Favorite races - bucket list races
cheshirecatastrophe
Posts: 1,395 Member
Any distance, any location, any surface! Fast courses, HARD courses, great T-shirts, fun crowds, beautiful scenery...
What should I run? What should I *want* to run?
What should I run? What should I *want* to run?
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My favorite marathons are disney and Rock n roll vegas. Disney is by far my favorite. Starts in the dark, you run through all the parks. It's a very flat/fast course. Tons of stuff to see. Decent crowd support. That being said I've only ran 10 marathins & only 3 were "big" lol0
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I'd rather run a local race than the Disney runs or Rock and Roll runs.
I dont know about crowd support but I've heard the Sugarloaf marathon at Sugaloaf ski mountain ME has beautiful scenery. Its 1k ft elevation loss over the last 16mi0 -
What's getting me at the moment is trails, as a relatively recent runner people ask about London, Edinburgh and the like but they just don't inspire me. Smaller trail races strike me as more challenging.
I understand that Windermere and Snowdonia Marathons are stunning scenery.0 -
I have Boston and the NY marathon on my bucket list. Just signed up for the NY, and I nope to get a guaranteed entry slot.
I enjoyed the Disney marathon, but I think it was not enough water and fuel stations, and St. George marathon was totally amazing! They even had massage stations, it was like being at a spa but at a high cardio vascular rate. ha ha.0 -
I seem to have a sick and twisted draw to the more extreme/out there races, as such the one currently sitting on the top of my bucket list is the Barkley Marathons. Will I ever make it there?? Who knows.0
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I loove running our local races. You start to get to know the regular people who do them and build a friendship.
right now top of my list to do is going to be the thanksgiving half marathon here. i havent thought bigger then that yet.0 -
I used to live in Davenport, Iowa, home of the Bix 7. It is a 7 miler on a simple out and back course but the simplicity disappears at the start as runners stare up the Brady Street hill. Because of it's out and back nature Newton's law must be observed. What goes up, must come down. One day I will return to Davenport to tackle the beast that is the Brady Street hill.0
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The only race I'm SET on doing is Boston. And I'm gonna get there by qualifying.
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I want to do NY because that would be cool. Other than that I've picked out a couple in different places I just think would be cool, Wineglass in NY, Napa, Honolulu. But my marathon budget is not thousands of dollars.0
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I"ve always said I prefer smaller marathons. And I've run some beautiful small marathons. But the absolute best most amazing experience I've had was running Boston last year. And I've heard New York is just as good if not better. So I'm running it this November (just got confirmation of my entry through non guaranteed time qualification this morning). I enjoyed Marine Corps and Disney (the other "big" marathons I've done) but mostly I remember the logistics and crowds. Not so with Boston. Will see with NYCM.0
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I ran Army Ten Miler in DC in 2012, I'd like to do that again. Got to see some of the sites and run on the highway!0
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MeanderingMammal wrote: »What's getting me at the moment is trails, as a relatively recent runner people ask about London, Edinburgh and the like but they just don't inspire me. Smaller trail races strike me as more challenging.
I understand that Windermere and Snowdonia Marathons are stunning scenery.
I really want to start doing some trail races. There are fun winter ones here, but I seem to have a conflict with all of them and, anyway, winter. It's on my list to start once the weather gets better and, on a related note, I'd love to do something like the Napa Trail Marathon.
The only marathon I've done (years ago) was Chicago, and I get the appeal of the city ones too, as there's something to look at. I think NYC would be fun. I did a half marathon in Naperville (suburb west of Chicago) this year and it was billing itself as an alternative for those who didn't get into the Chicago marathon (it was both a marathon and a half) and a friend of mine commented "but then you'd have to run a marathon in Naperville," which is true--for me a half marathon can be fun without more, but to manage a whole marathon I need some kind of scenery or distraction.
(No slam on Naperville itself--I kind of fell in love with suburban races this year.)0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »I really want to start doing some trail races.
What I'm considering this year:
May - Ox Half - http://whitestarrunning.co.uk/eventBase.php?eid=2
July - Dorset Invader Half - http://whitestarrunning.co.uk/eventBase.php?eid=5
August - Salisbury 54321 Marathon - http://www.salisbury54321.com/
October - Clarendon Marathon - http://www.clarendon-marathon.co.uk/
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MeanderingMammal wrote: »What's getting me at the moment is trails, as a relatively recent runner people ask about London, Edinburgh and the like but they just don't inspire me. Smaller trail races strike me as more challenging.
I understand that Windermere and Snowdonia Marathons are stunning scenery.
I'm signed up for Snowdon this year - inspired by some of the runners in my club and also the scenery in North Wales.
I did the inaugural Severn Bridge HM last August and have signed up again - the opportunity to run across the bridge on the motorway is great, the rest of the course was through lovely scenery, it had a great medal and the best tech t-shirt I've had from a race.
The other one I've now done twice is the Nos Galan 5k fun run (am hoping I'll be quick enough to qualify for the elite race). Its held New Years Eve night with a celebrity mystery runner, kids races beforehand and a fireworks display. Also get a medal and a t-shirt and its cheap to enter too! A great way to start the evening's celebrations for the atmosphere and novelty rather than the course.
