My 20 Best Marathons List

Here is a list I have compiled of my 20 best marathons that I have either run or look forward to run one day, along with an explanation for why I have chosen each of these.

1) New York City

I love New York City. Now I'm a little partial, I've lived here for almost 10 years now. But there's just certain times where the best of New York City comes out and the ING NYC marathon is one of those times.

EVERYONE comes out to cheer. In Brooklyn, families are standing outside of their houses giving away water, towels, bagels, pretzels, candy, sponges, jackets, high fives, rattling pots and pans, cheering, waving homemade signs, playing boom boxes from their 4th story apartment windows. There's a band on every corner. Each borough is in competition of who is going to be the best host. You run by bars and everyone is standing outside cheering, you can smell the beer on their breath from a block away.

Whether you finish in three hours or seven hours, you'll be treated like a star, a heroine. If you're just going to run one marathon, make it the ING NYC marathon.

And it takes place in the fall so the leaves are turning, golden, orange, yellow, red, green, brown...beautiful...a life changing experience.

I ran my first marathon in San Francisco. Coming from the East Coast, I was amazed by the difference on the West Coast. So many people still, yet so much more laid back, except for the homeless people in union square.

I must worn you, the homeless people in Union Square, San Francisco were like no one I've seen anywhere, gathering in groups, very aggressive, following me for blocks to my hotel yelling obscenities and demanding I give them something. It was quite unexpected and a little scary. Just be sure you know the area before you book your hotel, or you can't go wrong with a 5 star rating such as the Hilton or Sheraton.

The entire experience was amazing, starting with the pasta party the night before, where all the coaches, mentors and honorary teammates, stood outside in their purple and green colors, banking, shouting, and cheering so loud, it made it impossible to find the location.

This is a woman's marathon hosted by a fund raising group, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team and Training so it is pretty hard to get in unless you're fund raising. They have a chocolate mile, pedicure stations and at the finish line, men in tuxedos are handing out Tiffany necklaces.

And the city itself is just amazing. Although I'll say their cheering is non-existent compared to New York. But not to worry, they bring in their own cheer leaders as all the coaches, mentors and honorary teammates, receive my 5/5 star rating for their applause and encouragement throughout the course.

My suggestion, get there at least the night before the expo, so you can have some time to rest and then stay a day or tow afterwords so you can see the San Francisco. If you don't have time for anything else, at least take your tired legs down to Fisherman's Wharf and get yourself a bunch of crab legs and an Anchor Steam beer.

And San Francisco is small enough that you'll run through most of it during the marathon. But luckily they set up the trail in a way that you're not climbing up any of those famous steep hills.

The race takes place in October and the weather is awesome for running. And if the full is too much, they also have a half which takes place at the same time as the full, starting and finishing at the same point. And you'll still get a Tiffany necklace! ;-)

3) Rome

OK the only reason this is third on my list is because I haven't done it yet. But I've been there and I can't wait to go back and run the marathon there. This is just an amazing city. No movie, book, picture or story will prepare you for the experience of visiting Rome. It is just the most thought provoking, awe-inspiring, beautiful place that I have ever been.

I think the main thing is just the history of this place. It's so amazing to visit these places that so many have walked upon for some many thousands of years before us. And to run on those cobbled streets, to put your foot on the footprint of so many years of time and history...

While you're in Rome, make sure to have a real Rome Pizza. In NYC we say we have the real pizza, but we don't. Our pizza has nothing on the pizza in Rome...incredible!

You've just got to go there and have some real Italian food. And the pasta...now THAT'S A PASTA PARTY! ;-)

And the other thing you've got to try while your in Rome: go to one of those little deli/corner stores early in the morning and order an Espresso and a prosciutto sandwich.

The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon. To run it, you first have to qualify. Depending on how old you are, you have to run another qualifying marathon in a specific amount of time. For example, in my age category, 18-34, I have to first run another qualifying marathon in 3 hours and 40 minutes or less.

Now that is my ultimate goal. When I have run the Boston marathon: that is when I will crown myself a true running athlete.

I just love to see people come to the other races and marathons with their Boston Marathon Finisher jackets on, looking all proud, standing up really straight. I always watch everything they do and if I have a question, I follow their lead, because I know they are true runners. I just can't wait to wear my Boston Marathon Finisher jacket.

But that is not all there is to it. About 20,000 runners show up every year and the whole city comes out to celebrate.

I hear even if you're not going to run it, it's worth coming out and experiencing the excitement of this historic race in this historic city, rich in culture and great food.

4) Anchorage, Alaska

This marathon takes place during the summer solstice when it is light all day and almost all night. Some of the reasons I have included this in my 20 best marathons is because of its breathtaking views of mountains like this one and the amazing wildlife. Alaska is often known as the "last frontier." And if it's too much to run the full, you can always run the half instead.

Wow, just look at that picture! Can you imagine running the great wall of China? I can't imagine how amazing that must feel. And not only is it one of my selections for 20 best marathons, but it will also help get me towards one of my goals, to run a marathon on every continent.

