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 planned race.
Quite a few big fall races had weather issues this year. I ran Twin Cities, and it was hot. A lot of people missed their goal time that day, myself included. A few weeks later, wind and rain pummeled much of the Midwest, and runners in Toronto, Columbus, and Detroit all faced varying levels of bad weather.
And then there are the unfortunate souls who signed up for a race that isn’t going to happen. The Outer Banks Marathon just announced that it was cancelled as a result of the government shutdown, and Big Bear recently announced that the full marathon would be cancelled as a result of mudslides in the area.
When life throws you a curveball, you’ve got two options. If your race was cancelled or you recover well from a disappointing race, you can pivot to something else in the coming weeks. Or you can just wait until spring to try again.
The problem with trying to pivot to a new race is that many of the best options are sold out. There are a ton of great races in the late fall – Philly, Indy, Richmond, CIM. But you can’t get a bib for any of them, unless your lucky to get one off the waitlist or if the organizers allow bib transfers.
The good news is that there are quite a few smaller marathons, along with a couple larger ones, that do still have capacity. I’ve rounded up about two dozen races below that are taking place in November and early December. They run the gamut, with some that are excellent choices for those seeking a BQ and others that are less likely to net you a fast time.
As of publication, all of these races still have available capacity. But that’s not guaranteed to be true much longer. Some of these probably won’t sell out, but a few of them definitely will. So if you’re making a plan B, you should solidify those plans quickly and hop on the opportunity.
Weekend of November 1-2
The big race this weekend is the New York City Marathon, and it’s too late to find a way into that race. A couple other smaller races – the Hamilton Marathon and Yukon Boundary Race – are also sold out. But there are a few other races you can still run.
If your goal is to BQ, then the Marshall University Marathon is probably your best bet. This race is very flat, and about 13% of the finishers last year hit their Boston Qualifying time. It’s a small race, with less than 500 finishers, but you’ll have a nice view of the Ohio River and you’ll finish at the goal line of Marshall Stadium. You can also cross West Virginia off your 50 states list, if you’re into that kind of thing. There are only a few dozen spots left in this race, so don’t hesitate if it’s high on your list!
The Two Cities Marathon in California is another good option. This race, on the outskirts of Fresno, is also very flat. Last year, about 10% of finishers qualified for Boston.
Back on the east coast, the Ocean City Running Festival is also a decent qualifier. It’s starts and ends in Ocean City, Maryland, and the middle of the race takes you out to Assateague Island. It’s flat, and a little under 10% of finishers qualified for Boston last year. The course is going to have fewer spectators than the others, but you’ll trade that better views once you’re on the island.
Your other options this week are the City of Oaks Marathon outside Raleigh, North Carolina or the Louisville Marathon. But neither is a good choice for a qualifier. Louisville is a hilly out and back course, and after a series of hills at the halfway point it’s all uphill on the home. City of Oaks isn’t any better, with rolling hills in the front half and a serious incline towards the end. At both races, less than 5% of finishers hit their BQ. But City of Oaks is the biggest race left for this weekend – with close to 1,000 finishers.
The best part of this weekend – it’s the end of daylight savings time. So you’ll get an extra hour of sleep!
Weekend of November 8-9
The next weekend is another popular race weekend. The big race of the weekend, Indy Monumental, sold out early last month. Madison is also this weekend, and it’s been sold out for a while now. This should have been the Outer Banks Marathon weekend, but the organizers recently cancelled the event. This was also supposed to be REVEL Big Bear, but the marathon was canceled due to mudslides in the area.
An interesting option here is the Salina Crossroads Marathon. The full event is large, with over 5,000 runners, although the marathon distance is closer to 500 finishers. What sets this race apart, though, is the price. Because when have you ever registered for a marathon for less than $25.00? It’s a pretty flat course, but only 6% of finishers qualified last year, so it’s not a particularly fast field.
The other moderately sized race this weekend is Manchester City in New Hampshire. It has just over 500 finishers and a similar share of runners BQ compared to Salina. The fastest pacer in the event is a 3:30, so while there are a few faster runners it’s not a particularly fast field, either. Location wise, it’s convenient for those in the northeast, situated just north of Boston.
