2026 St. George Marathon - Oct 3 Race Completed

Q: How do you register for the St. George Marathon, and is there a lottery?

There is no lottery anymore. St. George dropped the lottery starting with the 2017 race and now uses first-come, first-served registration: entry opens April 1 at 6:00 AM MDT and stays open until the 6,000-runner marathon cap is reached or August 31. It is one of the West's most popular fall marathons and fills fast — the 2026 full marathon is full, and the official entry form no longer accepts marathon sign-ups. The Aug 1-31 charity-entry window has closed too. The last way in, an official transfer from a registered runner, closed on September 15 (no transfers are accepted after that date), so there is no remaining route into the 2026 marathon. Buying or being given a bib outside that process disqualifies both runners for at least two years. For 2027, plan to register the moment entry opens on April 1.

Q: Is the St. George Marathon downhill, and is it good for a PR?

Yes — it is a net-downhill point-to-point that drops about 2,560 ft (780 m), which makes it one of the faster marathons in the country and a popular Boston-qualifying course. But it is not all downhill: the early miles roll and Veyo Hill at miles 7-9 is a real climb. The continuous descent that follows pounds the quads, so the runners who PR here train downhill running and hold back early rather than banking time on the steep sections.

Q: What is the elevation profile of the St. George Marathon?

The course starts at 5,240 ft (1,598 m) in the Pine Valley Mountains near Central, Utah, and finishes at 2,680 ft (817 m) in downtown St. George, for a net descent of roughly 2,560 ft (780 m). Total cumulative climbing is modest — around 500 ft — concentrated mainly in the Veyo Hill climb around miles 7-9. After that, the route descends through high-desert red-rock and basalt scenery near Snow Canyon.

Q: What should I wear for the St. George Marathon weather?

Plan for two climates. The mountain start at 5,240 ft is cold at dawn in early October — often near freezing — so bring throwaway warm layers for the start corral (organizers light bonfires while you wait). By the finish in St. George the desert warms quickly toward the high 70s°F / mid-20s°C, and the air is dry and sun-exposed, so plan hydration for a warm, exposed second half.

Q: How big is the field and where does the race start and finish?

The full marathon entry cap is 6,000 runners (recent fields finish around 4,000 — about 4,382 in 2025). It is a point-to-point race: runners are bussed before dawn to the start at 5,240 ft in Central, Utah, in the Pine Valley Mountains, and finish at Vernon Worthen Park in downtown St. George after descending through the red-rock high desert.

Race Completed

This marathon has finished. Check back for next year's edition.

Finished this one? Turn your result into a keepsake:
Finisher certificate · Virtual race bib · Achievement card

See entry dates for other marathons →

Race Information

Race	2026 St. George Marathon - Oct 3
City	St. George
Date	2026-10-03 at 07:00
Field Size	~6,000 runners
Time Limit	7 hours 15 min
Cutoff pace	10:19/km
Course speed	Typical pace Speed index 0.98 — median of the last 5 winners' times against the global same-year median. Winner times track elite fields and prize money, so this reads the course as a proxy, not a pure measurement.
Timezone	America/Denver
Official Site	City of St. George

Race Day Weather

Average Temperature	20.3°C / 69°F
Humidity	30%
Peak Wind	18.9 km/h
Rain Chance	11%
Typical Conditions	Cold high-desert dawn at the mountain start, warm dry afternoon at the finish

What to Prepare: This is a tale of two climates. The point-to-point start sits at 5,240 ft in Central, Utah, where early-October dawns are cold (often near freezing) — that's why runners huddle at start-line bonfires. By the time you descend into St. George (2,680 ft) the desert air warms fast toward the high 70s°F / mid-20s°C. Dress in throwaway layers you ditch at the start, and plan hydration for a dry, sun-exposed second half rather than the cold morning.

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

Winds peaking around 18.9 km/h — the typical daily maximum for this date — can affect your pace by 5-15 seconds per kilometer in exposed stretches. 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	14.5°C	20.6°C	26.5°C
Dew point	-8.2°C	0.3°C	8.9°C

Wet-day chance: 11% Runnability: 80/100

Recent actuals: 2023 17.2°C / 2024 23.7°C / 2025 15.4°C (morning avg)

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

Course Profile

Course Type	Point-to-point (net downhill)
Elevation Gain	152m
Terrain	Road (high-desert canyon descent)
Profile	A famously fast point-to-point course that drops about 2,560 ft (780 m) net, starting high at 5,240 ft in the Pine Valley Mountains and finishing at 2,680 ft in downtown St. George. It is net-downhill, not all-downhill: the early miles roll, then Veyo Hill around miles 7-9 delivers a sharp uphill before the long red-rock descent past Snow Canyon takes over. USATF certified and sanctioned, it is one of the most popular Boston-qualifying courses in the U.S. — but the sustained downhill pounds the quads, so eccentric-strength prep and a controlled early pace matter more than the elevation chart suggests.
Boston Qualifier	Yes — Check your BQ time

Prepare for 2026 St. George Marathon - Oct 3

Use our free training tools to get race-ready:

Running Pace Calculator — Min/km, Finish Time & Pace Chart

Free running pace calculator for 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon. Get min/km or min/mile, your ...

