Sub 2.25 marathon

With those PR's, you should have little difficulty running 2:25 on any course. I would suggest CIM (California International Marathon) the first week of December. The course is fast, and the weather is cool. Every few years they have some wild storm blow through (like in 2001), but most years the weather is near ideal. 2:25 will put you in the top 10 most years....

Good Luck

Mike

If you run aub 2:25 at a "smallish race" here in the US, you will most likely have to run a lot of it solo. If that's OK with you, you could run Columbus, CIM, Motorola, Philadelphia, Richmond... Check the link below for a pretty complete list of marathons with course descriptions and past results.

The Marine Corps Marathon is run on October 27th. The race may be full though. Plus, sub 2:25 would probably win the race. So if you are looking to get pulled along this might not be the race for you. Winner last year ran 2:28.

I would suggest:

Philadelphia, PA: November

Dallas, TX White Rock marathon: December

Houston, TX: January

These courses are not blazing but you should run a decent time. They have a sufficient # of participants to have the perks and professionalism of a big race, but you could start in front and, judging from your credentials, probably pick up a paycheck.

steamtown marathon, scranton, pa in mid-Oct.

point to point, net downhill, but certified.

you can get a reasonably good starting spot at any marathon, good or small with those PR's. i ran London this year as my first marathon. gave a 2:35 approximate finish on my application, and was placed in the first paddock. i started about 4 people deep and was running freely about 3 seconds into the race. it would be nearly the same at any race here in the states if you're that good of a runner. not too mention, the best place to run a 2:25 may be in the bigger marathons. finally, if you're doing all of this just to "earn" a good starting spot for the London Marathon......don't waste your time, $, and energy. London Mararthon is easy to get a good starting spot. i will mention though that london has 3 starting lines. but look at where 2:25 would finish you at any marathon in the USA. that means not too many people should be starting ahead of you. 26.2 miles is a long way.....the first 400 meters means s$#t in the long run.

I agree about the California International Marathon in Sacramento, CA. It is a straight shot in and net downhill. Pretty good fast course. Columbus, OH marathon is good too, but I have to disagree with the Marine Corps Marathon suggestion (amazingly enough I've run all three of these!). Of the three I found the Marine Corps Marathon to be the worst organized, the course to be laid out with many twists and turns and then you have to finish by running uphill at the Iwo Jima Memorial - what a killer. One year (1995) a guy was running his first marathon at Marine Corps and collapsed going up the final hill less than 100 yards from the finish and was taken to a hospital, so he didn't finish. What a bitch that must have been. They gave him a finishers medal anyway, but if it were me I'd know that I didn't finish.

You are taking a bit of a chance with the CIM though because you can have bad weather. Even though it is California, in Sacramento in the winter it can get cold and it can get rainy. I ran that race twice - 1990 and 1992. 1990 was great weather. 1992 it rained and was freezing the whole way.

You really would challenge for the win at Marine Corps. At Columbus you would probably finish in the top 5, and I think the field is a little better at CIM, but I'm not sure where a 2:25 might put you.

Good luck.

ex MAC Runner,

why not visit the old stomping grounds and run the The Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon? Nice fast course, usually good running temperature (it is on October 6th I think), and I am sure some EMU connections can get you in the elite start group.

2:17 something won it last year, and 2:25 may get you top 5 (it was 7th last year). Should be good pace setters for your goal time as well.

Good luck!

-Clay

Some others not yet mentioned...

Las Vegas

San Diego

Vegas is good course for a PR in my opinion..Largely downhill for the second half.

Also the weather at both Vegas and San Diego should be good, in fact I don't think it will ever rain again in the SW..

I 2nd the Detroit option by Clay. I ran an old course in the early 90's, and was impressed with the flat layout. The course did have a number of turn's, but was still pretty darn fast. Clay is also correct about the quality of competition at Detroit. 2:25 will put you in the top 10, and some years has won some decent money....

Mike

Thanks for that,

I wa thinking of either Detroit or columbus due to connections. I just remember looking at Detroit while at Uni and it always seemed to be cold and wet. Does the Detroit still cross over into Canada.

Check out the Marathonguide.com website, and then look up this years Detroit marathon in October. The weather was great when I ran the thing a while back...nice and cool, just below 50....I believe they ran last years marathon in Detroit, and avoided the Canada (post 9-11) situation...check out this years course

Mike

If you are from England I assume you probably went to EMU. If that is the case, you also have a connection in Austin, TX for the Motorola marathon in Mid Feb. I don't know if that date is too late for you but the course is very fast and they will have rabbits at that pace for at least 1/2 way. I would be happy to put you up and may be able to help arrange some other perks if you are pretty fit at the time. Email me and I will do what I can.

Yeah,

D-town has a fast course (I have a few friends that PRed there). They will cross into Canada twice this year, and the cool part is that the finish is the brand new Detroit Lions stadium (Ford Field).

Ex Mac runner, if you are in the area Nov. 2nd you can catch the MAC XC championship (which I know you won at least once while at EMU). It is at Miami U this year.

http://www.detroitfreepressmarathon.com/

-Clay

C'mon Franko, you know who Middleton is!!! Catch up on your alma mater's XC history!!! You guys only missed each other by 1 year max!

Who are you? Did you go to EMU, CMU, WMU?

I'm Disappointed, and no... none of those. Not trying to be short, but I like the anonymity concept ;-)

OK, I will give you that I went to a school that ran against all of you guys from time to time. You're CMU, right?