The 24th of July, or Pioneer Day, represents the day the great state of Utah was discovered by pioneers in 1847. Throughout the years, Utahns celebrate with many festivities such as barbecues, music, fireworks and parades. However, for the past 40 years the annual marathon has become a tradition as well.
This year, 2,700 people participated in the Deseret News 10K race — just more than six miles for those who struggle with the metric system — which started at Research Park on the University of Utah campus and ended at Liberty Park. The contestants varied in shapes, sizes and ages, from high school runners to a hand cyclist training for the 2012 Olympics, to an 85-year-old man.
As the runners crossed the finish line to the roar of thousands of people camping out on the street, a gleam of absolute pride and joy rushed through the eyes of many.
The race was filled with many aspiring high school cross-country teams, all looking to see where they stand for the upcoming season.
"My coach told me a couple of weeks ago about this race, and how it's a good race for downhill, with the different speeds so your body gets used to it," said Alta High senior Garrett Jones. "It's a good preseason race to focus on the cross-country season."
The course consists mostly of downhill stages, something much different than a flat high school track. Therefore, many high school athletes set the alarm clock to "bright and early" to take advantage of the course for training purposes.
"You're flyin' on this (course) a lot faster than on a flat course," said Lone Peak High senior Steve Morrin. "It was a great experience; it helped break my legs in for longer races."
With so many high school students participating, it's a good opportunity for kids to gauge their talent level against familiar competition.
"These are the type of kids I'm racing, so it feels good to know that I'm right with them and can do well in the high school races," said Morrin.
The race, to those who have yet to experience it, can only be described as magical. For cross-country runners it's the perfect way to kick-start the holiday.
"I love this race. This is my fourth time and every year it's just been so good," remarked recent Lone Peak graduate Kacee Hilzezrangt. "The atmosphere, the people — it's just a really good race."
As time wore on, and thousands of runners rushed to the refreshment booths to receive the much-needed and well-deserved complementary beverage and bagel, another race was drawing to a close. Whether it was a contestant's first time in the race or if they had run it multiple times, whether you finished first or last, each and every racer was able to say the exact same thing: I did it!
e-mail: tphibbs@desnews.com