Use Calculator →

Free Pace Band Generator — Printable Race Day Wristband

Free printable pace band for marathon, half marathon, or custom distance. Choose even, negative, or ...

Use Calculator →

Marathon Wake-Up Time Calculator — Race Morning Timeline

7 AM race, wake at 3:45 AM? Enter the gun time; we work backward through meal, gear, bathroom, warm-...

Use Calculator →

Elevation Gain/Loss Impact Calculator

How much will hills slow you down? Enter elevation gain, loss, and distance to see adjusted pace, di...

Use Calculator →

Grade Adjusted Pace (GAP) Calculator — Hills & Strava

Convert uphill or downhill running pace to flat-equivalent GAP in one click. Free grade adjusted pac...

Use Calculator →

Marathon Predictor — 5K, 10K & Half Marathon Race Predictor

Free marathon predictor — convert your 5K, 10K, or half marathon time into race-day estimates from R...

Use Calculator →

View all running tools

Featured In

Easiest Marathons for Beginners 2026 Best Marathons for a PR 2026 Easiest Boston Qualifying Marathons 2027 Flattest Marathons 2026 Best Fall Marathons in 2026 (Sep-Nov) Best Marathons for Running Sub-3 Hours in 2026 Most Scenic Marathon Courses in the World (2026) First Sub-4 Marathon

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you register for the St. George Marathon, and is there a lottery?

There is no lottery anymore. St. George dropped the lottery starting with the 2017 race and now uses first-come, first-served registration: entry opens April 1 at 6:00 AM MDT and stays open until the 6,000-runner marathon cap is reached or August 31. It is one of the West's most popular fall marathons and fills fast — the 2026 full marathon is full, and the official entry form no longer accepts marathon sign-ups. The Aug 1-31 charity-entry window has closed too. The last way in, an official transfer from a registered runner, closed on September 15 (no transfers are accepted after that date), so there is no remaining route into the 2026 marathon. Buying or being given a bib outside that process disqualifies both runners for at least two years. For 2027, plan to register the moment entry opens on April 1.

Is the St. George Marathon downhill, and is it good for a PR?

Yes — it is a net-downhill point-to-point that drops about 2,560 ft (780 m), which makes it one of the faster marathons in the country and a popular Boston-qualifying course. But it is not all downhill: the early miles roll and Veyo Hill at miles 7-9 is a real climb. The continuous descent that follows pounds the quads, so the runners who PR here train downhill running and hold back early rather than banking time on the steep sections.

What is the elevation profile of the St. George Marathon?

The course starts at 5,240 ft (1,598 m) in the Pine Valley Mountains near Central, Utah, and finishes at 2,680 ft (817 m) in downtown St. George, for a net descent of roughly 2,560 ft (780 m). Total cumulative climbing is modest — around 500 ft — concentrated mainly in the Veyo Hill climb around miles 7-9. After that, the route descends through high-desert red-rock and basalt scenery near Snow Canyon.

Is the St. George Marathon a Boston qualifier?

Yes — with one catch worth building into your goal pace. The course is USATF certified and sanctioned, so finish times are accepted by the B.A.A. for Boston Marathon qualifying. But its 2,560 ft net drop falls in the 1,500-2,999 ft band, so the B.A.A. adds a +5:00 downhill index to times submitted from this course (effective for the qualifying window that opened September 13, 2025) — you have to finish 5 minutes faster than your raw age-group standard for the time to count. St. George still runs very fast even with the index, which is why runners keep choosing it for fall BQ attempts; just set your target 5 minutes under the standard before you build a pace plan.

What should I wear for the St. George Marathon weather?

Plan for two climates. The mountain start at 5,240 ft is cold at dawn in early October — often near freezing — so bring throwaway warm layers for the start corral (organizers light bonfires while you wait). By the finish in St. George the desert warms quickly toward the high 70s°F / mid-20s°C, and the air is dry and sun-exposed, so plan hydration for a warm, exposed second half.

What is the time limit for the St. George Marathon?

Runners must reach mile 23.1 (the corner of Snow Canyon Parkway and State Route 18) within 6 hours 15 minutes of the 7:00 AM start; the finish line closes at 2:15 PM (about a 7-hour 15-minute finish). Runners who miss the mile-23.1 cutoff are removed from the course, recorded as a DNF and transported to the finish.

How big is the field and where does the race start and finish?

The full marathon entry cap is 6,000 runners (recent fields finish around 4,000 — about 4,382 in 2025). It is a point-to-point race: runners are bussed before dawn to the start at 5,240 ft in Central, Utah, in the Pine Valley Mountains, and finish at Vernon Worthen Park in downtown St. George after descending through the red-rock high desert.