Marathons I've run

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

IMS Arizona Marathon 3:51

February 2016

For $40, this race was flat and fast, and gave out pretty nice tshirts and medals. The pre-race shuttle was a bit hard to find at an enormous entertainment complex, but everything else about the race went smoothly. It was nice to have an indoor area to wait around before the start, and regular bathrooms. The course was very straight and pancake flat, and we got a great view of the sunrise. The weather did get a bit hot out but that had been in the forecast, so I slowed my pace down to a jog. I think race was more mental than anything due to the lack of spectators because it was on the outskirts of town, but I'm glad I chose this as my Arizona marathon.

Arkansas

California

San Francisco Marathon 3:53

July 2009

The whole course was hilly and tough. I had been excited to run across the Golden Gate Bridge, but it was barely visible through the fog. Miles 13-16 or so was pretty lonely after the first half marathoners finished. I was grateful for the crowd support in the later miles but felt that the hills were quite a struggle, and was glad when the race was over.

Colorado

Pikes Peak Marathon 8:49

August 2011

The adventure for this race started months in advance, when we had to be prepared to register the second registration opened. It sold out in 20 minutes. We lived in Pennsylvania and didn't have any mountain or elevation training, so the race itself was a long, slow walk to the top. Joe got altitude sickness at the summit and became a bit delirious and disoriented. It also hailed near the summit. I still sometimes consdier doing this race again, or maybe the double- the Ascent on Saturday and the full on Sunday.

Connecticut

Delaware

Run for the First Descents Marathon 3:55

December 2012

This course was 4 mostly flat loops through a state park with both beach and forest views. I signed up last minute and set out to run 9 minute miles the whole race, amounting to a 3:55. I was glad I was able to fit in another sub 4 hour marathon with little preparation. The race was for charity and had homemade medals, and had great vegetarian chili at the finish.

Florida

Disney World Marathon 4:18

January 2007

My younger sister flew down to Disney with me for this race. We spent all day Saturday walking around Disney World in flip flops, and had pizza for dinner. On race day, I had a taxi pick me up at 4am to get around the pre-race road closures. Waiting in the dark for the race to start with thousands of people seemed a bit crazy, but it wasn't cold. The parks weren’t open so it was just Disney employees cheering for us, plus all the Disney characters. I wished I had thought of running with a camera. The weather warmed up to 90 degrees and sunny, and running on cement in between the 5 parks hurt my feet. I did enjoy running through Cinderella's castle. The race was a unique experience, but not one I'd want to repeat.

Georgia

Snickers Albany Marathon 3:43

March 2016

The Snickers Albany Marathon was well organized, with tons of emails with useful info leading up to the race. The pasta dinner was great with lots of good food. The course was flat and fast, and went through a lot of residental neighborhoods with tons of good crowd support. The volunteers were also incredibly nice and supportive. The race day weather was perfect, and I ran a considerably better time than I had expected. I also got a lot of Snickers and Snickers marathon bars.

Hawaii

Whatever Marathon 3:something

December 2016

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Idaho

City of Trees Marathon 3:45

October 2013

After a couple months of transition including moving cross country, I was scouring marathon guide for a low key race within "driving distance" of San Francisco. This race fit the bill perfectly, as there were hotel rooms right by the start and finish for a reasonable price, and the race fee wasn't too steep. The course itself wasn't very memorable, though it was flat and fast. The course didn't go into downtown Boise, so it was convenient for Joe to watch me as a spectator. I was thrilled with my finish time, the nice race pullover, the finish line food, and my age group medal. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a small to mid-sized race.

Illinois

Chicago Marathon 4:40

October 2012

I enjoyed all of the spectators along the course, which really made this a fun and enjoyable race. The course was pancake flat, and the race day weather was perfect. I ran with Joe for this race, hence the slower time. I also had another marathon planned for the following weekend, so I was glad this course didn't beat up my legs.