There are two races in Pennsylvania this weekend. The bigger one is Harrisburg, a longtime local race in central PA. This is your best bet for a BQ this weekend, with over 16% of the field qualifying last year. It’s also filling up, with only about 40 spots left. The other PA option is the St. Luke’s D&L RaceFest. This is a relatively new race, and it replaced an older marathon a few years ago that didn’t survive COVID. This is also on a trail, although it’s flat and fast, with about 10% of runners qualifying.
Other options this weekend include Fort Worth in Texas and Chickamauga Battlefield in Georgia. They’re both small, with only a few hundred finishers. Chickamauga runs through the national battlefield park, which is kind of cool, and it has an ok BQ rate. Given what just happened with Outer Banks, though, I’d be hesitant to commit to something else on federal property. Forth Worth, on the other hand, is not very fast.
If your goal is to BQ, then Harrisburg is probably you’re best bet this weekend. If you’re looking for something scenic, I’d probably go with the Chickamauga Battlefield or D&L RaceFest. And if you’re just looking for a cheap race, you can’t beat Salina, especially if you’re in the area.
Weekend of November 15-16
Later in November, there are less options. The weekend of November 15-16 has one big sold out race – Richmond – and three other options.
The biggest of these is the Every Woman’s Marathon. The inaugural race was last year, and they had over 4,000 finishers. The race was held in Savannah last year, and it moved to Scottsdale, Arizona for 2025. It’s a race by and for women, and it’s a welcoming race for first timers. But there are enough fast runners in there (judging from last year’s results) that a woman targeting a BQ wouldn’t be running alone. The course also has a mild net drop – not enough to earn it an adjustment from BAA, but enough to make the first half more enjoyable.
Back on the east coast, there’s another large race – the Charlotte Marathon. This race has some serious rolling hills, and less than 5% BQ’d here last year. So don’t pick it because it’s fast. But it’s for a good cause. The race races money for the Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital.
The final option – the Garmin Tucson Marathon. Not to be confused with the other Tucson Marathon. Garmin launched its marathon series this year with the Garmin Toledo Marathon, which turned out to be a fairly small affair with a few hundred finishers. I didn’t see great reviews from that first race, so I wouldn’t have high hopes for Tucson. The course also includes a big hill in the first half – this is definitely not the downhill course from the other Tucson.
Not the best weekend to attempt a BQ, but the EWM and Charlotte are both quality races if running fast isn’t your first priority.
Weekend of November 22-23
This is Philly Marathon weekend, and Philly has been sold out since July. When I ran this race in 2022, you still would have been able to register at this point.
The only other race this weekend – the Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The race starts on the famous Mother of All Roads, spends quite a bit of time along the Arkansas River, and then passes through the college campus before finishing downtown. The event isn’t huge, but with 1,000 finishers it’s a decent size, and it’s a real party. The locals line the course with all kinds of treats – beer, shots, donuts. Or just plain bananas, if that’s your thing.
The course itself has some rolling hills, and it’s not particularly fast. Choose this one for a good time – not for a fast time. The best part about running a marathon this weekend is that you get to rest and recover through Thanksgiving. Eat up! But skip the local turkey trot.
Weekend of November 29-30
The weekend after Thanksgiving has a couple options, but the Space Coast Marathon has been sold out since September.
The big one this weekend is the Seattle Marathon. Typically this is a hilly course, and not a lot of people BQ here. They’ve got new courses this year, and the route looks more scenic. It starts at the Space Needle, passes through a few parks, spends a considerable amount of time by the water, and finishes along the Bay. But it’s still got 1,000 feet of elevation gain … so don’t pick this one for a PR.
The finish along the Bay is nice, though. I was in Seattle this summer, and I covered some of this same territory.
The other available race is the North Central Railroad Trail Marathon outside Baltimore. It’s a smaller race, with only a few hundred people, but it’s been going strong for over thirty years. The course is a simple out and back along the rail trail, spending time along the river. It’s scenic, and it’s fairly fast. It’s net downhill because of a hill at the start, and 13% of finishers BQ’ed last year.
