I blame Brad. He is the reason I started running marathons in the first place. His careful reasoning overcame my good sense. “You should run a marathon,” Brad said. “Okay,” I said. So, dear reader, please no analytical psycho-babble about my motivations, inner longings for significance, or other personality quirks. I have issues. I may have inner demons, but they turned out to be slow ones. My running style is more water buffalo than jackrabbit.
Brad’s scheme is actually pretty effective. I tried it on Pat. “Pat, we should run a marathon together,” I said. “Okay,” Pat said. For many of these runs, Pat has been along for the ride. His perspective may be different than mine. Pat believes in training, keeping records, and striving for achievement. I strive for a good nap after the race.
Now that I have run in three countries (America, Texas, and Germany), I do feel that I can write with some authority on the subject. My list is not based on the crowd size or the quality of the race. I rank these races on my memories (good and bad) of the experience.
1. The Berlin Marathon, Berlin Germany (2023) Time: 5:23:08 (personal record)
Great Feature: The day before the race we ran a fun run that ended in the Berlin Olympic Stadium, built for the 1936 Olympics.
The Marathon: We ran under a sky so blue it would hurt your eyes to look at it. Okay, I stole that line from the movie Field of Dreams. But it was an elite field of runners (pun intended). Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya won the race with a time of 2:02:42 and Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia won the women’s race with a time of 2:11:53. I was so far back in the field that they had probably finished the race before I got out of the starting area.
German race crowds cheer differently than American race crowds. In the USA you hear things like, “Be the best you that you can be.” In Germany, you hear things like, “These are the quiet hours.” And, “You should have trained harder, you are slowing us down.” Actually, one tall blond woman, a former prison guard no doubt, leaned over the railing. Seeing my name on my bib yelled, “Michael, los geht’s SCHNELLER.” Let’s go faster! but in German. With a German accent. And attitude.
My Take: The best of everything. Flat course, great crowd support, race organization, race route, weather.
2. Marine Corps Marathon, Washington, DC (Six-time runner, most recent year 2024) Best Time: 5:39:42
Great Feature: Marines man the water stations and give encouragement on the course. The Blue Mile is a section of the course that honors those who have fallen in combat.
The Marathon: A race that takes you through many of the best sites in Washington, DC. I am now a proud member of the Marine Corps Marathon Runners Club (five successful attempts). The finish line is up a hill which is a very United States Marine Corps thing to do. Oorah!
My Take: First class race in every way. The course is great but the weather can be unpredictable. One year they shortened the race because of excessive heat. Another year we had monsoon-like rains. Pre-race expo is primo!
3. Munich Marathon, Munich, Germany (2024) Time: 5:36:51
Great Feature: The day before the marathon you have a costume fun run at the Munich Olympic Park. Runners wear their national costumes while running. For those who ran in lederhosen, you have my undying respect. Being from Tennessee, USA, I wore a Davy Crockett coonskin cap. One German asked me, “Did you kill the bear you are wearing on your head?” The run takes you up the VERY LARGE hill into the park and is followed by a brass band concert. And pretzels. All forgiven.
The Marathon: The best race design ever! The half marathon starts halfway through the race and a few hours later. So, you have big crowds of runners as you zip through the streets of old Munich for the last part of the marathon. Great idea and I wish more races could do it.
My Take: Great course. The Expo is small but well organized. Rainy day, but the crowds and bands were top-notch.
4. Cologne Marathon, Cologne, Germany (2024) Time: 5:51:22
Great Feature: Fun Run in a local park the day before the race. The pre-race hype guy on race day was awesome. Of course, yelling in German sounds motivational to most Americans. Also, the race finishes at the Cologne Cathedral, which is an incredible ancient church building.
The Marathon: Flat course and the weather was pretty good. Pat and I decided to run two marathons in 8 days and 3 marathons in one month. This was the first of the three and was my slowest of the group. Why, you ask? Because we live life on the edge of adventure. Also, I accidentally signed up for two races and did not want to lose my entry fee.
My Take: Pat and I think that eating Apple Strudel every day is the secret to our three marathon in four week success.
5. Jackson Hole Marathon, Jackson Hole, Wyoming (2022) Time 5:53:17
Great Feature: Running along the Teton Mountains of the Rocky Mountain range is amazing.
The Marathon: This is a small race and a younger crowd. Pat and I found ourselves in last place early on. The race medic drove along with us since we were in the rear (very depressing). Every water station started packing up as soon as we got there (more depressing). Finally, about mile 8 or 9, we passed a runner who was hobbled and in pain. After making sure they were okay, we quietly celebrated that WE WERE NO LONGER LAST. I know that’s bad but . . . how can it be wrong when it felt so right????