Indiana

Monumental Marathon 3:29:51 - PR

November 2010

I had just run the Tahoe Marathon 6 weeks beforehand, and didn't have a goal time for this race. However, this course was pancake flat and the miles just flew by. I enjoyed the small town feel, but still a good amount of crowd support along the course. I was so thrilled to run a 3:29:51 during this race.

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Hatfield McCoy Reunion Marathon 3:50

June 2011

I had just run a 3:29 at Boston in April and knew I was in shape for a hilly race, but knew this one would be tough. It was. There were a lot of mountain roads where I really had to dig deep, and I ended up walking the last one at mile 24. Up to that point I had been the third overall female, so I was disappointed to have missed that opportunity. I sometimes consider doing this race again, but I don't think I could improve on my previous time.

Louisiana

Maine

Mount Desert Island 3:49

October 2012

It rained through the entire race, but the crowd support and beautiful scenery still made this a great experience. This race was not easy, the hills were a bit brutal. I was just so happy to be running this race that I had looked forward to for so long, and was glad I could meet my goal time of 3:49-3:50.

Maryland

Baltimore Marathon 3:45

October 2008

I ran a slightly fast first half of this course because it was flat, and then slowed down for the hills and the higher temperatures. I was happy with my time.

Massachusetts

Boston Marathon 3:42, 3:35, 3:29:53

April 2009, 2010, 2011

This race is special. You feel like a celebrity. Highly recommended to anyone who qualifies. The hills are a bit daunting, but with proper training and the right mindset, are totally fine. The first half of the course goes by quickly, and after making it to the top of Heartbreak Hill, it's pretty much all downhill to the finish.

Michigan

Detroit Marathon 3:45

October 2014

I really enjoyed this course- we ran over a bridge into Windsor, Ontario as the sun was rising. The people in Windsor were very friendly and gave great crowd support. We ran back to Detroit through the Windsor tunnel, which was a neat experience. The rest of the course went through nice neighborhoods and along the waterfront out to an island. The flat course was nice, and we got a long sleeved shirt that I like.

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Missoula Marathon 3:49

July 2010

I planned this race to visit family, and it was named Runners World's best marathon. It was well organized and a nice, scenic course with one hill. It was a hot summer race, and I was glad for the crowd support in later miles with sprinklers along the course.

Nebraska

Nevada

Cal-Neva Tahoe Marathon 3:44

September 2010

This race was the second day of the Tahoe Triple. I chose it specifically because the offical Tahoe Marathon (day 3 of the Triple) is only in California, and I needed a Nevada race. Also, the day I chose only had 2 big hills. They were pretty significant, but the rest of the course was fairly decent, for being at 6000-7000ft elevation and hilly around Lake Tahoe. I'd recommend this for a low-key Nevada race with amazing views.

New Hampshire

New Jersey

Ocean Drive Marathon 3:44

March 2010

This race was a low-key and flat point to point race between Cape May and Sea Isle City. It mainly goes through residential neighborhoods, about a block from the beach, though at some points it's on the boardwalk. This was a tune-up race before Boston and I was pleasantly surprised with my time.

New Mexico

New York

New York City Marathon 3:43

November 2011

This race is worth the hype, it's pretty special. It's worth the logistical nightmare of getting there, and worth the cost. The crowd support is phenomenal, and the race shirt and medal are pretty cool. That being said, it's definitely not my favorite course due to the never ending bridges, hills and crosswinds.

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon 4:06

May 2012

The starting area was pretty annoying and disorganized since there was also a half marathon. It was an extremely hot day and a lot of water stops ran out of water later in the race. I was disappointed to not break 4 hours, but had to stop along the course to pour water on myself to keep cool, I did the best I could for the conditions.

Oklahoma

Oregon

Crater Lake Rim Run 4:04

August 2014

This race was mostly at about 8000ft, and I was struggling from the very beginning. Once there was finally a downhill portion of several miles, I made the most of it and was actually running as the first place female, until I was passed in the last mile. The last 3 miles were on a loose dirt 500 ft hill. After hours of pounding pavement, the last few miles were brutal. Also, there was no award for second overall female, and getting my gear back from gear check was an absolute disaster.

