2026 REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon - Sep 12

2026 REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon - Sep 12 Countdown

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Race Information

Race2026 REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon - Sep 12
CityMurray
Date2026-09-12 at 06:45
Field Size~1,179 runners
Time Limit6 hours 33 min
Cutoff pace9:19/km
TimezoneAmerica/Denver
Official SiteREVEL Race Series
RegistrationRegister · 130 USD

Race Day Weather

Average Temperature18.7°C / 66°F
Humidity38%
Wind15.2 km/h
Rain Chance21%
Typical ConditionsCool, dry, mostly clear mid-September Wasatch morning — the 6:45 a.m. start sits near 9,600 ft at Guardsman Pass, running roughly 20-30°F colder than the Salt Lake valley below

What to Prepare: You start cold and high in the alpine (often the 40s°F / ~4-9°C, sometimes near freezing at the pass) and finish far warmer on the valley floor in Murray. Dress in throwaway layers, gloves and a beanie you can shed as you descend; skies are usually clear and the air dry. The real demand is the sustained downhill on your quads, not the weather.

Based on historical averages for race week. Use our Weather Score Calculator and What to Wear Guide for personalized advice.

Wind Impact on Race Day

Wind at 15.2 km/h can affect your marathon pace by 5-15 seconds per kilometer. Headwinds slow you down exponentially — a 20 km/h wind costs more than twice a 10 km/h wind.

Calculate your wind-adjusted pace →

Race-Week Climate

Based on 20 years of race-week weather (2005-2024), MERRA-2 reanalysis

Cooler Typical Warmer
Temperature 13.5°C 19.2°C 22.8°C
Dew point -3.1°C 2.7°C 8.9°C
Wet-day chance: 21% Runnability: 84/100

Data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis), NASA Langley Research Center

Course Profile

Course TypePoint-to-point (downhill)
Elevation Gain75m
TerrainRoad / pavement, sustained downhill canyon grade
ProfileOne of the fastest marathons in the United States — a steep net-downhill point-to-point that plunges down Big Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch Mountains. It begins at the very top of the canyon at Guardsman Pass, near 9,600 ft of alpine terrain often ringed by early-autumn golden aspens, and descends roughly 5,200 ft (about a 5,248 ft net drop per findmymarathon) to finish at Cottonwood High School in Murray, around 4,400 ft and about 15 miles from Salt Lake City International Airport. The bulk of the drop comes on a long, near-steady canyon downgrade averaging about 5% for nearly 15 miles, so the course is built for chasing a fast time. The honest trade-off is twofold. First, all that descent pounds the quads — pace control and downhill-specific training matter more here than aerobic fitness, and runners who blast the early miles often blow up late. Second, the net drop now triggers Boston's downhill adjustment: because the loss exceeds 1,500 ft, the B.A.A. adds a +10:00 time adjustment to qualifying results from courses dropping 3,000-5,999 ft (effective for the qualifying window that opened September 13, 2025) — so you must finish 10 minutes faster than your raw Boston standard for the time to count. It is USATF-certified and still Boston-eligible (well under the 6,000-ft cutoff that bans a course outright), with a high but weather-sensitive BQ rate — about 4.3% of finishers qualified in 2025 (a warm, off year) versus 11.3% in 2024 and 21-27% in 2021-2023.
Boston QualifierYes — Check your BQ time

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Featured In

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Frequently Asked Questions

When is the 2026 REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon and what time does it start?

The 2026 REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon is on Saturday, September 12, 2026, with the full marathon starting at 6:45 a.m. Mountain Time at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon. Because the start is high on the mountain at Guardsman Pass, full-marathon shuttle buses load early — roughly 4:00 to 5:00 a.m. — from the finish area in Murray, so plan for a pre-dawn ride up the canyon.

How much does the Big Cottonwood Marathon course drop in elevation?

It is a steep net-downhill point-to-point. The course drops roughly 5,200 feet overall — findmymarathon lists about a 5,248 ft net descent, from a start near 9,600 ft at Guardsman Pass down to a finish around 4,400 ft at Cottonwood High School in Murray. Most of that loss comes on a long canyon downgrade averaging about a 5% grade for nearly 15 miles, which is why it is billed as the fastest marathon in Utah.

Is the Big Cottonwood Marathon a Boston qualifier, and how does the new downhill adjustment affect it?

Yes, it is USATF-certified and still Boston-eligible, but the new B.A.A. downhill rule applies. Because the net drop (about 5,248 ft) falls in the 3,000-5,999 ft band, a +10:00 time adjustment is added to your finish before it is compared to the Boston standard — so you effectively need to run 10 minutes faster than your raw qualifying time. The rule took effect for the qualifying window that opened September 13, 2025. The course stays eligible because it is under the 6,000-ft limit that disqualifies a race entirely. Check your adjusted target with our Boston qualifying calculator.

How good is the BQ rate at Big Cottonwood?

Historically very high for a downhill race, but swingy with the weather. About 4.3% of finishers qualified for Boston in 2025 — a warm, off year — compared with 11.3% in 2024 and roughly 21-27% across 2021-2023. Note those rates are based on raw times; with the new +10:00 downhill adjustment now in force, the effective qualifying rate will be lower, so it rewards smart, even-effort downhill pacing rather than just showing up.

How hard is the Big Cottonwood course?

Aerobically it is easy to run fast, but the relentless downhill is the real difficulty. A sustained ~5,200-ft net drop eccentrically loads the quads for the better part of the race, and runners who attack the early miles often cramp or fade badly in the final 10K. The smart approach is downhill-specific training in the weeks before and disciplined, even effort on race day — set realistic splits with our pace calculator.

What is the time limit for the Big Cottonwood Marathon?

The marathon enforces a 15:00-per-mile pace limit, which works out to a finish cap of about 6 hours 33 minutes. That pace is described as a very light jog or brisk power walk, and runners who fall behind it are picked up and shuttled to the finish so the canyon road can reopen.

How do I register for REVEL Big Cottonwood and how much does it cost?

Register at runrevel.com/bcm. Entry is tiered by date — the 2026 full marathon opened around $130 and rises toward $179 in the weeks before race day, so signing up early saves money. English-language online registration is straightforward for international runners, and the popular early-autumn date can fill, so do not wait until race week.

What is the weather like for the Big Cottonwood Marathon?

Mid-September in the Wasatch is typically cool, dry and clear. The high-altitude start near 9,600 ft can sit in the 40s°F (around 4-9°C) and occasionally near freezing, running 20-30°F colder than the valley, while the Murray finish warms to a daytime mean around 57°F (13°C) with highs near 70°F (21°C). Wear throwaway layers and gloves for the alpine start and shed them as you descend into warmer air.

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