More than 3,000 participants from across the nation participated Thursday in the Deseret News Marathon — the longest-operating marathon in Utah.
Now in its 55th year, the marathon offered participants the opportunity to run a full marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K, 1K, and a marathon relay.
This Deseret News video highlights the Deseret News Marathon — featuring runners of all ages and abilities running along portions of the historic pioneer route into the Salt Lake Valley and through the Days of ’47 Parade.
Special moments feature Utah first lady Abby Cox participating with Special Olympics athletes in the 1K race.
“This is the time to celebrate Utah’s heritage, the Days of ’47, and this is an opportunity for all of us to really think about what inclusion means,” the first lady said.
“If you think about how Utah was started as a state, there were religious refugees, people that didn’t feel like they belonged, that were actually ostracized because of their religious beliefs. And here we are celebrating inclusion, coming together as a community, all of us. And so there’s no better partnership than Special Olympics, because that’s what Special Olympics is all about — building community, creating a place where everyone belongs.”