83 Comments
Jan 3, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

My goal is to run a half or full in every state, all 10 Canadian provinces and all 7 continents. I'm at the half way point. There are races that I would love to run because of their awesome destination. However, until I reach my goal, I schedule full and mini vacations around my races. As a result, I have experienced some pretty incredible destinations that I would otherwise have never considered. This goal can be pretty pricey, however, the beauty of it is that I have no time limit on completing it. I keep the destinations within my budget - some years I get to go to 10 or more destinations, other years less depending on what I have going on financially. I've been at it for 4 years now and have absolutely enjoyed it. I try to cut costs by doing back to back races to save on airfare - for example I am getting Maryland and Delaware out of the way in April in 1 weekend (Sat and Sun).

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As a retired US Army 30-year veteran, I like to do the runs on military bases where procedes go to support the troops. Over the last two, years that included the All American half at Fort Bragg, the Marine Corps half at Camp Lejeune, the Air Force half at Wright Patterson AFB, the Marine Corps Historic Half in Fredericksburg, Va, the Army 10-miler in DC, and even the Canadian Army half in Ottawa. It’s great to be running with the young troops again and fun to challenge them to keep up with an old soldier around 50 years their senior.

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Jan 3, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

For the first time I’ve committed to a destination race with a friend: the Napa valley women’s half. Aside from being a place I want to explore during my March break, it commits me to training outdoors through the cold months in New England. Hoping that means I can really start the spring season sting!

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Jan 3, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

I generally will plan based on a place I want to visit. However after I ran the Chicago Marathon I decided to try for Berlin and I got in, so now I am attempting to get all 6 major marathons. After Berlin I will have Tokyo, London, and Boston left to run. Those should be some amazing trips.

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Jan 3, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

I’m running my first destination half marathon on January 19. Only one state away in Arizona. powered by SHE. My first all female half too. There are 7 of us going. I chose this run because it was important to my friend. It is a “bucket list” run for her and I’m there for support. She is so excited that I wanted to be a part of the experience and share in the journey. It makes me feel good when others feel good.

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Jan 3, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

I'm running my first half marathon in 2 weeks in Key West! So excited. I think I'll start planing on going to places that I have always wanted to visit around what races are in those locations.

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Jan 3, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

I'd love to do the Mount Rushmore Half. The first ~7.0 miles are up hill and the remainder of the race is down hill. Plus it's at a perfect time of year and I've never been so it would be nice. https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2329397008?_ga=2.224104539.1991172296.1578064597-167376138.1578064597

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Jan 3, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

I was lucky enough to get my masters degree from a school in London, so I was fortunate enough to witness the London Marathon during this time. I think there is something magical about that marathon: the crowd, the history, the gorgeous route. I hope to run it someday, and visit my old stomping grounds!

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Jan 3, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

I love travelling but after my break-up I realized I don't like vacationing by myself... now I plan my races in places I want to visit... after that I'll add a couple vacation days... it's an easier transition to vacationing by myself... since I am already there with a goal...I love Italy and I already ran in Como, Trentino and Pisa (I had to be in Europe for work... so I combined business with pleasure).

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Jan 3, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

At this point I just dream of running pain free wherever that is in the world! Getting there! 😉👍

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Jan 3, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

I want to visit all 50 states and I'm down to the last 7, so I will be racing in those . Have the Deadwood half in SD in June and the Cow Race in Kansas in May (both thanks to this site, I wouldn't have known about them otherwise).

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Jan 3, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

I love to go to interesting places to run. I've done Amish Country (Bird-in-Hand and Berlin Ohio) and Thoroughbred Country (Run the Bluegrass). I've run among the redwoods in CA (Run the Avenues). This year I'm headed to Colonial Williamsburg, St. Louis and the Covered Bridge Half in Vermont. So excited to visit new places!

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Jan 3, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

I like to go anyplace with great natural surroundings, especially mountains. Revel Rockies goes downhill from Evergreen Colorado to Morrison. That is the most beautiful course ever. I look forward to going and doing it again this year. The Salt Lake City one is pretty too, little Cottonwood Canyon.

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Jan 3, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

Before I met my wife training for my first full. I had a bucket list and so did she. Yes we plan racecations I love finding anything locale to eat, see, or experience. She had a conference in Denver 2 years ago and we ended up doing the Horsetooth half there. Love the flights or road trips. The hotels or the airbnb. Never know what you are going to end up enjoying on the trip.

