So you made the decision to get off your rear end and start running. Good for you! You picked a training plan and you are sticking to it. Fantastic! You haven’t your first marathon yet? Say WHAT???
A training plan is great, but there is no greater motivation for sticking to that plan than to plunk down your hard earned money and write a date on your calendar in ink! But how do you decide which marathon to use to celebrate your first official run?
Check the map
How far are you willing to travel? Are you looking for a destination run, or are you content to find a race that is close to home? A distant event carries with it the added expense of hotel rooms, meals, and possibly air transport and rental cars. But along with the added expense comes new adventures in new places that can add to the enjoyment of your run.
Check the chart
An important component of marathon running doesn’t relate to the physical distance of 26.2 miles. Hills, or the lack thereof, make a huge difference in how far that 26.2 miles feels to you body! A flat course can seem fast and easy, while a hilly course can feel like a grind that goes on and on. Make sure that you check the race website for an elevation chart. If the host site doesn’t offer a chart (or they post a teeny tiny one that you can’t actually see, look for GPS sites like connect.garmin.com, which offer tracks that were uploaded by previous runners. If you do decide to enter a race that is loaded with hills, make sure that you included weekly hill routines in your weekly running schedule.
Check the crowds
Do you need a large number of cheering fans to keep you motivated, or do you like to be left alone when you run? Races with small entry number tend to have fewer onlookers, while large races offer the lure of larger, cheering crowds. If you want the “ultimate” in motivational experiences, I would suggest checking out a Walt Disney World event, or the “26.2 with Donna” in Jacksonville. Either one will provide a great deal of on-course stimulation to take your mind off the miles. On the other end of the spectrum would be a race like the Newport Marathon in Newport, Oregon.
Check the clock
Just because you paid your registration fee, it doesn’t mean that they will keep the course open all night, waiting for you to reach the finish line. All races have a hard finish line closing time. After all, everyone has to go home at some point. Make sure that you know how long that finish line is going to be open, and that you will be able to finish by that time. Additionally, many courses have a minimum pace requirement for the course. Simply put, if you can’t keep running at the minimum pace, you are either subject to removal from the course, or you will be required to use sidewalks and be subject to normal pedestrian traffic laws. Make sure that you can run at least a bit faster than the required pace of the race that you want to enter.
Check the reviews
While you have to take runner reviews with a grain of salt, a marathon that has consistently good reviews is probably a pretty good race. If a race hasn’t been reviewed, there’s a good chance that it is a new race. While new races offer a chance to try something different, they are normally a few problems that come up in any new race. If you are prepared to just go with whatever happens, a new race can be an adventure. A tried-and-true race can always be an adventure, if it’s in a place where you have never run before.
Check the bling
Are flashy medals something that gets you excited? If the race website doesn’t show you what the finisher medal looks like, then Google Images is your friend! It is amazing how the reward at the finish can pull you through a race, but don’t let the anticipation of the bling blind you to the beauty of the race. Even if you pick a race just for the medal, never forget to take the time to think about where you are, how you got there, and how lucky you are just to be able to run! If you keep those things in mind, the medal, no matter how big or small, serves to solidify a fantastic memory.
Next time: How long is this journey?