Five favorite marathons

Of the 29 I’ve done, my 5 faves are:

1) Chicago (flat, good race logistics for a huge race, and awesome city)

2) St. George (so beautiful)

3) Louisiana (fast course, beautiful route, organized by real runners instead of event planners)

4) Fussen in southern Germany (went around 2 castles)

5) CIM (love the course, Love that they let you stay on the bus to keep warm before going to check your bag)

Least faves:

1) Boston (ugly course, unpredictable weather, too f*king expensive)

2) Toronto Waterfront (Toronto generally sucks. This race course is ugly AF)

3) RnR Arizona (BORING)

And, party pooper alert. My LEAST favorite marathon is Grandma's in Duluth, MN. I realize a lot of folks like this one. For me, it was a gamble for the weather in an early summer race--a gamble that I lost badly with the brutal race day heat. And little to no shade on the course.

Berlin

Valencia

North Pole

That huge downhill one I forget the name

Great Wall

- Tokyo, the best crowd support you will ever experience in a marathon

- Boston, great crowd support, tough course, and hey it's the Boston Marathon

- Berlin, go for your PR!

(the next 2 are good but distances away from the top 3)

- Amsterdam, decent crowd support, cource is narrow, feeling great to end a marathon in the stadium

- NYC, the "get to the start line" experience and central park

Dick Beardsley's cap wrote:

And, party pooper alert. My LEAST favorite marathon is Grandma's in Duluth, MN. I realize a lot of folks like this one. For me, it was a gamble for the weather in an early summer race--a gamble that I lost badly with the brutal race day heat. And little to no shade on the course.

I am cancelling out your vote. Grandmas is my favorite.

Most years it is in the low to mid 50s during the race -- the average low temperature for June 19th (race day 2021) is 50.

But the hot years are brutal because it is also kind of humid.

In this order

Boston

NYC

Ogden

Chicago

CIM

I’d put Grandmas at #6. It was warm the year I ran and I wasn’t in proper shape. It was a really nice run, just a miserable experience.

I was never any good at any distance beyond 13.1 but of the ones I “ participate “ in...

1. Columbus

2. Louisville

3. Marine Corps

1 - Catalina - This is the coolest marathon ever.

2 - Los Angeles - the original course start and finish at the Coliseum.

3 - Tallahassee - Maybe because I was on vacation.

4 - Ventura - A nice fast slightly downhill course.

Boston sucks and is overrated. Qualifying is a lame status thing within local running clubs, especially when the "qualifier" is over three hours. Boston is a cool city with great food and veiled racism, but you can't eat any of the good seafood until after your race anyway. There are some redeeming qualities, but if you enjoy rolling into the "athlete village" 12 hours before race time on a short bus only to stand around holding a tub of vaseline, avoiding eye contact with that dude you saw injecting pasta into his veins at the Hopkington La Quinta then this one is for you. Don't forget the riveting 1 mile zombie shuffle to the start line when every fanny pack-toting hobby jogger marches with pride for whatever charity they're writing off on their tax return.

Ackley wrote:

Dick Beardsley's cap wrote:

And, party pooper alert. My LEAST favorite marathon is Grandma's in Duluth, MN. I realize a lot of folks like this one. For me, it was a gamble for the weather in an early summer race--a gamble that I lost badly with the brutal race day heat. And little to no shade on the course.

I am cancelling out your vote. Grandmas is my favorite.

Most years it is in the low to mid 50s during the race -- the average low temperature for June 19th (race day 2021) is 50.

But the hot years are brutal because it is also kind of humid.

Yeah this guy lost credibility with this call. Grandma's is a beautiful course and I ran it on a crap weather day. I also really like twin cities.

As a native of Sacramento sorry to say the CIM course is pretty mediocre.

I've been running a race in all 50 states, so I've seen quite a bit of variety out there.

