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SALT LAKE CITY — The Deseret News Marathon, 10K, and 5K are a state holiday tradition in Utah.
There's something about saying you ran 26.2 miles.
–Scott Bringhurst, marathoner
"There's something about saying you ran 26.2 miles," said Scott Bringhurst, who won the marathon in 1974. It's one of the most challenging courses in the country.
"I'd run a couple of marathons before and just decided — I was just finishing college — and just decided to run it," Bringhurst said.
The year he ran, Bringhurst was a young, slender, mustachioed marathoner.
"I just felt really lucky that I found running," he said. "I was kind of a skinny little kid in high school and just kind of fell into running, and it was something I could do."
Being relatively new to the sport of running, Bringhurst made a mistake during the race.
"I was pretty naive about marathons, even though I had run a couple, because I always thought that drinking during a race would make me get an upset stomach. And so I didn't drink at all, and it was a very hot day," he explained.
Even through dehydration and exhaustion, he crossed the finish line in first place at 2 hours 20 minutes.
"By the time I got to the finish line I was just totally spent, and I don't think I've ever felt worse in my life," Bringhurst said.
The Deseret News Marathon course is a significant one Utah's history. "To follow the course where the pioneers came in, there's something really special about that," Bringhurst said.
Whether you're running to win or to complete a goal, Bringhurst says it's a course every runner should try. "There's something magical about the marathon," he said.
Bringhurst is now on the race committee. You can cheer on all of the runners along the Days of '47 Parade route Monday morning, July 25th.
Email: jstagg@ksl.com
