Experience The Thrill: Cedar City Half Marathon And Adventure 5K Guide

Get ready to race in one of Southern Utah's most scenic events! The Cedar City Half Marathon and Adventure 5K will take place on Saturday, September 7, offering participants a breathtaking downhill experience through Cedar Canyon. Whether you’re running or cheering from the sidelines, this event promises excitement and community spirit.

Cedar City Events Director Brandon Burk emphasized the uniqueness of the race, noting the stunning views and the dedicated volunteers who contribute to its success. Brandon was on the radio with us and according to the sign ups that have already happened, this appears to be the largest number of racers for the Cedar City Half Marathon.

“We're going to have about 800 runners, maybe a few more. It's it's really growing this last week,” Burk told us and continued, “as far as I know, it's the highest turnout we've had. I know it's more than last year. So we're really excited.” Of those 800 racers, Brandon estimates over 60% of them come from outside of the area.

How far do they come from? “I know we we get somebody who comes out from New Zealand. And this year it looks like we have somebody from the Netherlands as well,” Burk mentioned.

Area residents will need to be aware of some road closures that will be in effect during the marathon. “I think that's important for people to know and we're going to be shutting down (State Route) SR14 from midway all the way down to the mouth of the Canyon down in town. So it'll be from about 6:00 AM they're going to start shutting it down and then they're going to open it back up no later than 10:30. We're going to get it open as early as we can," according to Burk.

Runners will have entertainment at both the start and the finish of the race. A DJ will be playing music at the start line to get the runners warmed up and ready to go. The race starts at Woods Ranch, the 15th annual Half Marathon will guide runners along the Coal Creek Trail System, descending through the canyon to finish at Bicentennial Park in Cedar City.

Along with the half marathon, runners who don't want to run that long of a distance will be able to participate in a 5K race on the same day. “That starts up by Rustys runs the City Trail system, and also ends at the same finish line. We call it the adventure 5K,” Burk said.

The 5K runners are expected to begin crossing the finish line around 7:15 a.m., with Half Marathon participants expected just after 8:00 a.m. Award ceremonies are scheduled for 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.

The finish line festivities will include great food, photo opportunities, and live music from the Vegas-based ‘90s cover band “Empire Records.” The celebration will continue until 11 a.m., making it a fun event for both participants and spectators. Brandon says that the entire community is invited to come to the finish line ceremonies and entertainment.

Registration is open through Friday night, so sign up now for the Cedar City Half Marathon or Adventure 5K at cedarcityut.gov/half. You can listen to our visit with Brandon Burk on our podcast below.