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I am doing my "bucket list" marathon this April - Big Sur. I am not a marathoner (generally stick to halfs) and thus this will probably be my one and only marathon. It is a local race for me. I keep going back and forth between sheer excitement that I am actually going to do it, and sheer fear that I am actually going to do it!
For halfs I love our local wine country halfs. The Salinas valley half is beautiful and tough. And there are a few in the Sonoma/Healdsburg area that I have done as well. All fairly small with beautiful courses thru vineyards and great wine at the end. Crowd support is minimal (due to geographics of the races). However, the scenery makes up for it.
We are fortunate to have many amazing race options here in California.0 -
I enjoy running but have never had an interest in running races, EXCEPT...the Athens Classic Marathon from Marathonas to Athens (replicating the ancient run from which marathons take their name). It's a monster hilly race, but so is Athens, where I normally run. If I ever run a race, that'll be the one.0
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Bucket list for me is NYC, Chicago (I spectated once when I was studying there for a semester and it was darn inspirational), and the Disney Goofy Challenge. I'd love to do other big city marathons, like Berlin or LA. I only really have bucket list races for marathons; I'll do a half marathon just about anywhere even if there aren't that many people running!0
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I want to do an ultra, but my bucket list is a super mega ultra cross country thing. I'd really like to run the East Coast Greenway when it's complete. 2900 miles from Maine to Florida, as of now 30% off road. But I have my eye on a 100 miler near Sacramento in November. I have never even run a marathon, but will soon, and think I can do the 100 miler by then.
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I love the Disney races. I have done the Princess 1/2 marathon three times and I just finished the Star Wars 1/2 this weekend. I just love the supporters. I was sad to hear that Peggy Sue passed away. She was a staple at the Disney Races always at the last mile with sign that said "Hello Complete Stranger...I am proud of you too!" I love the Rock and Roll ones as well.
On my bucket list is the Key West Marathon.0 -
A race I've always admired is Course des Sables / Marathon des Sables - it's 256 kms, in the desert. I'll probably never race it or anything close to it, but I'd love to do support or complete a stage. Or do the cycling version.
http://youtu.be/TFFU2CompcU
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I don't have a bucket list race yet. I would love to do one of the big ones like NYC. I doubt I'll ever BQ.
My favourite race, well, technically it is "races" since its a relay but it is a great event to take part in. It's got scenery, if you get a day leg. It's got fast courses, challenging courses, costumes (not required but always appreciated), lots of fun and I like the shirts.
http://eastcoastrunning.wordpress.com/2014/05/20/why-you-need-to-run-cabot-trail-relay/
http://cabottrailrelay.com
ETA - the article needs an update, it's no longer a placemat but you do get a commemorative photo showing the same. I have one.0 -
NYC is definitely on the list of realistic goals...Athens is on the list of "if I ever hit the lotto" races....Would also like to do the HM's at the Grand Canyon and Key West0
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EvgeniZyntx wrote: »A race I've always admired is Course des Sables / Marathon des Sables - it's 256 kms, in the desert. I'll probably never race it or anything close to it, but I'd love to do support or complete a stage. Or do the cycling version.
that would be awesome. i have a shorter 100km stage race in Tunisia on my list.
http://www.100kmdelsahara.com/index.php?lang=uk
also i'd love to one day be able to attempt Sinister 7 solo, but 100 miles is a long way! i ran 2 legs of it last year as part of a relay
http://www.sinister7.com/main.php
road marathons don't really appeal to me, but Comrades in South Africa would be amazing.0 -
sinister2014 wrote: »EvgeniZyntx wrote: »A race I've always admired is Course des Sables / Marathon des Sables - it's 256 kms, in the desert. I'll probably never race it or anything close to it, but I'd love to do support or complete a stage. Or do the cycling version.
that would be awesome. i have a shorter 100km stage race in Tunisia on my list.
http://www.100kmdelsahara.com/index.php?lang=uk
also i'd love to one day be able to attempt Sinister 7 solo, but 100 miles is a long way! i ran 2 legs of it last year as part of a relay
http://www.sinister7.com/main.php
road marathons don't really appeal to me, but Comrades in South Africa would be amazing.
In case you didn't see this blog. It sounded amazing.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ThickMcRunFast/view/-i-don-t-know-enough-to-be-scared-comrades-marathon-race-report-6668380 -
MeanderingMammal wrote: »What's getting me at the moment is trails, as a relatively recent runner people ask about London, Edinburgh and the like but they just don't inspire me. Smaller trail races strike me as more challenging.
I understand that Windermere and Snowdonia Marathons are stunning scenery.
I'm all about the scenery too, I did the causeway coastal half marathon last year loved every second of it! would love to go back and do the full this year. Also have my eye on the Loch Ness marathon, I love the scottish highlands so would love to do a race up there.
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It's going to be a long-term goal for me, but Snowdonia seems amazing, might actually tempt me into a marathon again.0
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