Good non Disney slow runner Marathon?

[Stitch_lover_Sith]

Yes, it is hot and humid, but if you are from Texas, you can handle it! Since the finish is near the ocean, we saw many people just walk right into the water after the race. A few WISHers have run this, including Kim if you want a first hand account. I am saving my pennies for this someday. I am going back and forth between doing Honolulu or WDW as my first (maybe) marathon.

I have run this race, it was hot this past year and not very humid. No rain yay.

 

[RunRookie]

The Little Rock Marathon has an early start option which gives you 8 hours to complete their race. The only caveat is that your 'cannot' finish the race faster than 6 hours if you select the Early Start Option.

Little Rock is the race with the largest Finishers Medal! This year's race (which I am running) sports a medal that weighs 2.12 lbs and is about 8 inches in diameter!

 

[DOOM1001]

More marathons should probably have 7 hour sweep times to encourage people to sign up,two weeks after running the Disney full and seeing 28,000 runners do the Disney half and 26,000 do the Disney full I went to see some friends do the Miami half marathon which is run at the same time as the full marathon,both on Sunday morning.I was amazed at how it seemed that 75%-80% of the runners were doing the half,I looked it up online and about 14,000-15,000 finished the half and only like 3,700 finished the full,I was shocked after seeing the lack of runners doing the full.One thing I noticed is that the Miami half marathon sweep time was 3:30 while the full marathon was 6 hours,I wonder how many more would have signed up for the full if the sweep time was 7 hours.That lack of runners is also the reason I only signed up for the Miami half marathon instead of the full,along with that I'll be running the Disney full 3 weeks before in January 2014.Having a good amount of people on the road with you also adds to the event,at least for me,I also noticed the only difference in medals between the Miami 1/2 and full was a different colored ribbon.

 

[FFigawi]

I was amazed at how it seemed that 75%-80% of the runners were doing the half,I looked it up online and about 14,000-15,000 finished the half and only like 3,700 finished the full,I was shocked after seeing the lack of runners doing the full.

Most races that offer both a half and a full at the same time will have many more people running the half than the full, assuming they don't do something annoying like Houston and limit the entries for the half. It's a much more popular and accessible distance for most people. As my wife was fond of saying, she feels like she's done something but isn't wiped out for the rest of the day.

 

[goofeygirl]

This is an interesting thread. I did the Goofy challenge this year which also happened to be my very first full. I knew that Disney was forgiving for slow pokes such as myself.

I am signed up for MANY half marathons this year but no full as yet. I , like the op , am looking for something slow friendly.

I know there are queries as to why a race doesn't extend its hours from 6 to 8 and I think it probably has to do with money. It cost money have officers out there directing traffic and closing roads. Volunteers, you need many many more to cover the walkers. It would have to be financially beneficial for them. I know Disney can afford to do it...well...with their rates...but anyway.

I am sure I will find a slow friendly full marathon that doesn't require me to travel to kingdom come to do it...however the Honolulu one sounds nice but I am going there next week to do the Happalua..and I think one trip a year is enough.

 

[RunRookie]

Something I have heard in various podcasts about Half vs Full marathons, is that many races will have a Half Marathon because (as John said) it is a more accessible race distance, which means a lot more people will sign up for it. The income from the 15,000 half marathoners goes a LONG way to paying the expenses of putting on both races, especially when you only have a third of the Half number running the Full.

This is not to say that those Half marathon races are any less organized or fun. I am just saying that Half marathons can be a way to help fund the costs of putting on Full Marathon, which leveraging the same pool of volunteers and infrastructure to keep overall costs low.

 

[goofeygirl]

I just signed up for the Newport Rhode Island Full marathon.
I did the half last year and what a beautiful run that race is! So scenic. If you enjoy the ocean and passing by magnificent mansions and quaint streets than this is the race.
I went to their results page and see a lot slow pokes had ran the full last year. I am not saying this is a race for slower paced people, but gee, if you are going that slow why not have the scenery to go with it?

Anyway, I think I am sticking to doing mostly halfs. Do the Newport full and go for the Goofy challenge again in 2014. I now have to wait for registration to open!