25 YEARS THROUGH OGDEN CANYON

This year marks a quarter century for the Ogden Marathon, built by more than 1,000 volunteers and a city that turns race day into a community celebration

Runners head downhill through the scenic canyon during the 2024 Ogden Marathon. | Austin Luckett, Iron Pine Photography

Marc Collman has participated in 24 years of the Ogden Marathon. On May 16, he will make that 25. 

Collman — who will be completing his 164th marathon in total — belongs to a group of at least six runners who have completed the marathon every year since its beginning. 

“I think we’re all looking at each other thinking, ‘OK, who’s gonna be the last man standing?’” Collman joked.

At age 69, one of the biggest changes Collman has seen of the race is watching himself and other participants adjust their racing habits while growing older. 

“The fact that I can show up at the start line is a good sign,” Collman said. “In the years younger, when we were all qualifying for Boston, everybody worried about the clock. But now you just worry about the finish line.” 

Collman’s list of other marathons includes Park City and St. George, but he said Ogden stands out because the course runs through his hometown. The full marathon begins just east of Huntsville and ends right downtown on 25th Street and Grant Avenue, with a few shorter race options starting along the way.

The marathon’s legacy was a key theme in planning for the marathon’s organizer, the GOAL Foundation.

“This year we’re going way back to the origin story of the event,” GOAL Foundation Executive Director Troy Callantine said. “We’ll bring on the very first race director to come speak at our legacy club dinner, which is for folks who have ran the marathon 10 times or more.”

There will be a special display at Gallery 51 inside Union Station with race memorabilia from the past 25 years, including medals, shirts, artwork and news articles, Callantine said. The display will be available May 15.

After 25 years, Callantine said what makes the marathon so successful is the community support. The race could not function without support from Ogden City, Weber County, the Utah Department of Transportation, Utah Highway Patrol and even Weber School District’s contribution of 104 buses to transport racers to the various starting lines throughout the course. 

“Without that community support, there’s just no way the race could happen at the level that it does,” Callantine said.

On top of this involvement from organizations, around 1,000 volunteers help set up the race and cheer on the runners. 

The entire community can come take part in the celebrations during the Finish Line Festival, which will run from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. the day of the race. The festival’s entertainment will include live music, food trucks and activities for children. During this time, the museums at Union Station, including the special marathon display, will be free.

“The people cheering you on is the best part about racing,” said Nicole Clark, a marathon participant. “There’s so many volunteers and they’re just incredible. Having a community to cheer you on makes it all worth it.”

Clark started her running journey in 2023 and described her process as a slippery slope, starting on a 5K in Salt Lake City and working her way through a 10K, then Ogden’s half marathon and finally her first full marathon this year. She’s been on a 19-week training block running four days and cross training one day each week to prepare.

“It really is a mindset game. I think anyone can run a marathon, and that’s probably a hot take, but I really think anyone can,” Clark said. “You have to develop the mindset to get out there and put in the work for the training, but I think once you get over the hard days, it makes the easy days so much more worth it.” 

Collman keeps running because he considers it like an antidepressant. He enjoys early morning meetups with friends to socialize and solve problems, and meeting new people through running and has felt a sense of community through this marathon.

“That’s what I’ll miss the most when I am not able to do it again,” he said.

Callantine said that the 5K runners are expected to cross the finish line between 7:15-7:20 a.m., with other racers expected to make a steady stream throughout the rest of the morning and afternoon. 

“If the world could have the emotions we have at the finish line, we wouldn’t have any problems,” Collman said.

Some ambitious racers have plans right after the race: Collman could potentially be on call for a shift at his job and Clark will be attending the Kilby Block Party music festival in Salt Lake City. 

Road closures in Ogden Canyon and downtown Ogden will be held throughout the day for the course and the Finish Line Festival. A complete breakdown of closures and suggested alternative routes can be found on the Ogden Marathon website.