Marathon on Saturday to close roads

Organizers of the first-ever Salt Lake City Marathon are well aware that Saturday's race will require numerous road closures, and they have tried to make them as friendly as possible.

"The first year (of the race) is communicating to the public and getting the word out (on closures)," race director Scott Kerr said.

Deseret Morning News graphicSalt Lake City Marathon routeRequires Adobe Acrobat.

By 7 a.m. Saturday, many streets will be closed for portions of the race, which begins at the Legacy Bridge at the University of Utah and ends at the Olympic Legacy Plaza at The Gateway in downtown Salt Lake City.

In the meantime, some of the world's best runners will make their way through the streets and suburbs of six municipalities along the Wasatch Front, which creates an appeal similar to the marathons in Boston, Chicago, Portland and New York.

The wheelchair and handcycle divisions will begin at 7 a.m., and 10 minutes later the elite and open division runners will begin.

The 5K race will begin at Liberty Park at 8 a.m.

The course will close — in whole or part — such major thoroughfares as Wasatch Drive and Foothill Boulevard; 2100 South between Foothill and 1300 East; 2300 East and Holladay Boulevard to 6200 South; Van Winkle Expressway, 4500 South; 500 East from 4500 South to 1300 South before working its way to The Gateway through downtown Salt Lake City.

The course will be closed to automobiles as well as UTA buses. Contact UTA for route changes in your area.

Most of the 3,000 marathoners should be off the course in seven hours. Some 2,500 runners will compete in the 5K.

Monthly meetings were held with public safety officials from the six municipalities to tweak the routes "to make this course safe and less of an impact," Kerr said.

Business owners and residents within five miles of the course where the race passes were contacted via mail and provided a course map and timeline of the closures. They were also instructed with best routes to get to and from destinations and entertainment areas along the course to view the race and participate as a spectator.

Residents and business owners directly on the course were contacted door-to-door this week with a reminder of the closures.