But it’s a quiet run – don’t pick this one if you want crowd support.
The best part about running a marathon after Thanksgiving? You get to carb load with mashed potatoes and stuffing. Yum.
Weekend of December 6-7
The first weekend of December is CIM – which has been sold out for months. The Panama City Marathon is also sold out, and the St. Jude Memphis Marathon sold out last month.
But you’ve got two other options.
On the east coast, you can run the other marathon in New York City – the Queens Marathon by the Queens Distance Runners. It’s a small race, with a couple hundred marathoners and some more half marathoners. It’s a cozy affair, and the course is four loops. The benefit of that, if you don’t lose your mind, is that you’ll see your friends and family often. It’s not a particularly fast race, given all of the turns and the small field. But it is flat.
On the other side of the country, you have the new San Antonio Marathon. Until last year, this was part of the Rock ‘n’ Roll series, but the city and local running organization (San Antonio Sports) decided to end that partnership and host their own race. The old Rock ‘n’ Roll race had two thousand finishers, and I’m sure the new event aims to be just as large.
The course has rolling hills, so it’s not your best bet for a fast time. But history nerds will appreciate the fact that the race finishes at the Alamo. All in all, this isn’t the best weekend to choose if you want to BQ.
Weekend of December 13-14
This is the last big racing weekend of the year, and there are quite a few options still available. Dallas has been sold out for some time, and so is Kiawah Island. But at least half a dozen races still have availability.
The biggest of them is Honolulu. It’s one of the biggest races in the country, and it always has capacity. It’s a friendly race for first timers, as you can take as long as you want to finish. Of course it’s also in Hawaii, so the trip isn’t cheap – and it’s probably not the kind of thing you just want to wing on a few days notice.
If your goal is a BQ, then the Tucson Marathon (not the earlier Garmin Tucson Marathon) is a great choice. It’s a net downhill course, but it’s not crazy steep. It was just above the threshold for a 5:00 adjustment, but they’re reducing the net drop slightly this year. Last year, 15% of the 1,000 finishers qualified for Boston.
For a fast time, the Jacksonville Marathon is another good choice. You get decent weather and a flat course, and the finish line is in a stadium. So that’s always fun. The race is a little smaller than Tucson (~600), and a little over 10% of finishers qualified last year.
Unlike Jacksonville, you will likely not have great weather at the Palm Beaches Marathon. Even in December, it can be warm and humid in South Florida. But it is a beautiful course along the intercoastal waterway. My wife’s family lives in the area, and I’ve run up and down Flagler Drive many times. It’s super flat, so you might have a good time, but unless you live in the south I wouldn’t bet on the weather.
A couple other choices – the College Station Marathon and the Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon. Mississippi Gulf Coast is a point to point course right along the Gulf, finishing in Buloxi. The course is flat, but the field isn’t fast. The College Station race runs through Texas A&M’s campus, but it has rolling hills and it is not flat. Neither race produces a lot of BQ’s.
The final option: the Phoenix Marathon. This one is brand new this year, organize by the same people who run Mesa. The course starts north of downtown, winds through the city, and finishes up by the Zoo and the Municipal Stadium. It has a small downhill component for the first five miles, then it’s pretty flat, and there’s a little bump towards the end. It should be a pretty fast course.
If you’re targeting a BQ, you’ve got a couple good options this weekend. With Tucson you get the benefit of a mild decline, but Jacksonville and Phoenix are both good choices, too.
What’s Your Next Race?
Did you pick one of these races? Or are you waiting for the spring for your next marathon?
Although the biggest and most well known races are all sold out, there are quite a few good options left between now and December. There are big races and small races, fast ones and slow ones, and some nice scenic options, too.
If you’ve run any of these in the past, leave a comment below with some advice for others.
And if you’re on the fence, the usual advice applies here: don’t wait too long. These races aren’t sold out yet, but that may not be true for long. A few may never sell out, but at least some of these will fill up in the next few weeks and your options will start to dwindle.