Return of the Marathon Project

All I know is there is going to be an amateur race with a $500 entry. Serious? Who is paying $500 to run laps around a parking lot? A lot of folks could get flights to Valencia for $500

$500 is a pair of racing shoes to a lot of people anymore, and those shoes sell out. SW flights to AZ are probably about the same as the entry fee for Valencia. Easier to deal with time difference in Chandler, many don't need to fly to get to Arizona (hello SoCal), get to be around US pros rather than African and Euro pros. It's not purely about dollars and cents. Sure, I would get more out of a trip to Valencia than to Arizona. And you can pay a lot less for one of the McKirdy Micro Marathon races. It wouldn't be my first choice, but I can see the appeal for a certain demographic and won't be surprised if it's a success. I hope it's a success, the domestic scene could use a legit event on a genuinely fast course.

US runners need to get out more. Run competitive races in Europe or Japan. Fukuoka, Berlin, London, Valencia, Rotterdam.... anything will be better than a made up Marathon in a parking lot somewhere in the US.

Will it be a little more expensive, of course but you get to see the big beautiful world.

I don't know who will want to enter a race where you run laps around a parking lot. I think I might like it. But if you think most runners who would want to run such a race will be put off by a $500 entry fee you haven't been paying attention.

I think a lot of competitive amateurs would if they felt it truly was competitive in the sense that damn near everyone in the country was showing up to race. Say you finish top 5 in your age group at Chicago. What does that mean nationally? Who knows. Maybe you're top 50, top 100? The point is that doesn't exist in this country. And it'd be great if it did. But for now, and in the near future, it's safe to say the Marathon Project will not fill that role. But that doesn't mean it can't in the future. It's a long shot, but that'd be the hope at least.

Maybe the chief hurdle they could face is their timing. The race comes about at the tail end of the fall marathon season. It comes after fast fall races like Chicago and Berlin. It falls just a couple weeks after CIM and a few weeks before Houston, where multitudes regularly gun for qualifier times. That's competing for entrants with established races on notably fast courses with proven organization. However, with field size restrictions it should feel like more of a boutique marathon centered on high performance. That's how they will have to differentiate themselves on the calendar.

the "domestic scene" already has Houston, CIM, Grandmas, Indy Monumental. Of course, the Domestic Scene also has a little race called Chicago where some dude ran 2:00 and some girl ran 209. I dont think we need a faster course than chicago.

Seems like what many here have been waiting for, so, of course, there will be a ton of people complaining about it

* Fast 'thon in 'Murica

* A 'thon that's actually hard to qualify for (since Boston is obviously a walk in the park for everyone here)

If I wanted to run a super fast race, it's a lot easier to tell my wife that I'm going to bumf*ck arizona for a couple days, then try to justify going to Valencia by myself or making an expensive family vacation out of it when all I want to do is focus on the race.

You didn't tell me anything I didn't already know.

This was a cool idea in 2020 right but at this point it's yesterday's news. For the cost of the entry fee + flight, you might as well do Chicago and get the exact same thing + the crowds/experience .... or any other fast and established event

Why didn't they put the race in early January of 2026? December 2025 will not be in the LA28 OTQ window, in all likelihood.

Desert weather in the end of December is more reliably good than a couple of those other places. As well as an undoubtedly faster course in Arizona, with the exception of CIM... CIM will still be faster with the net downhill and usually good weather as well. Phoenix is also very easy to get to. If enough people show up it'll be a good option. It might be tough to get mentally hyped for this race though because it does feel different from other 'normal' races. The stigma of it being a time trial race needs to go away for its success.

To all the people saying "just run Chicago, just run CIM, etc," you're kinda missing the point. It's different if you're not an elite at those races.

The perks that are unavailable to sub-elites at those races make a big difference. Your own nutrition. Drinking from a bottle. Waiting for the start indoors. Waiting on the line for a short period. Not fighting thru slower-paced crowds. Not carrying a phone.

All these things can add up to several minutes or more. For someone trying to hit a specific time, the extra cost is totally worth it. Especially when you factor in the reduced likelihood of the weather torpedoing your chance at a PR.

I agree and see the appeal to sub-elites. I bet they can get 1,000 entries with their time standards and make the money they want to. However, I think they will struggle to get 200 "pros" there. I've run 2:16 a few times and in the last 5 years have been given comp entry + hotel + travel stipend at Chicago, New York, Grandmas, CIM, etc. I think they are way off the mark towards pros (which I am not) unless the prize money is insane. Until that comes out, I doubt myself and others will pay $200 + hotel/travel to go run a race with no history or crowds.

I ran this race in 2020. Why? Because it was the only race during the pandemic. I ran poorly at the OT and needed to run someplace for a time bonus for the year. I was unable to race anywhere else. The race was a financial life saver. I am grateful but I would never go back.

They are not going to pay appearance fees and the prize money will be minimal.