Forums >Racing>Looking for a Marathon to sign up the night before
Marquess of Utopia
I know it hard to believe that there are still marathons that you can sign up the night before...
But are there any marathons that have 10-20 guys running 2:18 - 2:30 and you can still sign up the night before? What about 30-60 days before?
Feeling the growl again
Looking for that kind of depth AND late/last minute signup is asking a lot. I can't think of any offhand.
However, with your speed, I'd recommend directly contacting the RD of the mid-sized marathons which might have that kind of field. With your pedigree, I would be surprised if some of them would not be willing to accommodate you up until pretty close for the race. If you contact some of them further out and discuss it with them...and find out how late they are willing to let you wait before committing...that would be even better.
I ran "elite" (using the term loosely) at a good number of races like that. Even if races don't advertise such programs, a lot of them work with skilled talent for the front of the field behind the scenes.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
A Saucy Wench
Yeah I know races that will let you sign up day of race but in my recollection the number of guys in the sub 2:30 range is...well you, if you show up.
I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets
"When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7
Why is it sideways?
Looking for that kind of depth AND late/last minute signup is asking a lot. I can't think of any offhand. However, with your speed, I'd recommend directly contacting the RD of the mid-sized marathons which might have that kind of field. With your pedigree, I would be surprised if some of them would not be willing to accommodate you up until pretty close for the race. If you contact some of them further out and discuss it with them...and find out how late they are willing to let you wait before committing...that would be even better. I ran "elite" (using the term loosely) at a good number of races like that. Even if races don't advertise such programs, a lot of them work with skilled talent for the front of the field behind the scenes.
+1.
bigkenny
Toledo Glass City Marathon - not quite the field you're looking for but can sign up the day before. Coming up in April. A local guy who has twice run the US olympic marathon trials has won it a couple of times.
A good race, I was 2nd once and did the relay numerous times (all on the old, little harder course). Other good ones with which I have had great experiences working with the RDs are Steamtown and Shamrock Virginia Beach. Both can have decent fields, depending on the year.
MTA: Toledo will likely be very thin. Not more than 3-4 guys under 2:40 most years, unless things have changed.
Thanks, I'll have to look at some more results of a few medium sized races. Glass City could be fun. I know Little Rock is a good race with 3+ people running sub 2:30 when the weather isn't too hot/windy; but the course is not forgiving.
I think Chicago will allow sub 2:30 runners to sign up 30-60 days ahead of time, but the other major marathons (NY, Boston, Houston, MCM, Grandma's, Cal International, ect; will require a little more planning).
Remember when you could still sign up for Boston in Jan/Feb...