My Marathon Triple Crown (And Why It Doesn’t Include Boston)

With yesterday’s 141st running of the Kentucky Derby, many Americans pretended to be “experts” and “fans” of horse racing, at least until American Pharaoh won coming down the stretch.

Photo from USA Today

Remind anyone of the Boston Marathon?

So in honor of yesterday’s race, I thought I’d put together my “marathon triple crown” if you will, of races that I would really like to run someday.

(For the record, Boston isn’t on the list because I WILL run that race. These three would just be a little icing on the cake.)

My Marathon Triple Crown of Races, in No Particular Order

1. Big Sur: I have mixed feelings about this race. It’s an out and back course, which I’m not too keen on. It’s super popular, which means it’s probably going to be pretty crowded and I like having some breathing room when I’m running. That said, the race isn’t run in a big town which is cool. And everyone that I know that has run it says that it is an amazing race and should be on every runner’s bucket list. It doesn’t have bucket list status for me yet, but if/when the opportunity to run Big Sur pops up I won’t let it pass.
2. Comrades Marathon: I guess even acknowledging that I’d love to run Comrades pushes me even closer to running an ultra at some point, eh? So be it. After talking with several people on the podcast that have run Comrades, none of which had anything remotely bad to say about the race, I think I’d have to run the race if I ever have the chance. Traveling to South Africa is no small commitment, but I do have a secret goal to run a marathon on 6 continents (no desire to run Antarctica) and I would absolutely love to visit South Africa as a tourist. So who knows, maybe a runcation to South Africa could be in my future at some point.
3. Athens Marathon: Why not run the route that started it all? Whether or not the entire story of Phidippides is true, it’s a great story and I think it would be fun to literally run in his footsteps (without dying at the end, of course). A big appeal to me for running Boston is the history of that particular race, and you’re not going to find more history for a race than the Athens Marathon.

So there you have it, my marathon triple crown of races.

Who knows if I’ll ever get to the finish line at all three of these amazing races, but here’s hoping I can at least collect a jewel or two before I hang up the running shoes for good.

Do You Have Any Races on Your “Not Quite Bucket List” That You’d Like to Run If You Got the Chance? I’d Love to Hear What Race and Why in the Comments Below!