The Fall Marathon season is in full swing with around 200 marathons in the U.S. scheduled between September 15th and November 15th. More than 200,000 runners will complete races during this two-month period.
For runners who want to stretch their marathon season or want to use the cooler early Fall weather for training instead of racing, December and January offer some great marathons with enough variety for all types of runners.
We’ve highlighted some of December and January’s marathons below.
Destination Races
If you’re just looking to get away and get a marathon in while you’re at it, the Honolulu Marathon is an ideal choice. After the race, you can rest your legs by lounging by the clear Pacific waters.
In addition, the much smaller, downhill Hawaii Bird Conservation Marathon on the Big Island boasts a nearly 4,000-foot drop in elevation for those wanting to get away and run a fast marathon. Two-thirds of finishers last year qualified for Boston.
Additional Option: Maui Oceanfront Marathon
Best Chance to BQ
For those who are looking to qualify for Boston, several races offer excellent opportunities. Perhaps the best is the California International Marathon. Last year over 2,000 runners (27.1%) ran Boston qualifying times – the fourth highest total of all marathons.
The smaller Rehoboth Seashore and Kiawah Island Golf Resort Marathons also offer good opportunities to BQs due to their very flat courses.
Additional Option: Houston Marathon
Great Causes
The free Millinocket Marathon in Millinocket, Maine won’t cost you anything to enter. Race organizers do ask that you patronize the local businesses to help this struggling mill town who has recently lost its primary employer.
Additional Option: St. Jude Memphis Marathon
Florida Road Trip
Florida boasts several marathons in December and January that cover every coast and region. The Panama City Beach Marathon is on the Gulf coast on the Panhandle, the Jacksonville Marathon is on the North Atlantic coast, the Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale A1A Marathons are in southern Florida, and the Space Coast and Walt Disney World Marathons are in central Florida.
Additional Options: Town of Celebration Marathon, Clearwater Running Festival Marathon
Big City Races
Seattle (Seattle Marathon), Dallas (Dallas Marathon), and San Antonio (Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon) all hold races in December for those looking for more metropolitan destinations.
January Options: Phoenix (Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon), Houston (Houston Marathon)
Downhill All the Way
The previously mentioned Hawaii Bird Conservation Marathon and California International Marathon (340’ drop), as well as the Tucson Marathon (~1,800’), allow runners to run downhill for significant parts of the course. Both CIM and Tucson have several rolling hills along the course, while the Hawaii Bird Conservation Marathon (3,800’) is downhill almost the entire route.
To view more December and January marathons or to find marathons in any month or by other criteria, check out our Marathon Calendars at FindMyMarathon.com
