You hear anecdotes here and there. Maybe you noticed your local marathon sell out earlier than usual. But it’s easy to lose the forest for the trees. Is this part of a broader trend where marathons are selling out faster than ever? Yes. Yes, it is. I first noticed this last year with a few … Read more
Feature photo by Sgt. Chancellor Reynolds – Public Domain The 2025 Marine Corps Marathon was the 50th anniversary of the event, and it was larger than ever. The women’s winner, Tessa Barrett, set a new course record. But after word got out that her time – 2:34:08 – wasn’t actually going to qualify her for … Read more
Feature photo by Mayor Garcetti on Flickr This week, two major marathons sold out: the Los Angeles Marathon and the Detroit International Free Press Marathon. This is a trend I’ve been tracking since last summer. It started when I noticed that the Philly Marathon sold out in early July and the Twin Cities Month sold … Read more
Vladimir Andral knew that something was wrong when he saw the 23 mile marker. His watch said he’d only run 21 miles. “I realized I was misdirected, and I was absolutely crushed.” Vladimir made a wrong turn at this year’s Seattle Marathon. As a result, he missed a loop and didn’t run two miles of … Read more
When everything clicks on marathon morning, there’s no better feeling than crossing the finish line knowing that you left it all out there. But not every race is like that, and lots of things can derail your performance – the weather, a poorly timed illness, random life issues, or a federal shutdown that cancels your … Read more
Lately, I’ve been tracking which marathons are selling out and how early they’ve reached capacity. Last week, another race joined that list in record time. The 2026 Grandma’s Marathon sold out in less than twenty four hours. Over the summer, I noted that the race had been selling out more quickly in each of the … Read more
Lately, I’ve been tracking which marathons are selling out and how early they’ve reached capacity. Last week, another race joined that list: the 2025 Eversource Hartford Marathon. Like many races, the Hartford Marathon peaked over a decade ago. But after declining for a few years before COVID, it’s definitely on the rebound. The field is … Read more
Lately, I’ve been tracking which marathons are selling out and how early they’re reaching capacity. This week, another race joined that list: the 2025 St. Jude Memphis Marathon. At the beginning of the month, race organizers noted that the race was at 95% capacity. This week, it officially sold out. This was after selling out … Read more
Feature photo courtesy of Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon Were you waiting to sign up for the 2025 Columbus Marathon? Well, it’s too late. This year’s race is officially sold out. As I’ve written before, we’re seeing marathons sell out more frequently and earlier than they have in the past. When I wrote that analysis, … Read more
Photo by Jake Rytlewski / Courtesy of Beyond Monumental I hope you weren’t waiting to sign up for the 2025 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon – because it is officially sold out. As I’ve written about before, we’re seeing marathons sell out more frequently and earlier than they have in the past. When I wrote that analysis, … Read more