For Bill Francis of Kaysville, the layout changes in Utah's oldest marathon weren't a huge issue. Maybe they loomed large in a limited sort of way. But in the overall picture? Bug on a windshield.

"I'm a guy," he pointed out," who by all rights shouldn't even be alive."

What's a course change compared to a near-death experience?

Francis finished 15th overall (2:54.30) in Saturday's 35th Deseret Morning News/KJZZ-TV Marathon. Yes, he allowed, it was a significantly different race than before. He has run the race 10 times, and this was clearly the fastest course layout. Faced with complaints that the old race — which included a healthy dose of uphill at the onset — was too hard, organizers decided to change things up.

Who wouldn't mind trimming a few minutes off their personal record?

So they whittled and cut and pasted together a different sort of race.

Introducing the Marathon Formerly Known as Deseret.

Instead of a 1 1/2-mile uphill — or three miles in some of the early years — they began this race pointed directly downhill.

Isn't that the way everyone should go through life?

Even so, this year's changes were a mixed bag for many runners.

On one hand, they didn't need to burn as much strength in the wee hours of the morning, battling places like the East Canyon turnaround. On the other hand, with a nearly all-downhill course, you can charge out too fast, overestimate your strength, and crash in the flatlands. With more "city" running, temperatures can also be hot for a larger portion of the race.

"I personally like the old race better," said Francis. "But ask me in three or four weeks. It really depends on recovery time."

For a guy who nearly died five years ago, any course is fine.

Francis was running on U.S. 89, in 1999, when he attempted to cross the road. Poor decision; he was struck by a vehicle moving at 50 mph. When the Highway Patrol reached him, the dispatcher was told not to bother requesting a medical chopper; Francis wasn't expected to survive.

The damages were extensive — shattered left shoulder blade, cracked spine and hip, serious tissue damage to his Achilles, brain trauma.

The hospital chopper never did show up. Yet his recovery surpassed all expectations. A year-and-a-half after the accident, he finished fifth in the Ogden Marathon.

While others who ran Saturday had nothing so traumatic to contend with, that doesn't mean they didn't notice the changes. "I liked it," said Sasha Pachev, who finished fifth (2:25.30). "But I like downhills."