The Ultimate Guide to Marathons
By
Woody Green
of
RUNNERS NICHE
Picking out the right marathon takes a ton of research.
Just finding them all can take hours of searching through
magazines or surfing the web. Two authors, Dennis Craythorn
and Rich Hanna, have done all the work for you, though.
Their book, The Ultimate Guide to Marathons, lists the top
110 marathons in the United States and Canada, giving
complete information on each one. Information such as start
time, logistics of getting to the start, detailed course
information and even the number of aid stations along the
way are put forth in an easy to read manner. Fairly
difficult information to track down, like average
temperatures for that location on race day, is at your
fingertips. Additionally, Craythorn and Hanna have rated
each race for beauty, difficulty, appropriateness for first
timers, race organization and crowds. An overall rating is
given as well.
In the back of the book you will find course profiles for
many of the races, showing exactly where each hill is and
exact altitude information. Graphic evidence shows how far
the St. George Marathon plummets downward, and how
mountainous Catalina is.
Complete contact information, often including email and web
addresses, are given for each contest. The races are
presented in calendar order, but there is also a state by
state reference in the back if you are looking for a race
in a particular locality.
It would be hard to beat this book for thoroughness, but it
would be nice to have a few more pictures. Also, I could do
without the advertisements scattered about the book. Still,
this one is a real winner and a great resource for all
marathon runners looking to travel to a new destination for
their next race.
Runner's Niche rating: 5 out of 5 winged feet.
