The 5ks/10ks I did in South Korea were always way better than anything I did in the states.

Much lower entry fees, significant prize money, free food afterwards, traditional bands lining the courses, nice goodies. All great.

Unique: there was a race run along and through a river. It was called an "underwater" race where you're basically running a km along the shore and 3-4k in ankle-knee deep water. Definitely different, but in the heat of summer, why not?

Going with the ones in college running XC...down steep hills, through creeks & over a wall of hay bales, jumping over downed tree trunks, through pine needle trails through the woods...likely the best simply because of the beauty of the courses. Simple, challenging & not over-sold like feeling you get from the citizen road 5k/10ks just from the lower participant numbers. Just you, the clock, and nature with a few pals around pushing each other.

BolderBoulder. Why? I am biased, and its the single reason I am in endurance sports. Done every year since I was five. Ill be doing my 29th BB10k in a few weeks.

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New Training/Racing Log - http://www.earthdaykid.com/blog --- Old Training/Racing Log - http://colinlaughery.blogspot.com

I did an Asics sponsored trail race in Santa Barbara about 20 years ago.
Awards to 1st, 2nd and 4th.
Also, something like 67 and 123 also won $. The 67 guy lost a sprint for 66 but ended up winning $.
They also had a random draw of a place for another prize or something like that.
It was a cool cc type course with some barriets and hay bales and a beach finish.

ET Full Moon 10K, Highway 375 in Nevada ("Area 51") is very cool...you run at midnight, when the moon is full, it's in the middle of nowhere and it's beautiful. And as opposed to Vegas at that time of year, it's a nice cool temperature. Run by Calico Racing, they have distances from 5K-51K.

Holkham Hall Parkrun in Norfolk > http://www.parkrun.org.uk/holkham/

Why? Because

1. No traffic
2. Beautiful surroundings
3. Timed
4. Fun
5. See the deer
6. It's FREE (if you walk up from car park)
   

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Tristan Haskins
CardioCritic.com
Power-Pedals.com

Time Traveler Pi Miler in Roanoke Virginia. Race starts at 1:50 AM before daylight saving time ends, so the clock moves back an hour while you're on course... Your finish time is before your start time, almost gauranteed a PR! ;) I mostly like it for the novelty, and I run it with family while visiting there, which is nice.

http://smwv.org/...veler-pi-miler-race/

Dances With Dirt Gnawbone in Nashville, Indiana. It's billed as the world's toughest 10k. It was really hard, but fun. It's a trail race, typically quite muddy, and involves wading through a creek that was almost waste deep (I'm 6'4). It had rained a bunch before the race, so I think the creek was higher than normal. It was muddy enough that my foot came out of my shoe, which was stuck in the mud. I ran something like a 1:14, which is more than 30' slower than my normal 10k time. It was a blast.

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Attacking this day with enthusiasm unknown to mankind.

Much lower entry fees, significant prize money, free food afterwards, traditional bands lining the courses, nice goodies. All great.


It's important to note that very often outside of North America, races/events like this often have larger non-endemic sponsors putting significant dollars into the race/event. This is why, entries are lower, and you will see many perks, and details.

In North America, the model tends to be a user-pay model for endurance sports/events of all kinds, so that means high entry fees. In North America, there is very little interest in these sorts of events (other than the very big ones), from non-endemic sponsors. The sponsorship tend to be from the industry, and there is often very little money put in and the sponsorship is most often, "in-kind" - A sports beverage company supplying their product at no charge. A shoe company pitching in some shoes for prizing . . etc .

On the cost side of things for the event management company, again abroad (outside of North America), there seems to be more cooperation from local municipalities whereas here in North America, you essentially have to pay through the nose for EVERYTHING. And your starting point for any new race/event when negotiating with a local municipality/government is almost always, "No". Main reason for this is that - ANYTHING that disrupts motorists road usage, always starts with, "No", so you better have a super valid reason for doing that!!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

BolderBoulder.


Size itself, is often a BIG draw for a race/event. People want to be part of something BIG. There are downsides for the event itself - you can lose that intimacy, personal contact with participants and participants will put up with some inconveniences!

Look at the ringer you have to go though to get to the start line of the NYC Marathon - it's like you have to run a marathon BEFORE you even start the marathon!! - but 10's of thousands of runners are willing to do that because it's the NYC Marathon. If another, smaller lesser known race, had that sort of an arduous process of getting to the start line, it would NEVER be successful!