6) Athens, Greece

Now what is a list of 20 best marathons without the original marathon which runs from the city of Marathon to Athens, the original marathon that was run by Pheidippides, to announce the Greek victory over Persian invaders in 490 B.C.

I've heard nothing but rave reviews of the Walt Disney marathon and it also features a half marathon, a 5k, even kids races. One of my top 20 best marathons, I plan on bringing the whole family...it will be a magic event. And I hear the course is pretty flat.

8) Antarctica "The Last Marathon"

I haven't heard anything about this one, but the fact that they have a marathon in Antarctica, now that's something I've got to try. It takes place in February, and if the cold is just too much to endure for 26.2 miles, they also have a half. Apparently, you have to join an expedition for this one, now that belongs in the top 20 best marathons.

9) Easter Island

While we're on the subject of remote, I think this would be a really neat marathon to run. Not only is it one of my top 20 best marathons, but it also brings me one step closer towards my marathon-on-every-continent goal.

10) Costa Rica

While I'm down in South America, I figure I'll stop by Costa Rica and run a marathon there, too. Such a beautiful island, in addition to being one of my 20 best marathons destinations, this is also one of the places I am considering for retirement.

11) Amsterdam

Now I've always wanted to go to Amsterdam. I mean who doesn't. Everyone for there own reasons, some because it is a beautiful, historic city, some because everything is legal and they apparently have the best weed in the world, but whatever the reason, this is an adventure I will no doubt embark upon.

And since I've been wanting to go here for many years but haven't gotten around to it yet, I figure I will make this one of my 20 best marathons destinations. To the city with streets made of water, here I come!

12) Stockholm

There is one reason this is on my 20 best marathons list. It doesn't begin 'till 2pm. Now that is my kind of marathon. I have found my best trainings were on days when I slept in and went running whenever I woke up, fully rested. And since this marathon takes place in May when the days are very long in Stockholm, you can be a slow runner and still have plenty of daylight to finish. And I hear the cheering is not all that lacking either.

13) Honolulu

After being spoiled with a 2pm marathon, you may not want to get up at 5am for this marathon. But with the sites to see and the warm people of Hawaii to cheer us on, I figure, why not!? And I hear the sites are well worth getting up at 5am to see.

Besides, I'm since I'll be traveling from 6 hours East, for me it will really be like 11:00 am which sounds like a more agreeable time.

14) I haven't decided yet whether to go with the Mont Blanc or the Marthon du Medoc.

Alps. Wine Country. Need I say anymore? This happens to be an area I am somewhat familiar with because I have an aunt that lives near by. One of my favorite things to do here is go into the mountains and go mushroom picking. Just don't forget the mosquito protection. Then we come home and cook the wild mushroom soup...now that is some tasty soup!

After the things I've heard about the Paris marathon, that it is very crowded, that the cobbled streets are not fun to run on and that there is not a lot of support in fuel or anything else throughout the course, I decided to choose one of these as my 20 best marathons instead. Then I'll just stop over and visit Paris while I'm there instead of running 26.2 miles through it.

15) London

A mostly flat course, this is a fast marathon. This is where Paula Radcliffe set the world record for fastest woman's marathon pace three times, one that she currently holds and is hoping to beat next year. And since this is a qualifier for Boston, I figure not only will it be one of my 20 best marathons, I will also go for my own person best time in qualifying for the Boston marathon.

16) Berlin

One of the five marathons in the World Marathon Majors and one of my 20 best marathons, some of the great features of this marathon are historic landmarks such as Reichstag, Potsdamer Platz, Berliner Dom, the Brandenburg Gate and a very flat course. So if I don't qualify for Boston while running London, there's always Berlin! ;-)

17) Gold-Coast in Australia

Featuring a full, half and 10k, 7.5k walk, and two junior dashes, I hear this is the marathon to run in Australia. And with award winning, cheering and famous landmarks, and the beautiful, Pacific beach line, this marathon is one experience makes it to number 17 on my list of 20 best marathons to run.

18) Safaricom in Kenya

One of my 20 best marathons, this tops off my goal of running a marathon in every Continent. And running right through the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, some of the cheerleader participants include the rhino, elephant, zebra, giraffe, buffalo and other exotic wild animals. But the main reason I chose this is because I want to run in the stomping ground of so many of the elite runners that have come here and won the NYC marathon.

19) Marine Core, DC

Bringing it back to the US, I hear the Marine Core is a must for the beginning marathoner. With plenty of support, hardly a moment will go by that you won't have someone there to cheer you on. I hear the Marines are given an option each year: run it or volunteer so there are lots of volunteers, just another reason to include this on my list of 20 best marathons.

And this would be a great trip to bring the whole family for some site-seeing, a tour of our nation's capital and don't forget a visit to the Smithsonian Museum where you've got to at least take your kids to the museum of space to see a 3-D movie where you will actually feel like you are on the moon.

20) Chicago

Since this is one of the 5 World Marathon Majors Series (the other 4 are New York, Boston, London and Berlin), I figure, I'll include it as the final count on my list of 20 best marathons. A friend ran it the day I ran San Francisco and I had a much better time, but I'll give it another chance. Besides two of my cousins live there so it will be a good excuse to go visit them. ;-)

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