The high altitude had been a concern for us lowlanders. So we were taking it very slow to start the race. We crested a hill before the final valley at the foot of the mountains. There we saw the most beautiful sight a runner can ever see. Scores of people limping along. It looked like a zombie movie. Hey, sometimes the turtle pace is not such a bad idea.
My Take: The best scenery of any marathon I have run.
6. St. Jude Memphis Marathon, Memphis, Tennessee (Six Time Runner, most recent 2024) Best Time: 5:49:11
Great Feature: This race supports the local children’s hospital. The course takes you through the hospital grounds. If the weather is nice enough many of the kids are outside with their families to say thank you. Very moving.
The Marathon: The course is flat and winds through several residential neighborhoods. The locals go all out to celebrate race day and it is quite a party. I do miss the bagpipe band which did not play this year. The route does take you along the mighty Mississippi River so that never leaves.
My Take: Well-supported race with one of the better pre-race expos around. I run my hometown marathon every year.
7. Cowtown Marathon, Ft. Worth, Texas (Three time runner, most recent 2024) Best Time: 5:54:00
Best Feature: The course takes you through the Fort Worth, Texas Stockyards. Sometimes the cowboys and longhorn cattle are present to cheer you on.
The Marathon: The weather in Texas in February is really nice. You almost always have sunny days regardless of the temperature. Flat course and beautiful scenery, especially along the Trinity River. Some churches even have outside services along the route. You can run a 5k the day before the marathon for the Cowtown double. You get additional medals and race shorts for this. Two races, three medals, three race shirts. Who does not need more race shirts?????
My Take: Good pre-race expo and a very well-organized race. The route is flat but does have a long slope near the finish.
8. Big Buffalo 50k, Memphis, Tennessee (Four-time runner, last year 2023) Best Time: 8:10:13. Best Finish: 2nd place in age group)
Great Feature: This run takes place at Shelby Farms Park, one of the largest urban parks in the USA. This is actually not a marathon but an ultramarathon.
The Ultramarathon: Anything longer than 26.2 is an ultramarathon. The shortest standard distance is 50 kilometers or about 31 miles. I got the idea of doing this because of the long walks before and after the Marine Corps Marathon. I said to myself, “Self, if you can do 26.2 plus the vector (.75) plus the mile walk before plus the mile walk after, you can do an ultra.” So far, self has never answered.
My Take: Shelby Farms is my training place so I love anything that lets you run there even more.
9. Mississippi River Marathon, Greenville, Mississippi (Four time runner, most recent 2024) Best Time: 5:54:12
Great Feature: The race starts near Lake Village, Arkansas, and ends in Greenville, Mississippi. You can run one marathon in two states in one day. The course is flat and the biggest challenge is running over the Mississippi River Bridge. The bridge acts like a pretty big hill!
The Marathon: Flat course that winds through the Mississippi Delta. The race support staff are superb. The course goes through some pretty remote areas and the delta is not the most scenic area. The weather is usually okay. This is one of the few marathons in the region at this time of the year (early February).
My Take: A good race for early in the season. Taking the shuttle to the start line is a long ride so race day starts early.
10. Little Rock Marathon, Little Rock, Arkansas (2023) Time: 6:04:45
Great Feature: You can run a 5k or 10k the day before the race. You get double the medals and shirts. Speaking of medals. This race has the biggest and best in the business. You have to see them to believe them. I ran the 10k and then the marathon for the double. Ouch.
The Marathon: I grew up in Little Rock so this race takes me down memory lane. The street my grandmother lived on leads right up to some very hilly areas. Lots of great scenery and the race is well organized.
Honorable Mention:
Andrew Jackson Marathon, Jackson, Tennessee (2024) Time: 5:42:23. Fourth Place Age Group (4 of 4).
Loved this race but it is a loop course (You run the 13.1 route and then run it again for the full marathon).
Memphis BBQ Marathon, Memphis, Tennessee (2021) Time: 6:00:38 First place age group finish (1 of 1).
The race was a one-time event but I won my age group (and also finished last in my age group!) so it gets a mention.
Run for Aviation Marathon, Warner Robbins, Georgia (2019) Time: 5:57:48. Third Place Age Group Finish.
Well-organized race that is on the Air Force Base. Some security event happened so we were pulled from the course. They did let us finish the marathon just off base in the parking lot.
Hatfield-McCoy Marathon, Pikeville, Kentucky (2021) Time: 6:22:20
This race covers two states, West Virginia and Kentucky. The race has lots of elevation change and the heat and humidity are no joke. The course runs along the sites of the famous Hatfield-McCoy fued. Great scenery. Did I mention the hills?
Wrap Up for Seven Years of Marathons:
Total Marathons and Ultramarathons: 31
Marital Counseling Sessions: 32
Next Marathon: Death Valley Marathon, Death Valley, California (“Self,” I said, “What’s the worst that could happen?”).
Michael R Spradlin 