What is your favorite marathon?

God's Country in Coudersport, PA

http://www.visitpottercounty.com/static/index.cfm?action=group&contentID=111

I like the Twin Cities put on by Medtronic. A very scenic race and it's a fair course, a few uphills with equivalent downhill.

Bump- Yeah, I guess it's not worth flying out to Africa to run a marathon if you can't afford it but if you can Safaricom and Big Five are truely some of the most beautiful, scenic, and most amazing races on the planent and both some of the few races on earth where you actually have animals as spectators.

Vermont City is a fine race. Easiest logistics. Small town feel with big City quality race.

Houston is excellent, but you will now have to lottery for a spot thanks to an overflowing half marathon.

Toronto Waterfront may be the fastest course on the continent and a well run event.

Marathons you need to do once: NY, Boston, Chicago, Marine Corps and Big Sur.

1. Berlin

2. Chicago

I would love to run the Berlin marathon. My family is from Germany and this would be fantastic for me!

Berlin easily ranks waay up there in quality and an incredibly good even for a fast time. Also, Berlin is beautiful too so in my opinion it ranks right around Boston.

I've only done NY, Chicago and Boston... but NY was BY far my favorite (even though it was 5:00 slower then my Chicago time).

Boston was cool, but I was in too much pain for 10 miles to enjoy it. Hopefully I'll feel differently this year!

Considered doing VCM this year because EVERYONE I have ever spoken to has really enjoyed it and has nothing but positive things to say about it. In the end, however, I couldn't let Boston beat me, so am giving Bean Town a second shot.

Yonkers Marathon.

Hilly

Only did 2 Stockport Marathon aged 18 after 6 weeks running

Best distance was 5km so managed to avoid until..

Then Beachy Head Marathon aged 40. Cross country marathon with 3,000ft climbing.

Ended up running for Stockport Harriers the best club in the uk, so 1st has a lot of memories. The last was an awesome race all off road, running along the coastal chalk cliffs the last few miles

Man v Horse was up there as well. 22 miles though but up the fells... managed to beat a few horses, but did see the riders stopping for tea at half way! Did the write up for that in AW

If had the chance would do the Mount Everest Marathon - usually won by sherpas

My favorite is Cal International in Sacramento. Fast, good competition, well-organized, easy logistics, excellent weather both times I've run it.

Here's the ones I've run -

Austin

Big Sur

Silicon Valley (CA)

Portland

Boston

Chicago

Phoenix

San Francisco

Cal International

WWM wrote:

West Wyoming Marathon is great.

You beat me to it.

'My favorite is Cal International in Sacramento.'

I once did some races with some runners from a club, I think from that area, club called - 'Buffalo Chips' Know anyone there?

My favorite course is Amsterdam. Flat course, good weather, easy to get to start line, relatively low cost for such a large race. A low frills race but a good place to run fast. Much better overall field quality than in the states. My Amstedam time put me in around 1000th place (3:22:59). The same day at the Long Beach Marathon that time would have put me around 200th place.

New York is also a top one, but is getting too croweded and expensive (field was 29000 in 1995 when I first ran it, now 45,000 with 3 wave starts) . I've run it 4 times, set my PR there (3:04 in 1995) not sure I will be back, but I highly reccomend doing it once for sure. It is my sentimental favorite since I grew up in the area, but nearing $200 for an entry and add in travel expenses, I am being priced out of it, especially since I moved back to the West Coast.

RNR San Diego has turned into a corporate, soulless race. I ran the first in 1998 and it was okay. My last was in 2009 (I ran in 2007 and enjoyed it but that was before Competitor bought Elite Racing I believe) and was disappointed by it. The RNR series is just turning into a cash cow for Competitor. Now you can buy your way into VIP tents and special race shuttles. If you can afford it great, but after a certain point it becomes too expensive for most of us. You have to pay more and more each year for the exact same product. I realized expenses go up, but the race fee has gone from $50 in 1998 to $130 for an early entry, to $160 for a late one and the fees are the same for the half marathon. This is a 30% increase from 2010. The fee was about $80 in 2007.

The smaller ones are growing more appealing due to lower entry fees, ease of getting to start and not having to fight to get a spot near the front (even when you seeded in the first corral). I'd recommend the Hard Corp Marathon at Camp Pendleton, CA and the Jersey Shore Relay Marathon (there is a solo/ironman division).

Best of the 16 I ran is Philly. Just $85 and scenic course thru the historic areas. Flat and fast.

Worse: San Fran. $130 to run at 5am in the dark, no crowds, and not scenic except for the bridge.

Run about 10. Here are some: Boston, Philly, Louisville, Colorado, Memphis, Chicago. So far love Chicago! The start is a little hectic, but love the course, fans, different neighborhoods, course , lake, competition, etc. Then its awesome scarfing down some Chicago style pie afterwards!

NYC

Boston

Chicago

Phoenix RnR

My top five ordered from most to least favorite are:

Philadelphia - great course, relatively flat, not too expensive, not overcrowded, late november

Boston - great history, wellesley, challenging course

National - my hometown race so I'm biased, scenic course, a bit on the expensive side for what it is, entirely run in DC, perfect temps

Baltimore - great course, relatively inexpensive, great city

NYC - NYC, you have to run it at least once

Yes I know several of the Buffalo Chips - they're a Sacramento-based USATF-PA club. They put on two really well-run races that I've run: the Buffalo Stampede 10miler and Willow Hills XC. Good club.