What Makes The St. George Marathon A Local Tradition?

Tomorrow is the St. George Marathon.

I'm not going to throw a bunch of info your way (for that, go to the STG Marathon website), I just want to wax philosophic about this amazing race that we have every year in St. George.

I've been to more than 20 St. George Marathons over the 30 years I've lived here.

For the last few years (excluding 2020, when there was no race), I've had the chance to broadcast live from the finish line. And you might think three hours of live radio with little going on in front of you for the first two hours would be hard.

But it really wasn't.

See, I've become St. George, or rather St. George is who I am. I love the race, as well as the Huntsman World Senior Games, the Ironman, the pickle ball courts, the paths and trails, even the proliferation of soda shacks.

But dwelling on that stuff is like not enjoying a Beethoven concerto because he was a womanizer, or shunning a Michelangelo sculpture because he was a slob.

Instead, I enjoy the beauty that is the STG.

And I'm not alone. Thousands turn out to volunteer, cheer, watch and admire at the marathon. Very few are actual race fans. In fact, the chances of any of us knowing the winner of any other marathon in America are slim and none.

But on that one day, we were all marathon fans.

Instead, we're having scones, cheering on Aaron Metler (the St. George native), handing out Gatorade, marveling at the sheer will these runners show and going home vowing to be better in life.

And that is what the marathon, The St. George Marathon, is all about.