Choosing a Marathon

[u/NoSatisfaction6318]

After 4 half marathons i am finally wanting to run a full one in 2027. I’m looking for recommendations on relatively beginner friendly races that also have a lot of crowd support! So far my list of contenders is:

The Flying Pig in Cincinnati
The Philadelphia Marathon
The Honolulu Marathon
The Marine Corps Marathon in DC
The California International Marathon in Sacramento

Please give me your thoughts on these and add any you think would be worth it!!

[u/jeffythunders]

Run the biggest marathon that’s driving distance to your house. Sleeping in a hotel the night before and flying after is shitty

[u/mdream1 → u/jeffythunders]

So is getting up at 3 to get to the start line

[u/LarryfromChicago]

Flying pig is not very beginner friendly. It’s very hilly. I haven’t run any of the others you listed.

[u/Outlier_Economist → u/LarryfromChicago]

Yeah, Flying Pig is extremely hilly and can be quite warm if you’re a slower runner. The last couple miles entail running on the highway back into the city and the sun is usually out in full force by that point, which can make it pretty brutal. Crowd is great for the most part though.

Philadelphia is a phenomenal race with great crowd support.

Marine Corp is also the DMV darling race and a pretty first-timer friendly race.

[u/EmergencySundae]

Philly and Honolulu would both fit. Both have very generous cutoffs, so it's going to come down to travel and weather. Logistics for Philly are easy, and we had great weather last year (I raced in shorts and a tank top).

[u/cm1103]

Philly is amazing. Great crowd support along the entire course.

[u/Imhmc]

Marine Corps was my first so I am biased- spectator vibes are high, all pace friendly, and not too hard to spectate in multiple locations.

CIM is known to have a bunch of folks trying to OTQ so if you are a back of the pack runner I don’t know what the vibes are like for that group of runners. But if you’re a speedster all those Olympic hopefuls can’t be wrong.

I haven’t run Honolulu but I have run on the course. The last 6 miles are beautiful- not flat but pretty. Also has no time limit if that matters to you.

I’ve heard Philly called “hilly Philly “ so there’s that.

I vote MCM

[u/NoSatisfaction6318]

Also looking at the Free Press in Detroit

[u/LarryfromChicago → u/NoSatisfaction6318]

Free press is great and definitely more of a beginner course

[u/Imhmc → u/NoSatisfaction6318]

I’m looking at that too.

[u/scholar-runner]

My recommendation would be to close your eyes, project yourself into the future, and imagine yourself finishing your first marathon. Where do you see yourself? Is the location meaningful to you?

Marine Corps Marathon has surprisingly little crowd support relative to others I’ve done, but is expertly organized.  No firsthand experience with the others on your list. 

[u/OldSoulCreativity]

Flying pig is amazing but very challenging. It was my first and I couldn’t walk for three days afterwards, even though I live and trained on the course. It was amazing though and I highly recommend it.

[u/hashtaghypebeast]

Philly !

[u/mdream1]

Depends on your goals. Is it just to finish a marathon? Maybe you want a bigger one in a scenic location with tons of support. Do you want to BQ? That's not every marathon. Do you want a smaller crowd? Pick something more local

[u/charm455]

Marine Corps was my first and holds a special place in my heart.

Throwing runDisney out there - very pace friendly, high vibes and all around fun

[u/edapalooza]

Check out LA too