Preps begin for 7th annual Salt Lake City Marathon


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SALT LAKE CITY -- Runners have trained months for the Salt Lake City Marathon, which is scheduled for this Saturday. There's also a half marathon, 5K and bike tour, and race organizers are already starting preparations.

Click on image to enlarge
Click on image to enlarge

Tents are going up at the Gateway Mall, followed soon by scaffolding and the start and finish lines. Come Saturday, thousands of runners will be there as well.

"We'll have nearly 12,000 participants coming down the Gateway on Saturday," says Scott Kerr, race director for the Salt Lake City Marathon.

Kerr says the marathon has grown just about every year since it began seven years ago.

"We're going to probably end up being over 25 percent up from last year," he says.

About 4,000 of those runners will be participating in the 5K, but there will be no need for a shuttle to get you to the start line this year.

"The 5K starts and finishes at the Gateway," Kerr says.

As for Marathon runners and bikers, race officials encourage them to take TRAX or the bus to get to the start line at the Olympic Legacy Bridge.

TRAX in Murray will begin service at 3:45 a.m. Saturday; in Salt Lake, at 4:24 a.m. The trains will be running every 10 minutes.

The other big change this year: Kerr says they've already paid South Salt Lake police for its help directing traffic in its jurisdiction.

"[That's] all taken care of. We've made sure of that," Kerr says.

Intersection closures

IntersectionCommunityApproximate Closure Time
Foothill Drive and Wasatch DriveSalt Lake City5 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.
Foothill Drive and 2300 EastSalt Lake City5 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
2000 East and 3300 SouthMillcreek5:45 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
Highland Drive and 2700 SouthSugar House5:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Highland Drive and 1700 SouthSugar House5:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.
4500 South to 2300 EastHolladay6 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
Highland Drive and 6200 SouthHolladay6:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
4500 South and 500 EastMurray6:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
2100 South and 500 EastSugar House6:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
State Street from 900 South to S. TempleSalt Lake City6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Salt Lake City Marathon

In 2009, Devine Racing, the company that owns the race, had not paid South Salt Lake by its contracted due date.

"I can't comment on what happened last year, but there was some issue," says Officer Gary Keller, spokesman for the South Salt Lake Police Department. "Everything has been paid and planned for Saturday."

As for road closures, they'll start at 5 a.m. Saturday along the course.

"Stay on the interstate if you can. They will all be open," Kerr says.

Expect roads to start reopening after the last racers have passed by, or by 1 p.m. at the latest.

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