We were apprehensive going into our 3rd marathon in the year (especially considering it’s still January!) and after running hard the weekend before in Hawaii. As is turned out, we couldn’t have asked for a better marathon or result! Very relaxing surroundings and enjoyable. We all ran the wrong way right off the start line though which was funny. Full write-up is here.
We had a whale of a time (ha-ha) in Hawaii. It was humpback whale migration season so this marathon saw us running alongside the oceanfront on Maui island watching the whales leaping in and out of the water. This tropical paradise was more amazing than we had even imagined and we didn’t want to leave. We’ll never forget marathon #53. Full report here.
Our first marathon to kick off 2015 and the cold gave us a shock! We had a lot of fun at the Marathon Maniacs annual reunion with speeches, quizzes, a huge pasta dinner and some catch-ups with Maniac friends. We completed our 35th US State, leaving 15 to go. It was our 28th Sub-4 hour State though, requiring 7 repeats to catch up with that challenge. Can we complete them all in 2015?! Full write-up.
We had a spare weekend in California so we managed to fit in a casual marathon around Quarry Lakes Park along with some driving down Route 1. It was a great way to finish off marathoning in 2014 and explore some new areas in California. The olallieberry pie was a big highlight. Full report now online.
For my 50th and Leah’s 40th Marathon we got to meet Dean Karnazes at the Seattle Marathon Expo and get a copy of his 50 Marathons in 50 States in 50 Days book signed! Although it was cold we had great fun exploring Seattle and an enjoyable marathon running through the city and the surrounding area. Back to form we felt strong throughout the race and completed our 20th marathon of the year. Full details here.
Marathon #49 definitely didn’t go according to plan and was actually the only one in the year where we didn’t achieve sub 4 after initially setting out to. Set in Shawnee Mission Park, it was a nice picturesque marathon but it took place in below freezing weather with some snow and hail storms thrown in. Although we didn’t run sub 4 we completed the State, which 2 miles into the run seemed like a daunting enough task for me! Full details here.
Marathon #48 saw us running the only marathon in the US that crosses 3 different States (no, it only counts for 1!). We started in Utah, ran through Arizona and finished in Nevada, running through spectacular desert scenery along with our friend Bob. The heat of the desert sun and the (unexpected) hills made this a tough race. However, I won my age group! Full write-up here.
Marathon #47 in West Virginia was special because of the history of the Marshall University Football team. Also with one of the best finishes ever, we ran into their stadium and then along the length of the football field holding an American football, all the way into the end zone for a touchdown! Uh, I mean, the race finish. Full write-up is now here.
Marathon #46. After our 20km trail running “rest weekend” following the Hartford Marathon, we were in beautiful New Hampshire running among the autumn / fall leaves and around lakes and streams. Full report is now online here.
It’s officiall! We’ve finished converting most of the content from our running diary to website form so we’re sending out the web address. The remaining race reports will be posted up very soon, so that everything is brought up to date with where we currently are with our marathon challenges in 2015. Thank you all for your support, comments and encouragement, it means a huge deal to us both. We hope you enjoy our write-ups.