare to do your best on race day, here are a few items we’d like to note:

• We recently had the marathon course recertified by USA Track and Field as a Boston-qualifier. We also had the half marathon course certified for the first time, guaranteeing that both routes are accurately measured and that your time is comparable to other races you have run on USATF-certified courses.

• If you haven’t already done so, we urge you to reserve lodging as soon as possible. October is a popular month, with good reason, for visiting the Escalante Canyons region, and rooms are scarce in Escalante and Boulder.  If you are unable to find lodging in these communities, consider looking westward toward Bryce Canyon or eastward to communities north of the Boulder Mountains.

• Over the next few days, we will email important safety and logistical information to registered participants (we will also include this information in your race packets). For these races, it is critical to adhere to the rules of the road!

• While the ECM is a small, community-oriented event, we aim to provide the best race experience possible. We hope you’ll enjoy the challenge, the fresh air and open spaces, and the local support that have been hallmarks of this event for the past 12 years.  We look forward to seeing you at both the start and finish lines!  To each and every runner, good luck and godspeed.

IF YOU HAVE YET TO REGISTER FOR THE ECM …

This is a challenging race through a wildly scenic landscape.   With the Boulder Mountains and Dixie National Forest as a backdrop, the marathon and half marathon traverse slickrock country on a well-maintained Scenic Byway deemed one of the world’s most beautiful roads.  The courses are point-to-point between Boulder, Utah, and Escalante, Utah.  Highlights of the marathon course include the Hogsback, Calf’s Creek canyon, Head of the Rocks overlook, and views of the Straight Cliffs on the approach to Escalante.  The half marathon starts at the halfway point of the marathon course and also offers gorgeous views.  The 5K starts up Pine Creek Canyon, is mostly downhill through forest and farmlands, and ends at the finish line shared by the marathon and half.

Along with the beauty of the courses, the event runs through the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and is close to three national parks — Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion — with unlimited opportunities for outdoor exploration and recreation.

The ECM is a small non-profit race organized by volunteers from the small communities along Scenic Byway 12.  Our major sponsor is Garfield County, through their focus on supporting communities in Bryce Canyon Country.  The race has been run every year since 2012, and we are dedicated to keeping it running for many years to come!

Whether you’ve already registered or are still thinking about it for this year or future years, whether you’re running the ECM for the first time or are among our treasured return runners, we look forward to seeing you on the second Saturday of October, our race date each year.  We can promise that it will be one of your most unforgettable experiences ever. 

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