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.
Marathon #45: The Hartford Marathon in Connecticut. Did you have to rain the entire time?! Another big learning experience for us though, we’re still learning more mentally and physically in every race. Read the full report here, and hope if you run the race you have better weather than we had in 2014!
Marathon #44. We checked off Wisconsin with the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon. Read about my fascination being in a US high school, a lot of pain (we’re not indestructible!), and the finish line incident. Full article is here.
Marathon #43, the Monument Marathon, was really tough. Read about the brutal course under less than ideal circumstances, Leah singing, 2 snake encounters, wild turkeys, spectacular scenery, sun, trail, sun, a skeleton and did I mention sun? Full article here.
Marathon #42. And then we completed the other Dakota State! The Bismarck Marathon was our choice for North Dakota. We encountered a lot of bugs, a funny reminder of a British comedy classic, some home-made ice-cream and a good bottle of red. Read the full article for all the details.
Marathon #41. We completed one of the Dakota States at the Sioux Falls Marathon. It involved visiting Falls Park, a German Oktoberfest in September (why not?!), Mike – the most talkative person we’ve met on a run and a surprise sub 4. We also reached half way in our 50 States journey. Read the full article here.
Marathon #40: Run With The Horses in Green River, Wyoming. Leah wins her first marathon!! Other features of this tough course were 8,000 feet altitude, our concern for sage bush, hills hills and hills and not even realising how well we were initially doing. Read the full article for details!