RunPatRun Race Series – Part 7: Marathon Bucket List

Several years ago, when I was bored at work (not my current job!), I would do internet searches of the best races to do in the world.

It didn’t really matter where the races were; just that they looked like fun.

I don’t know if I thought that I would ever actually run in any of the races that I was looking at, but that wasn’t important. It was really just a fun way for me to kill a little time before I could go home for the day.

As time went on, I got a new job, and spent less time looking at exotic or far off races.

But some races have always stuck in my head as ones that I would like to do one day.

Here are the marathons that caught my eye then and that I will hopefully be doing in the years to come:

Copenhagen

Since this is my next big race, of course it has to be on this list.

This is a race and a country that hasn’t really been on my radar for that long, but I do remember seeing the race and thinking “maybe some day”. About a couple of years ago a friend mentioned that I should visit Denmark and run the marathon in Copenhagen. That’s really all I needed to add it to my list.

I registered for this race, which will take place in May and will be my first “official” attempt at qualifying for Boston.

Boston

Do I really need to say anymore? Probably not, but a little bit more won’t hurt.

Boston is Boston and the one race that so many people around the world want to run in. I’m no different. I always thought it would be cool to run, but honestly never thought it would be a real possibility because of the very difficult qualifying standards. And I was ok with that.

But as time has gone on, it feels like it’s more of a possibility, so I’ve officially added it to this list.

I’ll have a separate blog post in April about the appeal of the Boston Marathon to me.

Berlin

With all of the historical events that have taken place in the city (both political and sporting), not to mention the number of elite racers that have run in this event, Berlin has always been on my list of races to do.

Also, I was born in Germany and have never been to Berlin, so hopefully I will have the opportunity to take part in this race in the next few years.

It’s a very flat and fast course, as shown by the 11 different occasions the marathon world record has been set in this race, including the last 7 times the men’s record has been broken (most recent – 2018 Eliud Kipchoge).

Munich

Yes – I’ve already done this race, but it’s still on my list.

Here’s why: running through a city with such history and finishing on the track of one of the most famous stadiums in the world is tough to beat. With a separate start time and only 4,500 finishers (in 2019), it doesn’t feel like a big city race even though what you run through (sights and spectators) might seem like it.

Also, German beer and food is very good!

I’ll also have a new blog post coming soon about my experience at this race in 2019.

World Majors

Boston, New York City, Chicago, London, Berlin and Tokyo. To earn the Six Star medal, you have to complete the marathon in each of these six cities. This has been around since 2006 and so far there are just over 7,000 people in the world that have officially completed all six of the World Major races.

Of course, these are some of the biggest marathons in the world and that means that they’re all very difficult to get into. So really this is only on my list as a contingency in the event that I am able to qualify for Boston and get in through the lottery of each of the others at some point.

Honorable Mentions

Grandma’s Marathon – Minnesota

Chicago Marathon – Either by itself or as part of the World Majors.

Jungfrau Marathon – A mountain marathon in the Swiss Alps.

Are any of these on your bucket list of races to do? Which ones should I be adding to my list? Let me know in the comments!

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More From RunPatRun:

• Coming Soon: As I mentioned above, two upcoming posts in my Race Series will be about the appeal of the Boston Marathon to me and my experiences at the 2019 Munich Marathon.
• Just in case you missed them, the other parts of my Race Series are:
  • RunPatRun Race Series – Part 1: Favorite Race – Marine Corps Marathon
  • RunPatRun Race Series – Part 2: Bird-In-Hand 5k and Half Marathon
  • RunPatRun Race Series – Part 3: Favorite Race – Rock ‘n’ Roll San Francisco 1/2 Marathon
  • RunPatRun Race Series – Part 4: 2021 Grand Circle Trailfest
  • RunPatRun Race Series – Part 5: 2021 Rocky Run
  • RunPatRun Race Series – Part 6: 2021 Philadelphia Marathon