As we prepare to update the website for this year, we want to welcome everyone to the sixth annual running of the Escalante Canyons Marathon, scheduled for Saturday, October 14, 2017.
We also want to announce the inaugural run of the Escalante Canyons Half-Marathon, which will, at least this for this year, replace the ECM 10-Miler. Although we’re doing this in response to feedback from many runners that they would prefer the more traditional distance, we know that those dedicated 10-milers who have turned this race into their own tradition may be disappointed with the change. To these valued participants, we want to say a few things:
We are treating this first ECM Half-Marathon as an experiment, as we want to see if it does indeed prove to be a popular course. We also need to make sure the logistics of the longer course are feasible. Our preliminary race route, which we’ll finalize soon, will include the full length of the 10-miler course, with the additional 3.1 miles at the starting end on a beautiful, mostly downhill, groomed dirt road.
So we hope you 10-milers who’ve been planning to return this year are ready to put in a bit more training and join us for the ECM Half-Marathon. We’d truly love to see you again!
As we prepare to launch registration for the 2017 races, we’ll be making a few other changes as well. We’ll be working with ITSYOURRACE.com as our registration platform; this company works closely with our Blue Dome, our timing partner. The link to register via ITSYOURRACE will be up within the next week or two.
We’re also arranging to have much improved, interactive course maps as an integral part of escalantecanyonsmarathon.com, in hopes that participants in both races will be able to plan ahead for the terrain and elevation changes.
Stay tuned! We’ll be up and running before the end of the month. We hope you’ll add us to your calendars!