For those that have done any of the following New England marathons during the Fall timeframe, I’d love to hear which one you would recommend (or add another if I am missing one).
Mount Desert Island
New Hamphsire Marathon
Maine Marathon
Cape Cod
others?
I’m looking to pick one of these at the end of the 2008 season in an effort to focus on running throughout the next year, instead of running consistently falling behind cycling as it usually does. Scenic, fun and well organized event is what I am looking for … course speed, etc I am not so concerned about. Thanks
PS - MDI '08 is actually on my anniversary, so it would really have to blow away the others to expend the political capital to participate
Are you using this marathon to qualify for Boston or do you just want to run a marathon?
I completed the Cape Cod Marathon last month and I highly recommend the race. It’s one of the most scenic races around. The race does a big loop through Falmouth, running along the ocean, through the cranberry bogs, through the center of town and through the residential area. The course is challenging but not overly difficult. The race is relatively small - the limit the full marathoners to 1200 and the relay teams to around 200. The crowds aren’t like Boston but there are pockets of cheering people, especially at the relay exchange points. They have a decent meal (clam chowder and pasta) after the race and you can shower at the middle school.
I haven’t done the NH Marathon, but I’ve done the 10K which starts with the marathon and then loops back. It’s a beautiful area and a gorgeous course for sure but from what I’ve heard there is almost no fan support. The Cape Cod event sounds a little more happenin’
I’ve done Maine and Mount Desert Island. Maine is a nice race not to crowded but not lonely. No reason not to go fairly fast on it. MDI is hard but awesome, it’s beautiful and different from other marathons. It tends to attract ultra runners and people looking to run a great race rather than people looking for the easiest marathon and a PR.
www.cityofmanchestermarathon.com
Inagural Manchester, NH marathon was awesome! Maybe not scenic in the classic sense (Mill town) but certainly historic, and lots of crowd support! Not a flat, super-speedy course, but one with some character. Well organized, and a lot of fun.
If you are looking for a ‘scenic, fun and well organized event’ I’d add a vote for the cape cod marathon. I just ran it a couple weeks ago and it’s a great event. The second half of the course is challenging, a lot of rollers ups/downs that can trash the quads. I was cursing the rollers but the ocean views help make up for it. It’s a great race to practice discipline and run a negative split. The first half is fairly flat and mellow - I was just maintaining my pace and passed a TON of people on the second half. If you are looking for a BQ I may look elsewhere (probably outside New England!)
MDI is a very challenging course because it is quite hilly. But it is breathtaking, “beautiful” doesn’t even begin to describe it. You run through all the harbors. Bar Harbor through Otter Creek to Seal Cove, then running through Northeast and then out on Sargent Drive… ohmygod Sargent drive is a dream. Then you go around Somes Sound, along Echo Lake into Southwest to finish… drool. Hard to BQ on that course but if you just want to run a race that makes you feel so whole that is the one.
The Maine Marathon is really nice too. You start on Back Cove in Portland which is for the start and then it comes back for the finish, that’s neat. I loved running over the bridges. I remember gray roads a gray sky and how green the trees were, and how quiet it was out there.
My vote would be for MDI, always. I am an island child, I love it here. There really is no better place to run.
I’m not sure when reg opens for the CCM - I think I signed up about 2 months in advance. It did sell out this year but not until a week or two before race day.
Last fall I ran the Green Mountain Marathon on the island of South Hero, Vt (about 45 mins north of Burlington). It’s actually a basically flat course (don’t let the name fool you). It is run on mostly hard-packed dirt roads, and it follows the coastline of Lake Champlain with the Adirondacks across the water in the background. Very gorgeous scenery. Although last year there was a cold wind blowing across the lake. The race is run in late October.
It’s very beautiful, but not for everyone. The catch is that they only attract about 200 racers every year. So if you need a crowd of runners or cheerers, it’s not a good choice. This is a small town race, but it is a Boston Qualifier.
