Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Can I run on Saturday and Sunday: Yes, just sign up for both!
2. Can I switch from Saturday to Sunday or vice versa: Yes, as long as the race is not full, you can do so on the IMathlete registration page using the ‘manage registration’ tab.
3. Can I switch from Full Marathon to Half Marathon: Yes. If the race is not full then you can do it on the IMathlete registration page using the ‘manage registration’ tab. If the race is full then you will need to email race director: director@moabtrailmarathon.com
4. If I am a USATF member running the Marathon, what wave should I be in?: The 7:45am wave. It doesn’t matter your age or pace; if you are a USATF member going for overall or age group titles you must be in the 7:45am wave on Saturday.
5. Do I need USATF membership to get the prize money? Yes, if you are a U.S citizen. Non U.S citizens will be eligible for prize money if they finish top 5. The top 5 U.S citizens will also be awarded checks. So, it is possible that up 2 checks will be given to each top 5 position (male and female), one for the U.S citizen and one for the non-U.S citizen.
6. Do I need to be in the elite wave to receive the top 3 overall prizes in the Marathon, ½ Marathon, and 5k? Yes, overall prize winners must have raced in the elite wave of their category! The elite wave of the marathon is at 7:45am. The elite wave of the Saturday Half Marathon is at 8:10am, the elite wave of the Sunday Half Marathon is 8am, the elite wave of the 5k is the 1st 5k wave at 9:15am.If you are not in the elite wave of your category you will not be eligible for overall title and prize and will instead be awarded the age group title and prize. So….if you are in the 2nd, or 10th, or 12th, etc. wave but have the fastest time you will not be eligible for prizes.
7. What is the cancellation policy? See the link on the website!!!
8. Can I defer to next year? Yes, do so before Oct. 24th on IMathlete.com using the ‘manage registration’ tab.
9. Can I give my bib to someone else? Yes, but you must make the transfer official by doing so on the IMathlete site before Oct. 24th using the ‘manage registration’ tab where the new persons info will be replaced with your info. Contact race director with further questions about transfers.
10. Is this race too hard for me? Maybe. Read the link on the website titled ‘Cutoffs and Suggested Qualifying standards’
11. Are there any cutoff’s? Yes, there are several. Please read the ‘Cutoffs’ section of the website!
12. What shoes should I wear: That’s a personal question. Some people wear sandals and others wear hiking boots. I recommend something in-between, like a mid-weight trail running shoe. We suggest that you race in a shoe and sock that you train in, don’t try something new on race day.
13. Can we leave a drop bag on course? No, sorry. If you want to drop your jacket or something at an aid station along the course that is fine but do so at risk knowing it could get lost and it may not be returned until late Sunday afternoon when our aid station crew returns.
14. Can we leave warm ups at the start/finish: Yes. There will be an area where you can leave your stuff that you don’t need while you are doing the race. Please clearly label with your name and do not leave your fav stuff as we are not responsible for theft or someone accidently grabbing your stuff instead of theirs….
15. I missed the signup, is there a waitlist: No. In the past we have made certain rare exceptions but in general you will not be able to participate if you do not sign up before the race fills up.
16. Can I sell my bib on craigstlist or ebay. No. That’s illegal, not cool and bad karma. If we see this happening then we will have to change our policies for everyone and not allow transfers.
17. What’s at the aid stations? Water, coke, Tailwind energy drink, electrolytes, gels or gu’s (typically Clif and Gu Shots), and a variety of other snacks—sweet, salty, and plain (rice crispy treats, fruit snacks, saltines, chips, chocolate, granola bars, pretzels, pop tarts, nuts, etc.) also a first aid kit.
18. What if I have to go to the bathroom while I’m on the course? Please try to go before you start….If you need to go #1 while on course, please pull of the side of the trail and go. If you have to go #2– we suggest bringing a ‘wag’ bag if you think you might have to go #2. Dispose at trash bag at nearest aid station. If you do not have a wag bag please make your best effort to dig a hole and bury waste. Please be very careful that you do not ‘bust the crust’ trying to find a private place to go….(step on rocks or walk up or down a wash). There are port-o-potties at the start, mile 9.5, 10.5, 11.5, near 23.5, and at the finish.
19. I missed my start wave, can I start in another wave? Yes. Let us know at the start area. You’ll likely get a 30 min penalty unless you have a good reason. You cannot start if you totally missed the start and our sweep (person who follows the last person) is already out there.
20. I’m afraid I’ll get lost. Will I get lost? No. You’d have to try really hard to get lost. There’s over 30 rolls of flagging tape out there. Flag tape is like every 20 feet. If you don’t see a piece of flagging tape then backtrack until you do. You should see flag tape constantly for 26.2 miles… Many many people have said this is the best marked course they’ve ever run. We also have a sweep runner following the last person. They can help you. We also record your chip when you start and along the way. If you start and don’t finish, we will look for you and will call Search and Rescue if we don’t find you.
21. If I miss a cutoff can I continue on, on my own. No. Well, I guess you can if you insist, but that would not be smart. We are no longer responsible for finding you or helping you if you miss the cutoff but resist and continue. If you do not cooperate when cut-off then you will not be allowed to participate in future races. The cutoffs are designed for your safety and for the safety and sanity of our volunteers.
22. What’s the weather going to be like? Be sure to check the forecast! Average temps in Moab for early November at lows in the mornings in the 30’s or 40’s warming to 60’s during the day. Typically light wind and dry. We have seen years when it rained, snowed, and the wind gusts were over 30mph! So…check the forecast and cross fingers for an average day!
23. Can I pick up my friends or family members packet at packet pickup on Friday?: Yes and No. If they are racing they need to pick up their own bib number an packet. If they are not racing then you can pick up their t-shirt and goodie bag and we will pull their bib # (but you can’t take their bib number.)
24. I’m worried that I’m too slow and will get in the way of faster runners. Don’t worry, there is space to pass. Just don’t wear headphones so you can hear them coming. The passing runner should let you know they would like to pass (they may say “on the right” or “on the left” which means they are going to come by you on the right or left so you can pull over the other way.) Also we make an effort to set up the wave starts from faster to slower so that the runners spread out along the route and there is less passing. If passing or being passed please be aware of the ground and avoid stepping on crypobiotic soil or vegetation. Instead step on rocks or find a wide section of trail to pull over.
25. What about COVID19? Yes. We are aware that this is a dynamic situation and we will make necessary adjustments to adapt the race proceedures so that the race is still safe depending on how things look as November approaches. Currently we anticipate and plan that the vaccine will be widely enough available to
those who want it that we can hold the race similar to 2019 and prior. We have made a few adjustments to the 2021 editon (wave start times, etc) to assure gatherings are less that the current CDC requirement of 250 at a time. We will post any changes on the website, on facebook, and in the newsletter that goes out to participants.
26. I’m not getting the newsletter. What do I do? We only send out about 4 or 5 per year, so as not to inundate your inbox. But if you are not getting these, please send email to director@moabtrailmarathon.com and we will add you to the list. These newsletters are important, but we also try to put this information on the website so that all participants can stay up to date whether or not they get the newsletter.
27. I want to run with my family member/friend, can I? Yes, please discuss ahead of time and both sign up for the same wave. If you accidently signed up for different waves, that’s no problem, just email director@moabtrailmarathon.com and we will switch you manually to the same wave. Note that if you wait until the last minute, you may not get your desired wave choice if that wave is full, we will instead put you both/all together in the closest wave with available space.