My favorites so far:

1) Double Dip Sea (North of San Fran): Ok so I start with a race that isn't even a marathon, more like 15 miles and change. But it's all trail, hilly, and super beautiful. Vistas over looking the Pacific, great pine forests, grassy tundra. It's just fantastic. And it took me like 3 hours to do it. I was utterly and completely ill-prepared for this one, the first half I did pretty well on, the second half I ended up walking most of it (it's an out and back).

2) St. George, Utah: Point to point and big loss of elevation. Starts at something like 5500 feet and loses at least half that. I've done it a couple of times actually, and it's always crystal clear, in the 40s or low 50s to start, but the intensity of the sun will get you, and since you go from N to S, the sun is always on your left side and it gets ANNOYING by the end. Still, the scenery is excellent.

3) RnR New Orleans: Super flat course, I have run well on it multiple times. The first half is through the garden district, then along the edge of the French Quarter (too bad they don't go down Bourbon St), then up into the park where the half ends, and the full goes out for another loop in a different direction. More than anything, I think I like the atmosphere of this race. I think I've done it 4 times (usually the half though).

4) Sugarloaf Marathon (Maine): Similar to St George in that it is point to point and has a decent elevation loss...except in this case, you have big pine trees and moose sightings. The only thing I did not like is the last couple of miles, as you near the finish town, had traffic on it. I didn't feel "unsafe", but the exhaust of cars sitting in traffic is not fun to deal with when you are 25 miles in and just wanting to finish.

Nothing else is standing out to me at this time...I've done Wineglass, Charlevoix, Cleveland, Columbus (OH), Indy, and none of them are all that special. In fact in the case of Wineglass and Charlevoix, I was quite disappointed because I had heard they were nice courses, and they were nothing special. I do like Columbus, but that is because I was born and raised so I know the areas very well.

After my previous post, I read Primo Numero Uno's post and I do agree about Twin Cities. I liked the course even though it is my worst race to date. Another one where I went into it and ran "because I signed up a year prior" but essentially hadn't run at all. I think I ran like 4:20 there, and it was grey and wet...but I can still remember a lot of the course so I must have liked it.

I also like the Gasparilla family of races down in Tampa. There are 4 races, two on Sat and two on Sun, totaling like 31 miles. I ran all of them in 2015(?) and it was a good time. I think all 4 races went down some "ocean boulevard" but it was still pretty nice. No specific reason I like it though, probably the atmosphere.

I have run six marathons. Might as well rank them all:

1. Twin Cities

First half in particular was super beautiful. I crashed pretty hard after 20 miles but the last few miles are conducive to hanging on. It was a perfect weather day, and I’m sure that inevitably factors into my assessment. It’s also the perfect sized event in the perfect sized city, in my opinion.

2. Chicago

Fast and well organized, and you’ll never get lonely out on the course. I ran my PB there on another great weather day. The course isn’t boring and it’s fun running through downtown, but it’s certainly not “gorgeous” either. The size is a bit much for me—particularly the packet-pickup/expo I found to be a pain.

3. Boston

I drew a poor weather day (not 2018 bad, but it was rather unpleasant waiting for the start), I was not well prepared to race, and it was a couple years after the bombing so the military presence, while understandable, was a bit disconcerting and soured the mood. The course honestly seems a bit dull and dreary for the most part. I would probably have a more positive take if I’d shown up in the shape of my life—if you fly 3k miles round trip to run the most prestigious marathon in the world, you want to be ready to rip it, not chill at 7+ minute pace making sure you’ll be able to finish. My bad.

4. Marion, IA (discontinued)

I won $250 for finishing 3rd in 2:55:00, which is obviously insane. I ran totally alone for most of the race with nobody really in sight. The course was exceedingly dull if not downright ugly, albeit fairly flat. Long stretches of county roads like you’d expect in suburban Iowa. The finish on the track inside the high school stadium was cool for an old track guy like me I suppose.

