Full Marathons in the US

a big congratulations! for finishing a half! My half will be in June and then full in 2014. since i'm originally from boston, ma i plan on making the Boston Marathon my first full. it's the oldest marathon and it holds a special place in my heart. I was lucky enough to work down the street from the start line and also at the finish line.

Don't you have to qualify for Boston or can anyone register? I always thought it was qualifying only.

Awesome job on the 1/2 ! I've heard really good things about the Chicago marathon--flat, fast--and it's in October. The last few years have been pretty warm...but it could go either way!

Around the the most popular ones are:

09/22 Quad Cities and Omaha
10/06 Twin Cities
10/20 Des Moines

All have great reviews. I'm planning on doing a HM at either Omaha or Quad and the FM in Des Moines.

a big congratulations! for finishing a half! My half will be in June and then full in 2014. since i'm originally from boston, ma i plan on making the Boston Marathon my first full. it's the oldest marathon and it holds a special place in my heart. I was lucky enough to work down the street from the start line and also at the finish line.

Don't you have to qualify for Boston or can anyone register? I always thought it was qualifying only.

If you run for one of the Charities or have connections to some of the local running clubs you can get in without qualifying, otherwise, yes, you have to qualify to register.

http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/participant-information/qualifying/qualifying-standards.aspx

Thanks! That's what I thought bc I know people who've ran for years and qualifying is their dream.

I have done 5 Half Marathons...4 of which I did at Disney. Disney is good...great entertainment, flat course that goes through the parks (the Full goes through all 4 parks), but there are a LOT of people (like 15,000) doing it so it can be crowded. They have lots of different Half Marathons through the year, but only on official Marathon Weekend in January do they have a Full one (and also a Goofy Challenge to do the Half and the Full in the same weekend). I've done the Half in January there in 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012 (can you guess when I will be there to do this race next??? LOL). Two of the years it was so cold it was snowing there (well raining and below 32 degrees!) so even though it is FL, the weather there can be a guess.

I did one this past Sunday in West Palm Beach, FL (the Marathon of the Palm Beaches). They run both the Full and the Half at the same time and I think there was less than 4,00 people for both. It was a nice flat surface along the Intracoastal and the weather was WONDERFUL. I am not fast by any means, but I PR'd on this one with a 25.5 minute better finish than my previous PR (mostly due to my awesome extra training, but some due to not having to fight crowds of people during the race).

I know people who have done the Air Force one in Dayton and have heard only good things about it. I also know some who have done the Flying Pig in Cinci and I have only one word: HILLS!

Good luck!

a big congratulations! for finishing a half! My half will be in June and then full in 2014. since i'm originally from boston, ma i plan on making the Boston Marathon my first full. it's the oldest marathon and it holds a special place in my heart. I was lucky enough to work down the street from the start line and also at the finish line.

Don't you have to qualify for Boston or can anyone register? I always thought it was qualifying only.

Boston is one you must qualify for, to get a number and an official time. But, while it has about 20,000 registered runners every year (I believe that is correct), an even larger number of people run the race without a number. They just stand behind the numbered runners are at the start line, so they do not get in their way. After the numbered runners go, the un-numbered runners do.
It is still a lot of fun.
BTW -- in picking a marathon, I suggest one that is someplace warm: Vegas, San Diego, Miami, etc.
My apologies to Duluth and Grandma's. I love Duluth, but really . . .

I am looking at the Estes Park full in June (Colorado). There also the Rock and Roll Marathons all over the US every year and I know a lot of people that have really enjoyed them.

If you're looking for Fall 2013, try the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C. It's not completely flat, but the scenery is great. I am a bit biased since it's my hometown. The Rock n' Roll marathons are pretty good first-time marathons. I did the one in Phoenix. It is as flat as you could possibly get. I think most of them are. They are very well organized, and there is a band at every mile marker. There is so much going on around you during these marathons that it really helps you get through it mentally. They have a number of them throughout the U.S. at different times of year. I think Phoenix is generally in January.

but do i qualify by running a half or do i have to run a full? better start checking it out. i WANT a number!

but do i qualify by running a half or do i have to run a full? better start checking it out. i WANT a number!

Check the link above that someone else posted, but I'm pretty sure it's a full by a certain deadline and you have to meet a certain time within your age bracket.