BUCKET-LIST MARATHONS. ( PART 1 )

There are plenty of marathons around the world to run. I mean one will find every corner or place hosting new marathons.

But there are certain races that captivate, making runners amenable  to enduring minor obstacles i.e. lottery, long distance travels or ferocious elevations to toe the starting line of these events again and again. Above all to sign up for these races before slots get sold out.

One or more of these events/races  is sure to be on the bucket list of every distance runner.

CHICAGO marathon :

The best one to chase a PR. This race pulls off something that a few races of this magnitude can. Despite having more than 35000 participants, you can get there , the start line pretty easily by car or bus. You also do not need to get there hours before race starts. Same for leaving the finish area.

This race attracts the world’s best .The course is completely flat getting some super finish times .Thousands of recreational runners throng to this race chasing their personal best. Weather can be a bit unpredictable – runners should brace themselves for extreme temperatures.

THE NEW YORK CITY Marathon:

The New York City marathon is currently branded TCS New York City Marathon after its headline sponsor. This race courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest marathon of the world, with almost 54000 participants in 2019.Along with Boston and Chicago, it is among the pre-eminent long distance annual running events in the United States and is one of the World Marathon Majors.This race is organised by the New York race runners and has been run since 1970. Entry to this is very difficult with harder than Boston time qualification standard , increasingly competitive lottery or charity fund raising commitments. But the cannon ball firing signalling the start or Frank Sinatra singing New York New York does the job of inspiring goose bumps as you launch across the Verrazano- Narrows Bridge. Soak up the culture languages and the neighbourhood you encounter on this 5 borough parade. With screams of spectators welcoming you to Manhattan, you can’t help but quicken and feel grateful to paricipate in one of the few events with the power to unite an entire city.

THE BOSTON CITY Marathon :

The Boston marathon is annual race hosted by several cities in greater Boston United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots Day, the third Monday of April. This event, begun in 1897, is inspired by the success of the 1st marathon in the 1896 Summer Olympics. The Boston marathon is the worlds oldest annual race is also among the worlds best known races and is among the sic Worlds Major Marathons.

Runners who earn the Boston Qualifier proudly endure the thrashing, the downhill then the notoriously uphill course unleashes. This race, the worlds oldest, has a lot of firsts, from Kathrine Switzer’s defiant 1967 run to prove that women could compete  in the event two the famous duel of Alberto Salazar and Dick Beardsley, the 1st time two athletes finished under 2 :09 in the same race. It is a previlege to run this race, this race attracted more runners in 2014 despite the terrorist bombings that took place in 2013.

Qualifying to this race requires a runner running a previous race with a stipulated result within a stipulated calendar time frame. The standards for male runners and female runners are published by the Boston Athletic Association in advance to this race.

Few more iconic races will be covered in the nest issue.