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia Marathon 3:59, 3:50, 3:41, 3:39, 3:39

November 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

This was my first marathon when I was 18. I kept coming back for the flat, familiar course, and trying to qualify for Boston. I had quite the heartbreak missing it in 2007, but qualified the next two years.

Pocono Run for the Red Marathon 4:13

May 2006

This was my second marathon and I signed up because it was a new race showing a huge net drop, and I had been hoping to BQ. I ended up not training enough and struggling with the hills, but it was a good learning experience and I knew I wanted to keep running marathons.

Steamtown Marathon 3:49

October 2007

I did a training run of this course with my running club and thought I was ready to qualify for Boston. The first half has significant downhills that I ended up taking a little too fast, and my legs struggled in the last few miles. I'll probably run this one again someday.

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Columbia Marathon 3:56

March 2013

My longtime friend Zach talked me into this race, which was a decent price. I didn't realize it was 2 13-mile loops, which is something I typically avoid. The course was tough, the hills from miles 10-13 and 23-26 were brutal. I was just happy I finished under 4 hours. I really liked the race shirt and medal. Would not do this one again, but was happy everything worked out for me.

South Dakota

Tennessee

Nashville Country Music Marathon 3:50

April 2013

I will probably never do another Rock n Roll race, but this one vaguely worked out. They were fortunely accomodating in letting me pick up my bib on race day, but didn't have many bathrooms by the start for a huge race. It rained the whole time so most bands packed up and left. I assume in better weather this could've been a fun race, but I was miserable, just happy to finish in 3:50.

Texas

Houston Marathon 3:49

January 2015

I had been planning to do this race for years because of the flat and fast course. It finally fit my schedule and I was excited. The expo, start and finish were all easy to get to without a rental car. The course itself was kind of boring because Houston is a lot of suburban sprawl. A lot of the course is on cement and my feet just hurt so bad, I couldn't make myself run any faster. I really appreciated the indoor finish area and full meal provided with hot coffee, as well as a pint glass and nice medal, I've never seen a big race provide these things. I would not run that course again, though.

Utah

Escalante Canyons Marathon 4:29

October 2015

I had been looking for an inexpensive Utah marathon, and this one caught my eye. I drove the course the day before and realized how screwed I was for the enormous hill between miles 12 and 17. The views were great, but I just wasn't prepared for how brutal the hill was. Part of me wants to train better and run this again. Also, the pre-race dinner was completely worth the money.

Vermont

Vermont City Marathon 3:49

May 2015

I had my eye on this race for years, but it was a far drive from PA. This worked out to being my 25th marathon state, and a long flight from California. It was a popular and well-organized race with great crowd support and a nice shirt, and a finsher's hat. I didn't enjoy the last few miles on a waterfront running/bike path- it was uneven and hadn't been repaved in a while, my legs were beat up from the rolling hills. However, the views were amazing. I don't think I'd run this again mainly because Burlington is so far away, but I'm glad I chose this race.

Virginia

Marine Corps Marathon 3:49

October 2009

I was very impressed with the organization for this race, even though it's such a huge race. The first mile it was hard to find my stride, but it thinned out quickly. The course is flat and fast and it's neat running my historical buildings, but the last few miles had no crowd support and felt a bit painful. I could probably do better with better pacing.

Washington

Whidbey Island Marathon 3:51

April 2014

I chose this race for the scenery, and was not disappointed- it really was fun running in a beautiful place. The hills were tough, and I was pretty annoyed by the sizeable hill at mile 24 or so, I didn't expect one so big that late in the race.

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Jackson Hole Marathon 4:08

August 2015

I chose this race for the scenery, but ended up running most of this race in a downpour. It was also at about 7000ft elevation and a bit of a challenge. I really like the scenery in Wyoming and still had a good experience. I was so glad the sun came out at mile 25.5. Would probably not run this one again.