Races/events often make the mistake of THINKING like other bigger races/events, "They do that at Boston" - yes, they do, do that at Boston - but that is the Boston Marathon! At your "Bob's 10K for Charity", you can't do that (whatever that is) if you want to be successful! You have to create your own unique experience, and then Customer Service the heck out of the participants!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

A virtual comp I "host" during all the Majors Weekends [the bib above was for this year's Masters Weekend]

RULES: Make your own course ... 26.2 Miles OR 13.1 Miles OR 10K, BUT it MUST include at least ONE GOLF COURSE!!! Either at the Start, the Finish or somewhere in between!!! You can just run by if you're not allowed ON the course itself [yeah, this is a running race, not a Golf Cart Race, in case that wasn't clear]

Time Bonuses are awarded for wearing Argyle, Plaid or Ugly Hats [the kind that might come with a bowl of soup]

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Yellow Springs, OH.

Glen Helen Earth Day 10k. It's a trail run and it's super fun. A lot of up and down with clean trails and some fun single track mixed in.

This one:
http://trailcreekseries.org/beau/


So much fun. Look at the times:
In 2016, the winner of the 10K did 6:37 miles...in 2017, it snowed days before and: 8:04.


Grenogue is a private estate and the owners are generous enough to allow racers access for the day to see the beautiful grounds. And you get a DFH beer as part of your entry! :)

Best one I've ever done unfortunately no longer exists - Pilgrim Brewing Co. Thanksgiving 5k in Hudson MA. Small microbrewery that would give out a full pint glass and a growler at the finish, the last year they had it they kept filling people's glasses (I barely made it for dinner at my parents house that afternoon). Company went out of business not long afterwards, they must have known it was coming and tried to get rid of the beer as soon possible before having it go to waste. I've never seen a race provide that much free beer before!

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"You can never win or lose if you don't run the race." - Richard Butler

Fargo marathon 5k 10k, you start and end in a football dome, super huge crowds, amazing event

I love the Thompson Island Trail Race in Boston. It's only a 4K trail race but you take a ferry from the Boston waterfront out to one of the harbor islands. It's essentially a lap around the whole island so you get some spectacular views of the harbor and the Boston skyline. The entire race is over in about 20 minutes but Harpoon Brewery is one of the main sponsors and there's a big post-race BBQ with all the Harpoon you can handle. The ferries head back around sunset so more spectacular views. Overall a really fun race.

Also, it's not exactly small but the BAA 5k is a cool experience if you're looking for some of the Boston Marathon flavor without qualifying for the marathon.

This is so cool! Almost worth making the trip to Virginia.

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http://mediocremultisport.blogspot.com

Two Tunnels 5k/10k in Bath. Why? Because it's along a path that used to be a railway line, and depending on which length you do you spend either 1 or 4k of the race running underground, through these old tunnels that have been really nicely converted into walking and cycling paths. One of them always catches me out because it plays music and I always forget until I hear the slightly eerie strains of it floating through the tunnel. It's also a reasonably cheap race to enter, with a very cool medal theme, where they interlock and the idea is that you complete the set by doing three out of the four dates on offer. Great post-race food, great atmosphere, in one of (in my opinion) the most beautiful and historic cities in the UK.

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Disclaimer: Not a triathlete anymore, just a fish

Better than ending up in a wood chipper

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

😑😑😑 that movie and tv series sucks.

Ah yes. The stupid slap 5k. The premise is simple, you get passed you get slapped. Nearly everyone will set a PR.

You could also make this an underwear only run.

These ideas are coming fresh off the brain. You're welcome.

http://drunkcyclist.com/...is-the-new-24-hours/


This format has been adapted fro running as well

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

http://www.fairbankssymphony.org/beat-beethoven-5k/


I switched it up a little for Record Store Day last year




If I recall, I had 9 on my training schedule that weekend, which is a little short of :90, but much longer than :60

London Calling - 65:07
Sandinista - 144:09
Combat Rock at 46:21 is a little more than the OUT, in Out & Back
Now, there is some super-secret Mick Jones remix/demo compilation from Combat Rock known as Rat Patrol From Fort Bragg which, of course, I am in possession of ... I believe that it clocks out in the 1:20 neighborhood, which is right about where I wanted to be on race day

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin