Races: Fall Marathon Preview - the lists

[Introduction to this list can be found by clicking here.]

Here are my lists of upcoming fall marathons: the big ones and some other noteables!

The Big Fall Marathons
9/30 - Berlin Marathon (Berlin, Germany) – Noted for it’s fast course, Haile Gebrsellasie has made no secret of the fact that he plans to challenge the current world record here. The current world record was set on this course and Haile seems to have the legs to do it right now. This could be a magical day. [Read more about the story by clicking here.]

10/07- Lasalle Bank Chicago Marathon (Chicago, IL) – the second biggest marathon in the World behind the ING New York City Marathon, Chicago is flat and fast. Last year, Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, current World Marathon Majors leader won the race, falling dramatically at the finish. There are so many great things about this race that I wouldn’t know where to start, except to say that when you visit Chicago as a bonus to the great race the food is seriously awesome!

10/07 – Portland Marathon (Portland, OR) – my home-town favorite, Portland will see the 36th annual running of the race and this year will include the Nordic Walking World Championships.

10/13 – Ironman Triathlon World Championships (Kona, HI) – A marathon concludes this world triathlon championship event on the Big Island of Hawaii. It may be cool in other parts of the world, but it’s often still hotter than you-know-where running out in the lava fields.

10/21 – Nike 26.2 (San Francisco, CA) – in only it’s third year, this women’s oriented event has become an instant classic. The San Francisco event sold out this year in just hours and features such amenities as Tiffany & Co. finisher’s medallions. This is a tough course with some challenging hills in the first half.

11/3 – US Men’s Olympic Marathon Trials (New York, NY) – This unusually early qualifier for the Beijing 2008 Olympics will be held as a five-lap criterion style event in New York City the day before the ING New York City Marathon. The field will be unusually tough as well, with former world record holder Khalid Khannouchi, American Record holder in the half-marathon Ryan Hall, and 2004 Olympic Marathon Silver medalist Meb Keflezighi all in the field.

11/4 – ING New York City Marathon (New York, NY) – The biggest marathon on the planet is a tour of the city of New York. Entry is by lottery, but if you haven’t gotten in three years in a row, you’ll be guaranteed a spot.

Other Fall Marathons
9/16 – Maui Marathon (Hawaii) – People love to run the Maui marathon, most likely to get a nice vacation in afterward. It can be quite warm in Maui when this race is run, so be quick and get off the course early.

9/29 – Big Sur Marathon (California) – A race of amazing scenic beauty near the rugged coast-line of northern California’s Big Sur. This is the only trail marathon on my list of Fall races. Check this out as an alternative to the crowds of the big Fall races.

9/23 – Blackmores Sydney Marathon (Australia) – Running through scenic Sydney, this marathon course is noted as “challenging” by numerous reviewers for its ups and downs. I haven’t been to Sydney to check it out for myself, but I thought I’d put this favorite on the list so that maybe someone would invite me down to write about it!

10/06 – St. George Marathon (Utah) – The St. George Marathon has a big net elevation loss and is held on Saturday, just in case you want to get in another race on Sunday as well.

10/14 – Toronto Marathon (Ontario) – The second, but slightly smaller, of two marathons held in Toronto within two weeks, the first being the Toronto Waterfront Marathon on September 30th.

10/14 – New Denver Marathon (Colorado) – Organizers have lined up celebrities to run two mile chunks of the event so that you can feel like a major marathon stud next to these wimpy celeb wannabes.

10/21 – ANA Beijing Marathon (People’s Republic of China) – Normally I wouldn’t suggest running in Beijing, because of the poor air quality, but it you’re looking for a way to FEEL like a 2008 Olympian, then the Beijing Marathon is happening on October 21st.

10/28 – Marine Corps Marathon (District of Columbia) – Marine Corps continues to attract droves of devoted fans. The backdrop of the District of Columbia makes this an amazing place to run a marathon.

11/04 – Alpha Bank Athens Marathon (Greece) – No place is more historic in the world of marathoning than Athens, so why not make a trip to Greece to run the Athens marathon. The weather should be cooler in November than the very high temperatures seen at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004.

12/2 – California International Marathon (California) – My new favorite race after running it last year. The course travels generally downhill from Folsom to Sacramento. Personal bests abound on this very, very, fast course. Read my race report here.

12/09 – Honolulu Marathon (Hawaii) – Honolulu attracts legions of runners from Japan, so expect the mix of runners (and marketing promotions) to be largely Japanese oriented – even the sport drink in years past has been a drink not available here in the United States. Honolulu also sports the distinction of being extra-extra-ordinarily friendly to slower runners, with the last finisher coming in over 15 hours in 2006. Read my race report here.

Running Wild plans to cover all of these races with write-ups, guest articles and photos where available.

Related Articles:
World’s Biggest Marathons

Races: If I could run only one marathon. . .

California International Marathon Race Report

Honolulu Marathon Race Report

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