My Top 5 Favorite Races

Over the past few years I have ran my fair share of races ranging from “OMG I’ll never do this again” to “I could run this each year and never get tired!” While this was a tough task, I took the time to pick out my top 5 favorite races and wrote about why I chose them. I hope this list may encourage you to try out a new race or two :)

1. Philadelphia Marathon (Philadelphia, PA/Typically the Sunday before Thanksgiving)
This probably doesn’t come as a surprise that this is one of my top 5 favorite race and it  has a special place in my heart for many reasons! Number one being this was my first marathon. I’ve also spent my whole life living super close to Philly, so there are a lot of memories tied in with the city. If we’re gdtging technical, though, this race is great because it’s a primarily flat course with great scenery. You run all throughout the city of Philadelphia, and the sights are definitely worth seeing, from University City to Old City to Manayunk. This marathon can be comparable to one big party as the music and spectators are plentiful! If you’re looking for a perfect first marathon, look no further because Philadelphia Marathon is your race!

2. Hershey Half Marathon (Hershey, PA/Late October)
This was my first half marathon and what a perfect first it was! There are so many amazing perks to this race. For one, you get two free tickets into the park (they have to be used either race weekend or the following weekend, if it's still the same) which makes for a very eventful weekend! Second, the area around Hershey is beautiful so the course is just great. Third, you get chocolate before, during, AND after the race! They typically throw some candy in your bag at packet pick up, they had out mini Hershey bars on the course around mile 11 or 12, and then at the end, you get a whole reusable lunch bag full of snacks and candy! I'm all about the post-race snacks so the bag at the end is perfect. If you're looking for a fun race weekend and maybe even a racecation, this is it!

3. Garden Spot Village Half Marathon (Garden Spot, PA/April)
Most people would probably be shocked that I'm putting this in my top 5 because the course is hills for days and the year I ran it, it snowed... in April! Not gonna lie, the snow made it so much fun and added to the experience. My main reason for choosing this race is because the the overall hospitality of the race directors and other people who help run it. From sign up to crossing the finish line, this race was phenomenal! The swag is incredible. They give you not only one, but TWO race shirts. "One for running in (tech shirt) and one for running around in (regular t-shirt that comes in men AND women's fit)" is how they explain why. The non-tech shirts are always so nice and have cute sayings. I actually went back a year I wasn't running it and purchased one of the shirts because I thought it was awesome. And this comes by no surprise, but the post-race food is spot on! Oatmeal, soup, chocolate milkshakes, and more. They have so much, I honestly can't remember it all. I could go on for days but I'll end with this: if you run this half along with the Bird in Hand half (a close contender when it came to making my list) in the same calendar year, you'll get the Road Apple Award. Wondering what that is? It's literally a plaque with petrified horse poop on it. I know it sounds strange, but it's so cool!

4. Rock N Roll Half Marathon/5K (Philadelphia, PA or anywhere else the Rock N Roll series takes place)
I wish I had all the money in the world to be able to travel and run all of the Rock N Roll series races! I've had the opportunity to run the Philly twice and the 5K twice. Both were awesome races with cool swag and great music along the course! The courses are similar to many Philadelphia races but I can't complain because it's the coolest route in my personal opinion. Like many Philly races, it has a cool expo! I wish I had more to say but it's hard for me to explain just how fun and awesome the Rock N Roll races are.

5. Broad Street 10-Miler (Philadelphia, PA/First weekend in May)
This was my first long distance race and what a great race it is! Everything from the expo to the finish line area is amazing! The course is pretty much just 10 downhill miles of parties. Seriously, everyone comes out to cheer on runners and the vibes are phenomenal! I'm totally motivated by people cheering me on so I have no problem at any point during this race. This is the perfect race for anyone who wants to run something longer than a 10K but isn't quite ready to go for the half marathon. Broad Street is the race I have to thank for getting me into running longer distance. I had so much fun running for more than just a 5K and it made me realize I could definitely run a half marathon (and even longer!).

Question of the Day: What is your favorite race?