Timpanogos Half Marathon Review

Three years ago I started running short distances with friends and grew to love the adrenaline boost, added endorphins, and sense of accomplishment that accompany finishing a run.  I worked my way up in mileage and decided I wanted to train and run a half marathon.  I completed my first half marathon in April at the Thanksgiving Point Half.  It was amazing but extremely hard as there were a lot of rolling hills.  I decided I wanted to train better and harder and attempt a second half marathon.  I researched half marathons in Utah and read reviews before finally deciding upon running the Timpanogas Half Marathon.

Packet pick-up was held at the Traverse Outlets in Lehi for two days prior to the race.  It was extremely well organized and the staff was very energetic and helpful.

Race day required an early wakeup call of 3:15 AM as racers had to be shuttled from Lonepeak High school up American Fork Canyon to the start line.  I picked up my running partner Amber at 4:00 AM, arrived at Lonepeak High school at 4:15 AM, loaded a shuttle at 4:20 AM, and reached the start line at 5:00 AM. 

The start line set up was awesome!  There was a large parking lot area set up for group yoga before the race.  Behind the parking lot was a long line of portable bathrooms and behind that was the Start Line!  When we arrived we still had an hour before the race began so we participated in the group yoga session to warm up and stretch our muscles.  

There was anticipation and excitement in the air as we lined up behind our trail markers before the race began.  Amber and I snapped a few pictures on my iphone(that doubles as my ipod during races) and waited patiently with the other runners for the race to begin.  At 6:10 Amber and I crossed the start line and we were off!  The beginning of the race was a little congested as we were limited to one lane for runners and one lane for traffic coming or leaving the canyon.  The congestion lessened after the 2 mile marker as runners found their pace.

The canyon was gorgeous.  We watched the sunrise hit Timpanogos Mountain as we ran on the paved road next to the stream.  Early riser campers were set up along the way to watch and cheer us on!  There were break stations set up along the trail about every 3 miles that included water, Gatorade, Gu, oranges, and the lovely portable bathrooms.  Almost 8 miles of the race were downhill through American Fork Canyon.  The scenery was breathtaking and watching the sunrise was my favorite part of the race.

After making our way down the canyon we turned onto the Murdock Trails which gave a nice change of pace as this area was more level.  There were a few small hills but nothing too steep to climb.  We made our way through the trail and looped our way through neighborhoods towards the final home stretch.  My legs were aching from the downhill portion of the race but I had set out to reach a goal of two hours and ten minutes (10 minutes faster than my previous time).  I turned on a good song and picked up the pace.  Near the finish line a huge group of spectators were present to cheer us on!  It gave me such an adrenaline rush that I sprinted towards the finish line.  I reached the finish line in 2:06:30.  I was so proud of myself!  After crossing the finish line a staff member was right there pushing water bottles into our hands and adorning us with our medals!  It was a very victorious moment for me.  I had just beaten my previous race time by 14 minutes! 

Amber and I took some photos at the finish line and made our way through the line of racers to grab some post-race food.  I instantly guzzled down a glass of icy cool chocolate milk and reached for a banana, hoping it would help with my recovery.  I passed up on the smoothies, chocolate chip cookies, and Great Harvest Bread as my hands and mouth were completely full and occupied.  I wish I would have grabbed a slice of that Great Harvest Goodness. Next time. 

Overall, I absolutely loved the Timpanogas half and plan on running this race again next year.  It was well planned, organized, and full of breathtaking views.  Three of my favorite things!  I recommend this race to all levels of runners.  I only wish I had trained running downhill a little more as my legs were definitely sore for a few days following the race.  See you at the start line next year!