You can only pick one, what marathon would you run?

Of the races I've run (Chicago, Green Bay, Champaign, Indianapolis, Grand Rapids, Boston, Twin Cities), Twin Cities was by far my favorite. Weather is almost always perfect -- logistics are pretty good for that large of a race and the course is beautiful.

I've never understood the love for Chicago. Logistics suck, weather is always dicey and the second half of the course blows except for Chinatown.

Richmond was excellent. Perfect weather the year I ran it. Some slight uphill, but basically a loop. 5 minute walk to the start finish from downtown hotel. Great Irish pub nearby, visited some historical plantations the next day (if you are in to that). I've run 17 different marathons. This is the perfect midsize race.

I liked Philadelphia, too. Slight gradual uphill along the river from 14-20 that you don't even notice, and then a nice gentle downhill on the way back that you do notice. That was 2000, so not sure if the course is the same.

Good luck.

electron1661 wrote:

Towpath in Ohio. Always perfect weather. Very, very flat. Some fast guys.

Bullshit, small turn out, but not many fast runner's. It is flat but you run on gravel.

Also they have had a problem with cheating and have disqualified a runner who would step off the course and then back on its a figure 8 course.

They could have corrected this by putting out more timing mats but choose not to.

Also there is no expo and no pre race dinner. Also normally takes a hour or more for results to be posted.

Bob Schul Country wrote:

you want a challenge run Flying Pig in Cincinnatti.

I signed up for the pig in 2017, but what is challenging about it?

It seems to have a bit of elevation in the first ten miles, but the rest is smoothly downhill. Weather sh be reasonable, and this will hopefully be my bq race, so what am I missing other than too much four way chili before the race?

The Pig was gluttonous for hills when the course was designed with over 1200 feet of uphill running.

For perspective, Chicago's course has about 200 feet of uphill and a moderately fast course like Columbus goes upward about 500 feet.

OP, watch out for lovers of the Pig; they are cultists who love to lure to their doom unsuspecting marathoners looking for a fast course.

Regarding Chicago, I will agree that the western portion of the course is not at all scenic, but it is still flat and fast. I thought the logistics were great - I stayed with my in-laws out in the suburbs until Saturday, then stayed at a hotel on Michigan Ave Saturday night. Walked right over to Grant Park and was ready to go. I managed to sneak into the American Development group, so maybe that part was better than what others deal with, but having the start and finish at the same place, and having a huge park to reunite with your family after the race left me feeling like the logistics were first rate. I also was able to get my unofficial race details immediately after the race.

Illinoisphotographer wrote:

Of the races I've run (Chicago, Green Bay, Champaign, Indianapolis, Grand Rapids, Boston, Twin Cities), Twin Cities was by far my favorite. Weather is almost always perfect -- logistics are pretty good for that large of a race and the course is beautiful.

I've never understood the love for Chicago. Logistics suck, weather is always dicey and the second half of the course blows except for Chinatown.

Chicago is great. Well organized, good field at all speeds. Not truly "flat" (for those who know real flat).

Twin Cities is a great course. Field would be a bit thinner but still good.

Or pony up the flight and do Amsterdam, Rotterdam or Berlin, the true pancakes.

Chicago would be much better if it was 100% run on Lake Shore Drive. Who needs these interesting neighborhoods that I would not be caught dead driving through any other day.

Hen263 wrote:

Bob Schul Country wrote:

you want a challenge run Flying Pig in Cincinnatti.

I signed up for the pig in 2017, but what is challenging about it?

It seems to have a bit of elevation in the first ten miles, but the rest is smoothly downhill. Weather sh be reasonable, and this will hopefully be my bq race, so what am I missing other than too much four way chili before the race?

Check out the difference in elevation w/ Chicago. Sure, it's net downhill after 10, but that's on tired legs (pounding), and there are still PLENTY of rolling hills steeper taller than anything at Chicago in the second half of the race.

(scale for both is 700ft)

Cincinnati is hillier than the majority of Ohio. The glaciers never made it there. As someone who lived in Cincy at the time, it was a fun first-marathon to run, but not easy.

I hear that virtual Marathons are gaining popularity. I would run one of those.

Get up whenever you want. Run 26.2 on a treadmill of your choice. Then log in to a web site and post your time to your virtual friends around the world.

What's not to like about that?

Smoove wrote:

Regarding Chicago, I will agree that the western portion of the course is not at all scenic, but it is still flat and fast. I thought the logistics were great - I stayed with my in-laws out in the suburbs until Saturday, then stayed at a hotel on Michigan Ave Saturday night. Walked right over to Grant Park and was ready to go. I managed to sneak into the American Development group, so maybe that part was better than what others deal with, but having the start and finish at the same place, and having a huge park to reunite with your family after the race left me feeling like the logistics were first rate. I also was able to get my unofficial race details immediately after the race.

I'm just a hair outside the AD time requirements (I think it's 1:10/2:31), so race morning is hectic checking in bags and then you end up waiting for 20+ minutes in the corral before the actual race start.

I've never liked packet pickup at McCormick and IMHO there needs to be a suburb option. If you're staying or living in the suburbs, you need to make your way downtown and either pay for parking or train to the subway. It it was in the loop and walkable from the train stations, it wouldn't be too bad.

But really, they need a suburb pickup option, even if it means an extra $10 or something. Somewhere central, like Oak Brook or Schaumburg.

[/quote]

I'm just a hair outside the AD time requirements (I think it's 1:10/2:31), so race morning is hectic checking in bags and then you end up waiting for 20+ minutes in the corral before the actual race start.

I've never liked packet pickup at McCormick and IMHO there needs to be a suburb option. If you're staying or living in the suburbs, you need to make your way downtown and either pay for parking or train to the subway. It it was in the loop and walkable from the train stations, it wouldn't be too bad.

But really, they need a suburb pickup option, even if it means an extra $10 or something. Somewhere central, like Oak Brook or Schaumburg.[/quote]

Yes. the packet pick up is nothing more than a trick to get more people downtown Friday and Saturday and spend more money at the expo, hotels and restaurants. It is a logistical nightmare to move from downtown to the expo at certain times. Many people's race weekend would be easier avoiding the expo like smaller races but it will never happen.

Illinoisphotographer wrote:

I'm just a hair outside the AD time requirements (I think it's 1:10/2:31), so race morning is hectic checking in bags and then you end up waiting for 20+ minutes in the corral before the actual race start.

This has always been my concern with Chicago. I'd be in the same spot. Yeah it's not a huge deal, but not sure it's worth the trouble given all the other options.

An Oak Brook pick up would have definitely been nice since I was in the Hinsdale area, but since I was staying downtown on Saturday night, it really wasn't that big of a deal for me since it didn't mean two trips into the city.

My only other marathon was NYC, and compared to that, Chicago was a cakewalk (even though I was in the sub-elite field in NYC).

If you view this from the perspective of someone running it as a destination race, it really isn't a big deal; but I can definitely see this point of view from the perspective of a local.

Thx for the tip. Hopefully I can keep it together on this pig.

To the OP, I never ran any of these but they all look like good ones:

Indianapolis monumental marathon, looks well put together and fast.

Leveler blue ridge marathon, looks like a killer, so you do it to do it.

Louisiana marathon, looks relatively fast and the after party looks great.

Tupelo marathon Mississippi, motto - trample the weak, hurdle the dead. Nuff said.