Top of Utah Marathon training plan: course, start dates, and plan options
Logan, UTSeptember 18, 2027
Every mile of the Top of Utah Marathon is run above 4,400 feet. The course sits in a narrow band between roughly 4,411 and 4,535 feet, and it is described as the flattest marathon course in Utah, with grade at or near zero percent. Total climbing is about 345 feet, matched by the same amount of descent. Altitude is the course here, not the terrain.
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It is also a small race. About 149 people finished the marathon in 2025, and the count has held in that range for years. That means quiet roads, no corral shuffling, and long stretches where you are running alone with your own pacing. If you want a race that feels like a hard training run with a finish line at the end, this is it. If you need crowd energy to hold pace, it is not.
359 days to race day
Top of Utah Marathon · September 18, 2027 · about 51 weeks out
Your plan starts with your race and works backward. Every week lands on a real calendar, with race day at the end.
When to start training for the Top of Utah Marathon 2027
Race day is September 18, 2027, which is 359 days from today. Counting back from that date, here is when each length of build starts.
- 30-week buildStart February 20, 2027
- 24-week buildStart April 3, 2027
- 18-week buildStart May 15, 2027
- 16-week buildStart May 29, 2027
- 12-week buildshortest Stride acceptsStart June 26, 2027
You have about 51 weeks until race day, so there is still room for a full build. Stride reads the runway you actually have and maps every week from today to September 18, 2027.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
Top of Utah Marathon course facts
- Course
- Mostly Loop · Mostly Flat · Road/Pavement
- Elevation gain / loss
- 345 ft gain, 345 ft loss
- Highest / lowest point
- 4,535 ft / 4,411 ft
- Marathon finishers
- 149 in 2025 (very small field)
- Boston qualifier
- Certified Boston qualifying course
- Finishers running a qualifying time
- 7.4% in 2025
- Typical race morning
- 48°F at the start, 64% humidity, clear
- Race day high / low
- 76°F / 42°F on average
Let’s find the plan for you.
Your race, current mileage, longest run, marathon experience, and available days decide the best fit. Stride maps the plan you choose to race day at the Top of Utah Marathon.
- Stride Run-Walk FinisherThree sessions a week with planned walk breaks, cover the full distance before race day.
- Stride First MarathonThe classic four-day first-marathon build: easy running and one weekly long run, no speedwork.
- Stride First Marathon PlusA first-marathon build with a little more volume and weekly race-pace miles.
- Stride 6-Day FinisherFinish your first marathon on frequency: six easy-leaning runs a week, no monster long runs.
- Stride 5-Day Pace BuilderFive days a week with race-pace runs before your long runs, built for a mid-pack time goal.
- Stride 6-Day RhythmSix days a week with three quality sessions, steady fatigue that teaches you to finish strong.
- Stride Time-Based FoundationFive time-based runs a week, mostly easy, the injury-averse way to a strong finish.
- Stride Time-Based BuilderSix time-based runs a week at a strict 80% easy / 20% hard split, chase a time goal without breaking.
- Stride 3-Day Cross-TrainThree runs plus two cross-training days over 24 weeks, marathon fitness on a busy schedule.
- Stride 3-Day QualityExactly three hard runs plus two mandatory cross-training sessions, every workout counts.
- Stride 6-Day CumulativeThe six-day cumulative-fatigue build with quality from week two, for PR chasers with a base.
- Stride Threshold 55The serious BQ/PR build to 55 miles a week: threshold work, medium-long runs, and 20-milers.
- Stride Threshold 70The high-mileage BQ/PR build to 70 miles a week for veterans with a deep base.
- Stride 2-Quality FlexTwo fixed quality sessions a week, everything else flexible easy running, fits any schedule.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
Choose your Top of Utah Marathon training window.
Compare 12, 16, 18, and 20 weeks counted back from race day. The 18-week option includes the complete four-day schedule.
The course: flat, and 4,400 feet up
The Top of Utah Marathon runs a flat course in Logan, Utah, at an altitude between roughly 4,411 and 4,535 feet, with about 345 feet of climbing and the same amount of descent across the full distance. The organizers describe the grade as at or near zero percent. Altitude rather than terrain is what makes this one hard.
Running at 4,400 feet costs you if you live near sea level, and the cost arrives as an effort that does not match the number on your watch. Nothing in the terrain will slow you down, which is the trap. A flat road at altitude lets you hold your sea-level pace for 10 miles and then collects on it. The other feature of a course this flat is monotony, since you use the same muscles and the same stride for hours.
How to train for Top of Utah
Training for the Top of Utah Marathon has two parts: even pacing on flat ground, and a realistic altitude adjustment if you live low. Set a goal pace slower than your sea-level equivalent and hold it from mile one. A course with almost no gradient gives you nothing to hide behind if you go out too fast.
