lower potomac river marathon

Do the rock and roll. I found organization less thought out than I'd expected at lprm.

I'd do lpr. CBRC put on good races I think and it is flat and fast. Wind is a wildcard for sure but if its cold (N-NW wind) at least the last miles will be downwind (if I recall correctly). If its a south wind, it likely wont be unpleasant anyway and a long stretch will be with the wind.

LPR is a solid race. Some solid times have come out of it. flat and fast for the first half, some rolling hills in the back half. But the hills dissipate and you end on a flat/downhill for the last 5-6 miles. Unfortunately I had to drop out the year I did it, just watch out for potholes.

Depends what kind of runner you are. If you want the faster course go to LPR, if you want the better competition go to DC.

Thanks for the responses. I just got an elite entry from RnR DC so that's an option now. At the risk of sounding like a jerk, if I have a good day I'm not expecting much competition at either race, I just want a cold weather marathon where I can put up a good time. My PR (and most recent marathon) is 2:22 from 2015 on a course that seems slightly harder than RnR DC and I think I'm in similar shape now. This is kind of a last minute change of plans because this winter has been so warm and my other marathon plans have gone out the window. I've dropped out of races in the 40s and 50s because of overheating/dehydration issues.

Mostly I'm worried about showing up at LPR and ending up with a short or long course that I can't use for future qualification purposes or getting off course because the course isn't well marked or well staffed. Do you think these are legitimate concerns? Am I just as likely to have those issues with RnR?

So which race have you decided on?

I'm interested in seeing OTHER cold weather marathons (Not a foot of snow) but 20-30 degrees. I'm the strongest at that temperature range and would like to find a flat cold race.

These were backup plans based on warm weather in the long range forecasts but I'm going with my first choice of the Snickers Marathon in Albany GA this weekend. Closer, good competition, and the weather looks great. Thanks for the feedback.

FWIW if you're significantly faster than 2:30 on legit courses there is a 90% chance I could get you free entry into LPRM, but doubtful I could get you any travel expenses at this point.

Agree with everyone that from miles 16-20 you have a few hills. The rest of the course is rather flat, though. The first half is by the river and scenic, though a little subject to wind. The second half is less scenic and run in the shoulder of a road in use. Do LPRM if you are comfortable in your own head. Do RnR DC if you just want to post all over Facebook that you ran a marathon.

sounds like a nice race. Whats the course record? Are you expecting good competition this year?

I know what you mean about warm weather...and about poorly managed courses, too. I went off course in a small marathon, and it was heartbreaking. Might have had a PR in that race, too. For racing, I prefer temps in the mid-30s. The most important factor in a marathon is temperature. I am puzzled when I hear people saying 50s and 60s are "good weather" for a marathon.

I wish you well in your race...