Timpanagos Half Marathon 10K & 5K

While the race starts at a high elevation, especially if you’re not used to running at this altitude — the starting line at the Tibble Fork Reservoir lies at just over 6,400 feet above sea level in the Wasatch Mountains to the northeast of American Fork — the course follows a long, gradual downhill descent from the start to the finish line, shedding about 1,800 feet of elevation over the race’s 13.1 miles by the time runners reach the finish line.

Along the way, runners get a chance to trek through some of northern Utah’s most beautiful scenery, as the mountains of American Fork Canyon rise over both sides of the highway during the first half of the race, which brings runners down from Tibble Fork along American Fork Canyon Road and the Alpine Scenic Highway, which will be closed to auto traffic during the race.

Off in the distance, runners will be able to see the peaks of mountains like Mount Timpanogos, and will pass by Timpanogos Cave National Monument along the way.

Runners should note that the race starts at 6:00 AM — both to get in the race before the warmer weather occurs later in the day, and to take advantage of the chance to see these gorgeous mountains and canyons at or near sunrise, which race organizers say occurs at about 6:22 AM.

Though runners are welcome to bring headlamps with them for the race, organizers add that they aren’t a necessity. Temperatures also will be cooler at the higher elevations than in downtown American Fork.