Melissa covers University of Utah gymnastics and high school sports, and has been a Deseret News contributor since 2004.
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Zaylie Paras entered Friday’s Deseret News Pioneer Day Marathon with few expectations for where she would finish. She knew her fitness was where she wanted it to be, but she is not as seasoned in the event and had only run one other marathon this year.
That marathon was much smaller than the Deseret News’ race, and she knew the field Friday would be larger and more competitive.
“I really just wanted to have fun today,” said Paras. “I knew my fitness was there, so I said, ‘Let’s go out with the front people and just see what happens.’”
The result was Paras leading most of the race and crossing the finish line in 2:50.51, well ahead of the rest of the women’s field for the victory.
Jennifer Smith (3:03.05) and Laura Berglind (3:03.51) rounded out the top three.
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The sun rises on runners during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Denise Landvatter, center, is cheered on by friends on her 100th marathon during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. Her first marathon was the Deseret News marathon. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Runners begin the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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The sun rises on runners during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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McKay Larsen competes during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Runners have fun during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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The sun rises on runners during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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MaKenna Orlandi runs during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Danny Connolly pushes his brother Brian Connolly during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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The sun rises on runners during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Shawnie Dance and Heidi Hansen cheer on a runner during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Lyla and Olivia Houser hand out water during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Deseret News Editor Sarah Weaver, center, and her daughter Kathryn Bertagnini hand out water during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Baylie Clark is cheered on by her mother, Jen Draper, during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Danny Connolly pushes his brother Brian Connolly during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Tanner Webb runs during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Runners wait for the start of the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Runners begin the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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McKay Larsen competes during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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The pace car during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Well wishers cheer during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Abbey Thornton and Natalie Roberts take a photo prior to the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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A runner competes during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Water is filled at a water station during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Avery Bowers runs during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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McKay Larsen competes during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Ethan and Aidan Howell cheer a runner during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Jonah Feigleson and Halie Hull cheer on their friend Claire Hunsaker running during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Jonah Feigleson and Halie Hull cheer runners during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Sahara Garrett runs during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Runners compete during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Patriotic shorts are worn during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Runners compete during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Desere
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Jessica Martinson and her children Theo, 1, and Eden, 3, cheer on runners while waiting for her husband, Marty, during the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Pioneer Day, Friday, July 24, 2026. | Spenser Heaps for the Deseret Ne
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Jonathan Kotter makes his way down Emigration Canyon while competing in the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Pioneer Day, Friday, July 24, 2026. | Spenser Heaps for the Deseret Ne
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Jonathan Kotter wins the Deseret News Pioneer Day Marathon on Friday, July 24, 2026, in Salt Lake City. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Hannah Mitchell of Salt Lake City, Ashlyn Smith of Boston, Mass., and Sabrina Smith of Murray compete in the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
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Runners make their way down Emigration Canyon in the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
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Runners make their way down Emigration Canyon in the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
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Runners make their way down Emigration Canyon in the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
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Runners make their way down Emigration Canyon in the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
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Kate Peeples of Layton competes in the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
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Lisa Smith of Riverton competes in the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
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Sheri Dew, executive vice president and chief content officer of Deseret Management Corporation, hands out water to competitors in the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
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Sarah Jane Weaver, editor of the Deseret News, volunteers at a water station in the Deseret News Marathon in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 24, 2026. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
Paras was totally fine with flying under the radar coming into the race, as the former Salt Lake Community College and Riverton High competitor had stepped away from running for a bit before finding a renewed love and competitive spirit for it.
“I’m so grateful I got back into running while I was at Utah State because I took a year off after Salt Lake Community College,” Paras said. “Luckily, I found this great group, the Logan Track Club we called ourselves, and I owe everything to them for helping me fall in love with running again. I love doing these races now.”
Paras also credited her former SLCC teammate Grace Tipton, who helped her carry over her training this summer when she moved back to Salt Lake.
“I think the summer has been a bit more inconsistent, but Grace really pushed me because we are competitive and have just a good training dynamic together,” Paras said.
“Grace couldn’t run today with me like planned but next time we’ll run together.”
The other piece for Paras was that Friday’s race was a sort of a goodbye race to Utah for her, as she’s headed to Northern Arizona University in the fall for graduate school.
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“I’ve lived here my whole life and it’s going to be a huge transition for me to move to Arizona,” Paras said. “It means so much to me, to have all of the people who have helped me with this whole build and helped me get to this point, for me to do this today.”
It was evident Paras is leaving a community behind who had no doubt she could win. Her boyfriend Tayshaun Ogomo, who ran the 10K, was the first person to hug her and remind her, “I told you you were going to win,” while her dad John who was in tears when he shared how proud of her he was.
“Today really was a lot of fun,” Paras said. “It was hard at first, and I reminded myself I’ve trained in hotter conditions and to just keep going.”