For the flat-course problem, run your long runs on the most unvarying surface you can find and stay in one gear, because unchanging terrain fatigues the same tissue over and over and that durability has to be built deliberately. For altitude, arrive either the day before or a full week ahead rather than somewhere in the middle, and run at least one easy session at elevation so race morning is not the first time you feel it. In a field of 149, also rehearse holding goal pace with nobody around you.
Getting in
The organizer's website did not load at the time of writing, so confirm entry details, the start time and the time limit directly with the race before you plan around them. What is clear is that this is a small event: about 149 marathon finishers in 2025, with the count steady in the 120 to 160 range for several years. A race that size does not sell out the way a big-city marathon does, so the constraint on your entry is far more likely to be your training calendar than the field cap.
Where does the Top of Utah Marathon get hard?
Miles 18 to 26 are where the altitude bill comes due, because a flat course at 4,400 feet lets you run too fast early and gives you no change in terrain to warn you.
What is the weather like at the Top of Utah Marathon?
September mornings in Logan start cold and clear, averaging around 48 degrees at the start with almost no wind, then climbing toward a high near 76. That is a swing of nearly 30 degrees over the day, so the last hour can be genuinely warm and very dry. Practice drinking on a schedule in dry air, where you sweat heavily without ever feeling wet.
Is the Top of Utah Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Top of Utah is Boston eligible, and about 7.4 percent of finishers ran qualifying times in 2025. That share has been consistent, between roughly 6 and 9 percent across recent years, which is a good sign on a field this small. A flat certified course with cool mornings makes a reasonable qualifier, as long as you build the altitude into your goal pace.
Is the Top of Utah Marathon a good first marathon?
This is a decent first marathon for someone comfortable being alone. The course is flat and September weather is manageable, but a field of about 149 finishers means long solo stretches and thin crowd support. If you live at sea level, take the altitude seriously in your goal setting. If you need people around you to keep going, choose a bigger race.
Top of Utah Marathon questions, answered.
Is the Top of Utah Marathon flat?
Yes. The race describes its course as the flattest marathon in Utah, with grade at or near zero percent, and the elevation stays between roughly 4,411 and 4,535 feet with about 345 feet of total climbing. The difficulty comes from running at altitude rather than from any hill on the course.
How much does altitude affect the Top of Utah Marathon?
Enough to change your goal. The entire course sits above 4,400 feet, so a sea-level runner should expect the same pace to feel harder and should set a slower target accordingly. Arrive either the day before or a full week early, and run an easy session at elevation before race day.
Is Top of Utah a good Boston qualifier?
It is a solid one. About 7.4 percent of finishers ran Boston qualifying times in 2025, and the rate has stayed roughly between 6 and 9 percent in recent years on a certified, Boston-eligible course. Flat terrain and cool September mornings help. Altitude is the offsetting factor you have to plan for.
How small is the Top of Utah Marathon?
Small. About 149 people finished the marathon in 2025, and the field has held between roughly 120 and 160 for several years. That means no corrals, no crowding at aid stations, and very little crowd noise. Train to hold goal pace on your own, because you will run long stretches alone.
Where does the Top of Utah Marathon get hard?
Miles 18 to 26 are where the altitude bill comes due, because a flat course at 4,400 feet lets you run too fast early and gives you no change in terrain to warn you.
What is the weather like at the Top of Utah Marathon?
September mornings in Logan start cold and clear, averaging around 48 degrees at the start with almost no wind, then climbing toward a high near 76. That is a swing of nearly 30 degrees over the day, so the last hour can be genuinely warm and very dry. Practice drinking on a schedule in dry air, where you sweat heavily without ever feeling wet.
Is the Top of Utah Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Top of Utah is Boston eligible, and about 7.4 percent of finishers ran qualifying times in 2025. That share has been consistent, between roughly 6 and 9 percent across recent years, which is a good sign on a field this small. A flat certified course with cool mornings makes a reasonable qualifier, as long as you build the altitude into your goal pace.
Is the Top of Utah Marathon a good first marathon?
This is a decent first marathon for someone comfortable being alone. The course is flat and September weather is manageable, but a field of about 149 finishers means long solo stretches and thin crowd support. If you live at sea level, take the altitude seriously in your goal setting. If you need people around you to keep going, choose a bigger race.
When should I start training for the Top of Utah Marathon 2027?
Race day is September 18, 2027. Counting back from that date, a 20-week build starts around May 1, 2027, a 16-week build around May 29, 2027, and a 12-week build around June 26, 2027. Already inside that window? Stride maps a plan from today to race day, whatever the runway.
How does Stride's Top of Utah Marathon plan work?
Download the app, pick the Top of Utah Marathon as your race, and answer a few questions about your recent running and your weekly schedule. Stride matches you to one of 14 marathon plans, maps every week from today to September 18, 2027, adjusts when life gets in the way, and puts you in a feed of runners training for the same race.
Choosing a training app?
A Top of Utah Marathon buildup is months of your life. See how Stride compares before you commit it to an app.
Find your plan.
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