Must-do races before you die

The Dipsea Trail Race. Second-oldest race in the US (since 1905) with a unique gender and age handicap system means any top age-grouper could win. Beautiful trails and great atmosphere.

Hey yall wrote:

Cherry blossom 10

Falmouth

Gate river run

Peach tree

Boilermaker 15k

The classic old school American races that Boston billy , shorter, al sal, Meyers, and the likes would roll

Yes! Boilermaker!!! And if you don't mind running 50k, Green Lakes Endurance run. If not, at least go and camp there and run the trails and around the lake- beautiful area just east of Syracuse.

For ultra runners - Comrades.

Valtellina vertical tube race

Its worth coming over to sydney and running the city2surf.

Athens Marathon - the race that started it all.

Stu's 30k

From this part of the world:

Tokyo marathon! Fantastically organized, great course through a beautiful city, pretty fast and absolutely mental support.

Nihondaira Sakura Marathon - it's not actually a marathon per se, but rather a 23.5k race up and down a mountain and around a city. Great views of Fuji from the top. And starts and ends with a lap of the local athletics stadium for bonus points. Racing the 'up' part nearly killed me though.

(https://runnetglobal.com/japan/pickup/nihondaira.html)

grindit wrote:

The Dipsea Trail Race. Second-oldest race in the US (since 1905) with a unique gender and age handicap system means any top age-grouper could win. Beautiful trails and great atmosphere.

I second this. Apart from the brutal stair climb in the beginning it is an amazing race with great views looking down on the bay from Mt. Tam. Don't make the mistake I did and go into it without doing any hill work (I lived in a flat area and flew back home to run the race).

Fgjvcv wrote:

Stu's 30k

Ha. the post race foods are so tacky, they're cool!

100 mt race

Definitely the Dipsea

I loved the Chicago marathon. Great city great fans fast time. It was an awesome experience

Beach to beacon is on my bucket list as is the 5th ave mile

Agree on the Broad Street Run in Philly. It is ten miles on one street in a straight line with just one bend around city hall, no hills and downhill overall by like 35 ft. It is the only civilized way to do a run of 40,000 people.

As for Philadelphia Distance Classic, sorry, but that is now the rock and roll half marathon philly--a for-profit event manned by community volunteers. It is is a fast course but it is in mid-late september and can be hot. Drop off in super-elite talent in 2016. Hopefully they will bring back the super-elites (read, sub hour for men) in years to come.

Done, done, and DONE,

Color Me Rad

This thread has motivated me to run Falmouth this year if I make it through Boston unscathed and if I can get in.

Boliermaker would be a good one too, but then I would have to spend time in Utica. Still, might add that one to the list, again, depending on my ability to get in and on my recovery from Boston.

Boston

Done

Disney

Done

Peachtree

Not yet

LA Marathon

Done

Bolder Boulder

Not yet

Cape Cod Marathon

Done

Indy 500 Half Marathon

Not yet

New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon

Done

Grandmas Marathon

Not yet

Bix 7

Not yet

Falmouth RR

Not yet

I've run a lot of my bucket list races. Some were great and I would run again. Others were meh probably because I caught it on a bad year

Old Reliable Run 10k - fairly fast course, nice finish

Virginia Ten Miler - tough course with a lot of tradition

Vermont City Marathon - pretty area

Charleston Distance Run 15 Miler - unique

Parkersburg Half Marathon - air quality was terrible

Utica Boilermaker - ran it in 2000 and still use the beer glass

Virginia Beach Shamrock Marathon - fun weekend. Cool town

Rocket City Marathon - my PR course, well-managed

Cleveland Marathon - highway and headwinds sucked

Cleveland Rite-Aid 10k - fun to run the bridge

Azalea Train Run - fast course and thngs to do in Mobile

Vulcan Run 10k - Vulcan statue was down

Pittsburgh Great Race 10k - must-do if you live near PA

Minster Oktoberfest 10k - a hidden gem, very fast

Native Sun Mandarin Run 10k - a favorite thanks to letsrunner "porn stache"

Reedy River 10k - too twisty. Few good 10k's in this region

Kiawah Island Half Marathon - PR course, expensive to stay there

Gate River Run - fun event and well organized

I still want to run Cooper River and Army Ten Miler

I ran the Double Dipsea about 3 years ago. It's the same as the single dipsea, only you start at the opposite end, so the turn around is at the bottom of the stairs, then you run back up.

Super scenic and tough. I was not prepared for the hills and I ended up with a 30 minute positive split.

I will return one day to give that course a better shot.

St George Marathon is fun. You'll get 10 minute advantage from a flat course, and the scenery is excellent.

Peachtree is not all that great. Very big, the course is not all that interesting. You get to say you ran one of, if not the biggest, 10k road courses. And it has history, but other than that...?