I am looking for a fast marathon to run in the month of December or January. I am hoping for a race that can be won in the 2:14-2:15 range. It will be my first marathon ever so I am hoping for a fast course with good weather.
Any advice from the LetsRun people???
CIM
Greed wrote:
I am looking for a fast marathon to run in the month of December or January. I am hoping for a race that can be won in the 2:14-2:15 range. It will be my first marathon ever so I am hoping for a fast course with good weather.
Any advice from the LetsRun people???
Most of the Florida marathons are fast, and the weather can often cooperate. (I'm thinking Jacksonville, Disney, Palm Beaches, Space Coast.) 2:14 definitely wins all of those races.
The obvious negative is that it could easily be 70 degrees for any of those races, but that's rarer than you think. Disney was colder than NYC, Boston and Chicago this past season.
LVD wrote:
Most of the Florida marathons are fast, and the weather can often cooperate. (I'm thinking Jacksonville, Disney, Palm Beaches, Space Coast.) 2:14 definitely wins all of those races.
The obvious negative is that it could easily be 70 degrees for any of those races, but that's rarer than you think. Disney was colder than NYC, Boston and Chicago this past season.
As someone who lives in Florida, I would advise against a Florida marathon. Yes, Disney was a very cold race this year, but that was the exception, not the norm. There's a much greater chance of it being 60-70 degrees...that's why Disney starts at 5:45am, even in January. Space Coast and Jax have an even greater chance of being warm because they are in Novemember and December respectively...we only see a handful of cool days in those months.
To the OP: Are you looking to run 2:14-2:15? If you are, then really the only marathon that meets your criteria is Cal International in early December.
I've heard that the Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, AL is a fast one, but I don't know for sure...and I think it's usually won in over 2:20.
pablo wrote:
[As someone who lives in Florida, I would advise against a Florida marathon. Yes, Disney was a very cold race this year, but that was the exception, not the norm. There's a much greater chance of it being 60-70 degrees...that's why Disney starts at 5:45am, even in January. Space Coast and Jax have an even greater chance of being warm because they are in Novemember and December respectively...we only see a handful of cool days in those months.
To the OP: Are you looking to run 2:14-2:15? If you are, then really the only marathon that meets your criteria is Cal International in early December.
I've heard that the Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, AL is a fast one, but I don't know for sure...and I think it's usually won in over 2:20.
You're probably right. I live in SW Florida, so I think of Jax and Disney as being quite nice weather-wise, but a non-Floridian would probably find them warm.
Rocket City is a good choice -- I've had several friends PR there, and they reported fast conditions. I think 2:15 would win.
#1-Cal International
#2-Houston
#3-AZ Rock n Roll
#4-Las Vegas Rock n Roll
Houston is a great race, and conditions are usually perfect. If you're going to do it, though, remember that there is now a lottery, and the lottery closes on the 12th, this Thursday. (Although, if you are shooting to run 2:14 or so, maybe you can qualify as an elite.)
Dallas White Rock usually has a solid group looking to win in about 2:15. The course is not flat, but the few hills are pretty easy.
Houston will have a lot of runners running under the Olympic development program. It is a fast course. However, Houston gets a group of elite sub 2:10 guys to chase course records (2:07).