March 5, 2023: Napa Valley Marathon (Napa, CA)
We had a wonderful time in Napa. We flew out a week early so we could spend time exploring the area, eating good food and trying several wineries.
The race course was a nice mostly downhill route. Our one challenge was the weather. It had been cool the entire week, but race morning was rainy. The rain turned to hail and sleet and COLD. Not exactly fun! But all in all this is a race we’d do again.
April 16, 2023: Coastal Delaware Marathon (Rehoboth Beach, DE)
We’d never been to Delaware before, so this marathon trip was a double bonus. We stayed in Dewey Beach, about a 7-min drive from our race location. The beaches were spectacular and, thanks to the off-season, not at all crowded.
The race itself was challenging. We ran through a state park with some trail segments. Thanks to recent rains, we had to run through a flooded section as well. The race finished on the boardwalk – not my favorite type of running surface. The town provided great race support and hosted an amazing post-run buffet at the sponsoring pizza shop.
April 22, 2023: Riverboat Series Marathon (Vienna, IL)
Our first driving marathon of the year was in southern Illinois. Kelly had previously run Chicago, but I still lacked the state. He was happy to run it again, particularly since several of our running club members planned to go to do the race also. Since we were driving, Glory got to come along. That always makes for a fun trip! Vienna is a very small town and is most notable for being the area where the forced Cherokee relocation started to be called “The Trail of Tears.”
The race was a loop-based course along the Tunnel Hill Trail. Hosted by one of our favorite low-key organizers, Mainly Marathons, the race offered excellent support and lots of friendly faces.
May 5, 2023: Red Island State Marathon (Warwick, RI)
Rhode Island is a difficult state to pick up for races – there simple aren’t many of them and the timing can be challenging. Fortunately there is a race organizer, Star Racing, that schedules races at off-times to help 50 state runners. We flew into Hartford and drove over to Warwick, which is very close to Providence. It was a low-key stay for us. Besides the race, we enjoyed good Italian food, local roasted coffee, excellent seafood and watched the Coronation during breakfast (along with several other hotel guests!).
The race was, like Mainly Marathons, a series of loops. Course directions were a little less clear though, making the first go-round challenging. The location was a very nice park with lots of up and down hills, water views and paved trails. The organizers provided excellent fuel, including hot foods, on every lap.
May 7, 2023: Nutmeg State Marathon (Hartford, CT)
We drove back to Hartford for our next race. We discovered the Mark Twain home, so we decided to tour it. Much to our surprise, Harriet Beecher Stowe had lived next door so we were able to see her home, too. Overall, doing this unplanned tour was a highlight of our trip. We also enjoyed good Italian food, tried our first (and likely last) clam pizza, and discovered an excellent brewery post-race.
Unlike the race two days earlier, the temperatures were much warmer and the race had very little shade. It looped around a golf course and featured a couple of rowdy hills at the beginning and end of each loop. Food support was once again good.
May 28, 2023: Wyoming Marathon and Medicine Bow Half (Laramie, WY)
The hardest race we did all year was in Wyoming. Like the northeastern states, part of the challenge with Wyoming is finding a race to do. Very few are offered and making what was available work with our schedule obligations took us down to a single option. It was an easy to reach race – just a three hour drive from Denver.
We had a wonderful time in Laramie before the race. The town looks like an advertisement for a Hallmark movie. Hands-down our favorite stop was the Sugar Mouse, a local cupcake shop. Delicious! The race was held at a location we’d never heard of: The Lincoln Highway rest area. We were grateful for the opportunity to visit it and learn about the history of the Lincoln Highway and see a beautiful monument to the president. On the way back to Denver we drove by the state capitol, which is always something we enjoy seeing when visiting a state for the first time.
The race was ran through Medicine Bow National Forest and was incredibly challenging. The elevation was higher than we expected. The course was very hilly and featured very little shade. We were very glad to get this race done and Wyoming crossed off the list.
July 16, 2023: Sri Chinmoy Half Marathon (Flushing Meadows, NY)
Kelly and I ran the state of New York several years ago, but for me the race was a marathon. With a new goal to do a half marathon in every state, I needed to pick up a half marathon somewhere in the state. I found one in New York City, Flushing Meadows to be precise, and realized I could cheaply fly in and out on a quick turn to do the race over a weekend. I found an AirBnb close to Flushing Meadows Park, where the race was held, and limited my time in NYC to getting the race done.
Race day featured a total downpour. Fortunately I’d planned to throw away my shoes post-race. Thanks to the rain, I did! The course was a multi-loop and, thanks to the rain, wasn’t super-enjoyable. I focused on getting the run done and getting home.
September 2, 2023: Rockin’ Brews Marathon (Madison, WI)
We loaded Glory in the car and headed back to Wisconsin to redeem a failed race from 2022. When we last went to Madison, our race was cancelled due to an unexpected thunderstorm. This time, the weather was clear but warm. We ate at our favorite Italian deli from our last visit and relaxed. Glory was with us since it was a road trip. She also enjoyed exploring trails on the journey.
As mentioned, the weather was warm. For Texans, it was fine. For most runners, it was not. In fact there was a very real risk of the race being cancelled again. We set our minds to running the race at a pace we hadn’t planned to ensure we didn’t have to run it again. I was thrilled to pass the point where I’d been pulled off the course in 2022 and even happier to finish the race. Kelly finished with plenty of time to spare. Good thing because the race was called off early!
September 22, 2023: Clarence DeMar Marathon (Keene, NH)
Our final travel race of the year was the Clarence DeMar in New Hampshire. The town of Keene was pretty small, but the downtown was quaint and a local college kept things lively.
The course was beautiful. Easily one of our favorites. Beautiful scenery, gentle rolling hills, terrific local support and a great post-race support area.
Plus: Kelly also ran three nearby Texas marathons: Cowtown Marathon (February in Fort Worth), Oktoberfest (October in Farmersville) and Dallas Marathon (December in Dallas)