5. Kansas City North Face Endurance Challenge

I mean, what would you expect from a “North Face Endurance Challenge” race, and I knew that going in (my first marathon). The course would have been pretty nice, running through downtown and along the river, but the lack of organization resulted in me and a couple others (not leading but running top-5) going off course twice and having to double-back after being shouted at—and there was a series of stairs from an overpass down to the street below, which no serious road race should ever have. There was a brutal hill (way worse than the measly Newton Hills) at about 22 miles. Considering I ran extra distance and totally cratered in the last 10k, my finishing time seemed suspiciously decent, leading me to think the course was short.

6. Marathon to Marathon

Starts in Storm Lake, IA and runs north on country roads to the podunk town of Marathon, IA. It’s run in June and is unbearably warm for a marathon with no shade. You can see the road for miles in front of you and it’s the most boring thing imaginable. You eat too many edibles and drink one too many of those “Tweaker” energy shots (i.e., one) and you finish just to be off the course. You take a school bus back to Storm Lake and it starts storming like crazy, rain blowing sideways so you can’t see anything outside the bus windows, so you just look at the bus driver and he’s looking nervous, starting to sweat.

1.) Chicago Marathon - Organization is amazing for a race of its size. Fast course with solid urban scenery. Lots of nice hotels within walking distance to the start.

2.) Big Sur Marathon - Jaw dropping views. Weather changes on the course. Feels like you're running alone with nature. Not a fast course or super competitive field.

3.) Boston Marathon - Big goal for every hobby jogger like me. Cost a small fortune but so much history in every step. Super competitive field of runners who've earned their spot (and some charity runners.) Electric feeling in the town race weekend.

4.) Houston Marathon - My big local race. Amazing organization. Fast course although it is on concrete. Great tour of Houston.

5.) Twin Cities Marathon - Beautiful fall race in an underappreciated town(s.) Some hills at the ends keep it from being super fast but decent speed rating.

1) Boston

2) (tie) Marine Corps, Big Sur

4) Philly (warm chicken broth and a soft pretzel at the finish edges out beer @ Chicago)

5) Chicago

1. Missoula Marathon - Very beautiful but gnarly rolling hills

2. London - Flat and fast, I love the city, but a lot of people at the starting line

3. Quad Cities, Iowa Marathon - Amazing crowd and awesome course

4. CIM - flat, fast, too many racers though going for 2:45

I don't really travel longer distances to do races since there are a lot within a 2 to 3 hour drive of the DC area, so I'll give mine based on that.

1. Richmond (Va) - Great experience. Small enough race where you can run and never be alone, but never crowded either. Run thru some fantastic neighborhoods. Great organization. Course is honest. If you don't respect the section from Miles 10 to 18, you're in for a long last 8 miles. If you do respect that section, you can make the right on the Boulevard and just go for it.

2. Seneca Creek Marathon/50k - Low cost, no frills. Fantastic post-race experience. Some great trails. Excellent race organization and aid stations. Just a run in the mostly woods.

3. Marine Corps - Not a fan of the day before expo and having to get their so damn early for security purposes, but you have to do it at least once. I love the bridge. Comes at a point in the race where it's "put up or shut up" time at like Mile 18.

4. NCR Trail - Another small trail race. I think the first 2 and last 2 miles are on road, but the rest is a nice out and back on rail trail. Low(er) cost. Cool to hang out in the gym pre and post race.

5. Charlottesville - It's a b*tch. Not an easy course. A lot of farm land. Not a ton of runners. A lot of hills. Not much shade if it's warm at all. One of those "you want a challenge, here is one" type races.

Not on the list that is a favorite of a lot of people:

Shamrock. I don't get it. Other than beer/party on the beach, the course sucks. It's 100% flat, there are almost no spectators, almost no scenery (you do see the water a few times), the weather is notoriously difficult to predict and the "swag" while plentiful is cheap and very girly designs with the colors and dolphins and shamrocks.

1. NYC - I have not run any better.

2. Chicago - this was my first major and it was awesome, tough to train for in the south though.

3. St. Jude Memphis - smaller races, Memphis has some good views of downtown, the river, and historic neighborhoods.

4. Rocket City - small time race that is well organized, fast and really competitive. Small enough that I could stay in my hotel and walk out the front door 20 min beforehand.