We returned to Alaska for the 2nd time to try for the sub-4 hour finish. This time we went to the capital, Juneau, which is located very far south of the state, close to the Canadian border. Who flies all the way to Alaska just for the weekend? Well, we did this time around, but we made the most of our trip there and even managed to fit in some exploring after the run. This race report is quite picture heavy but Juneau is spectacular!
We entered a run that wasn’t a marathon! We slipped this into the schedule because it was ideal training for the ultra-insane Pikes Peak Marathon that we’ve entered in August. It’s “only” 12.8 miles so we should be able to knock that out no trouble, right? Wrong! Peaking at 10,200 feet altitude and with a total of 7,260 feet of elevation change this course will eat you up. We struggled to walk for several days after the race. Although it’s not a marathon we thought we’d write up our experience here.
Iowa in the middle of summer, it was never going to be easy. The heat and humidity were draining and made for a tough run. The organisers did a great job though and made sure all the runners got the liquids they needed. State #48 achieved and it took a lot of pushing but we also got the sub 4. Other big milestones were that it was my 70th marathon and Leah’s 60th! Full report here.
We finished our longest streak of back-to-back weekends at Lake Placid, running 14 marathons in 14 weeks, all of which have been sub-4 hour finishes. We had a great time at Lake Placid and were reminded of how scenic New York State is, a completely different landscape from New York City. We also completed State #47, which while sounding so close to #50, is still a little farther than that as it’s sub-4 State #41. Full report available.
We returned to Wyoming to repeat the state for a sub-4 hour finish time. It was one of our slower marathons of the year so far but we managed to hit our target and achieve sub-4 state #40! The tough run was definitely helped by a huge spread of food at the end, with everything from fruit to pizza and beers. I’m not sorry to say that the fruit didn’t quite make it to our hands. Full write-up here.
*** We’re Titanium Marathon Maniacs!! *** Our 5th marathon in the month of May was also our 30th in the last 11 months, covering a combination of 30 different US States or Countries. This earned us the top level in the club (10 stars), a club formed for serial marathoners and a status level that only 2% of the members have achieved. When we first joined we thought this level was insane, but we now realise this goes back to limits being only what you believe them to be. Full race report is online.
We loved the Vermont City Marathon! Not only was it a great event and popular with the Maniacs group, but also with a long Memorial Day weekend we were able to actually relax for once after the run and truly enjoy the post-race beers. It also meant we didn’t feel even slightly guilty at consuming vast amounts of Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream at the original iconic factory. All the details are here.
Horse Capital was more like monsoon capital for us, but at least it was warm rain! We were so soaked it became funny, but there were also periods where the rain held off and we were able to admire the rural landscape in Lexington, Kentucky, as we ran by some 40+ horse farms and a lot of horses. Leah won a nicely crafted award for 3rd place in her age group and we checked off our 45th State. Full report now online.
The humidity made marathon #64 a tough race and a draining second half. We were saved only by lemon ice being handed out.. if only all races had this on offer. Despite losing most of our body weight through water-loss, we snatched another sub 4 and Leah broke the course record for Colorado females! Full details and some more pictures now available here
And so began crazy May. There were 5 weekends in May during 2015 and we had marathons booked for every weekend, each in a different State. It was time to get serious with those numbers! Rhode Island is the smallest state in the US, but they can still fit in a 26.2 mile course. Full report on the Providence Marathon is here.