[runninirish]

I know it is impossible to say, but I'm just wondering what kind of times win smaller races? (ballpark) There is a local marathon in May...this is the first year for it...they are claiming that 3,000 will run...I think the number will be closer to 1,500...if not smaller. Anybody have experience with the smaller races? I just didn't know if there was a big drop off from the bigger races I have run...

 

[Nettie]

I don't have the answer, but I know what race you're talking about. You honestly don't think they'll reach 3,000?

 

[PacerChris]

Totally depends. I've run in some small races where you'd expect a 2:50 to win and someone shows up and uncorks a 2:25. The Air Force Marathon is a decent sized race where high 2:30's usually is the winning time and Josh Cox showed up and pushed me back a spot with a 2:19 (and Chuck Engle came in 2nd in 2:31 so I was even further back!!) Then other races, I do for a training run and find out I could have cracked the top 3! It's too much of a crapshoot, but if you go to Marathonguide.com you can look up historical results/winning times and get a pretty good feel for the winning time.

 

[arc918]

Indeed it's a total crapshoot - you never know who else looked at last year's winning time and figured the could win, place or show this year.<br><br>
Also, you best check Chuck Engle's race schedule...

 

[Coach Craig]

It seems like a large percentage of small or non-prize money races go in the 2:40's. But as others have said, it varies a lot. It just takes one guy.<br><br>
3,000 is huge for a first year race. The Eugene Marathon wasn't even that big in its first year (last year), and they had tons of appeal, publicity, prize money, etc.

 

[lkschiller]

We have two marathons in the area that are small but they may be much smaller than you are anticipating. The Bass Pro Marathon in Springfield, MO was run for the first time last November and it had 268 participants. The winner had a time of 2:34:40 and the top 7 were under 3 hours.<br><br>
The Run for the Ranch at the end of December (it is in its 9th year), also in Springfield, had 80 participants with the winner at 2:39:22, and again the top 7 were all under 3 hours. Both races are Boston qualifiers. Chuck Engle was 2nd in the Run for the Ranch this past year (he won it the year before).

 

[runninirish]

Rockford Marathon? May 18th...I just don't see the local support to get 3,000 out...and I can't see a huge out of town crowd come out for the 1st year...maybe once it's a bit more established...especially a spring marathon in the midwest...I hope I'm wrong, because I'm excited for the race...but I think the numbers will be lower.

 

[bhearn]

1500 is small?<br><br>
I won a small marathon last November... with a 3:13:43. OK, it was 30 people. I think that counts as small.

 

[Alemma]

How about St. Valentine's Day Massare Marathon in Greensboro, NC? Only 16 people registered, 13 people showed up, 8 people finished it, I came in 4th overall and won for females. <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"> Batmomm came in 2nd and IEatHills4Meals came in 3rd. <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif">

 

[mykemp1971]

I'd consider 3000 a medium sized Marathon, and I'd probably expect a 2:23-2:25 to win it (depending on course and weather) 1500 could go almost any way, but I'd probably expect a 2:35 or so to win it.

 

[runninirish]

I guess small is relative...I've only run 4 (Chicago, Grandma's x 2, Boston)...so this is going to be small to me...

 

[PacerChris]

I saw this small race last fall, only around 130 entrants. Had I run my PR I would have come in last place. The winning time was 2:09, some guy named Ryan Hall won it, and I think the prize was that the top 3 guys get a trip to China in August.

 

[canalrunner]

One factor is prize money. I would think small (less than 500) with prize money seems to get times ranging from 2:20--2:35. Without prize money, it is much more of crap shoot.

 

[Flounder]

In small marathons (No Money) - It really depends on who shows up. A 2:29 could win one year and a 2:59 the next. Also - Lets say you can run a 2:47 and the winning time was a 2:50, that does not mean that you could have won as the winner may been capable of running a 2:40 if he wanted to.<br><br>
Wisconsin is the home of the small marathon-<br><br>
Waukesha - March - 167 poeple - 2007 Winning time - 3:07 - Hard Course - 2:50 has been run<br>
Medford - April - 74 poeple - 07 = 2:55 - Easy course<br>
Lake Geneva - May - 127 poeple - 07 = 2:47 - Moderate Course<br>
Eagle River - May - 138 people - 07 = 2:49 - easy/moderate - 2:39 has been run<br>
Green Bay - May - 1,311 people - 07 = 2:19 - Easy - 2:17 has been run $3500 1st place<br>
Madison - May - 1,029 poeple - 07 = 2:29 - easy<br>
Hurley - August - 263 poeple - 07 = 2:43 -moderate - 2:14 course record, but 2:39 recently<br>
Appleton - September - 853 poeple - 07 = 2:42 ( Usually 2:32) easy - 2:17 course record<br>
Milwaukee - October - caps out at 2,500 people - 07=2:36 - easy - Course Rec 2:14 ($500 1st place)<br>
Ashland - November - 228 people - 07=2:28 - easy -

 

[RunLongVT]

Ah yes, who among us moderately talented marathoners hasn't had that thought of cherrypicking a small-town race, just to have that win checked off the bucket list?<br><br>
Up here in VT, that race would probably be the Green Mountain Marathon in October. But I agree with the above posters- you just never know who will show up. 2:50-2:55 typically takes it, but there are a couple of 2:40 times in the last ten years and you just never know when that guy will show up.<br><br>
But just think, there's a guy who's three minutes slower than you thinking the same thing. This could be your year. YOU could be that guy...

 

[canalrunner]

With a 3:02 PB, I think RunLongVT this is your year<img alt="banana.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/banana.gif">.<br>
Anyone know of a marathon with a winning time around 3:20 (besides Antarctica) I want to have my shot at glory.

 

[PacerChris]

It's not really small but there's a race in Colorado with less than a thousand people and the winning time was 3:48! Talk about cherry picking...that's a cake time to beat!<br><br>
The race is called Pike's Peak...good luck, and remember to go out hard to discourage your competition right from the gun! <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif">

 

[canalrunner]

Unfortunately a little too slow, a little too big and not enough up and down for me.

 

[CoyoteMark]

He he! <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"><img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"><img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"><br><br>
On the opposite end of the scale there is the Colorado Marathon here in Ft. Collins. It is capped at 1000; the course record is 2:25; the claim to fame is that this race has the highest BQ percentage of any race in the US- 16-18%. Not that I'll ever get there... <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">

 

[Nettie]

Yeah, that's the one. I am thinking about doing the half depending on how badly I do in the one I have coming up next weekend. I don't forsee a huge out of town crowd either, but Rockford is just close enough to Chicago that I think we might see some good numbers. I'd certainly rather do Rockford in May (as a half) than the CDC in hot as Hades August.