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Jan 3, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

I would like to find races in destinations I have not visited. I would love to relax somewhere interesting while I recover from a race.

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Jan 4, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

I am fortunate to have a job that allows me to travel the country, so my past races have been really cool “destinations” that I just happened to be near during the weekends I had off! (Kona, HI half, Fort Collins, CO half, and San Luis Obispo/Lake Lopez, CA half). My real first race chosen for its destination is, of course, my first marathon in Disney World coming up in less than 2 weeks!! I wanted my first marathon experience to be a fun one, and that’s what Disney’s all about! Super excited about it! Can’t believe it’s almost here!

I love traveling! A big bucket list destination for me is New Zealand! And I would love to do a half when I go! I’m thinking maybe in two or three years after I’ve saved enough money. Whether I find a time that works best for me and find a race that works around it, or find a race I want to do and schedule the rest of my trip around that is like asking which came first, the chicken or the egg? Both processes work well. I’m at the point of gathering information with actual decision/plan making probably a year from now. If anyone has raced in New Zealand I would love and appreciate any advice or stories!

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Jan 3, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

My first vacation race was the mount desert island Marathon back in 2013. it was a somewhat dreary day but we have been back there since and it is such a beautiful place Acadia national Park. my goal is to do a half marathon on the west coast something along the lines of big sur.

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Jan 3, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

I am running a Spartan Beast (Half marathon + 30 obstacles) in England this October!

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Jan 3, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

I do both. Love to camp near our trail race so sometimes i pick a race that is an awesome destination to camp. Examples of this years races are, Mt Hood , Mt St Helens , Estes park Colorado and one in Montana on the wy home from Colorado.!

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Jan 7, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

I've registered for races after planning vacations and realizing they have races going on at the time and I've registered for races first and then planned vacations around them. I visited Dubai 2 years back and registered for a half in Abu Dhabi while I was there. It was so much fun and surprisingly cheap registration fees as well. The race started at 5 am and by 6 am it was 110 degrees. I can run a marathon just fine in regular Seattle weather, but the desert heat was a huge challenge. Fun overall, and afterwards we all go entry into YAS World water park included in our registration (which cost about the same as race entry) and a huge buffet breakfast, it was really great!

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I want to run a race in Oregon or Hawaii sometime in the next few years. No reason why, other than I think the states are beautiful!

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Jan 3, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

I usually do a destination race in the winter and combined it with a few days of leisure time. My wife enjoys that too. I have ran the Key West 1/2, Sarasota music half twice, and plan to do a small race in February later this year after my new grandson is born. He will be my 3rd grandchild. They are fun but hard on my running lol.

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Jan 3, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

I started running the Vacation Races half marathons a few years back. They put on a great race & it’s always in a beautiful place. I would like to run their Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore, & Estes Park, Co races. Their Lake Powell Race was beautiful. Their Zion Trail race a few years back kicked my butt (I was not prepared), but had breathtaking scenery. Last June I ran their Grand Canyon trail race, was super prepared, & couldn’t believe the scenery. I cried. It was one of my favorite race experiences. When you run & live in a big city, you forget how cool it is to run in nature.

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Jan 10, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

Started running in 2017, last year got the idea of running every state with at least 10K race, preferably half- so fun to see that some of you are already close to be done with that goal. So far 6 states are in. Working on 4 for 2020 plus Boston, MA in 2021:) I try to combine races/traveling with some conferences, but it is not easy - I teach and to get to the races it seems so little to fly in Saturday and fly out Sunday, at least when my semester is on.

May be someone can give me a suggestion - I will be in Greenville, SC March 14-17 and wanted to run a half in Seneca, SC. But realized yesterday it is on Saturday morning and not Sunday, so I cannot do it. Was trying to find a half that is reasonably close (NC, SC, or Georgia) for March 15th. If you know one, let me know! Thank you in advance!

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Jan 7, 2020Liked by Terrell Johnson

I will sign up for a short one, so I don't over indulge! They were surprisingly fun, even though I signed up as a single. Run Away with Cirque du Soleil 5K in Las Vegas stands out, also Death Valley 10K. I downgraded from the 1/2 because the run was at the end of the vacation and I was tired. I would strongly suggest when travelling, doing the run in the first few days.

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Looking over the comments I see a lot of national park related events. I am interested in resources that you used to find these events. I am researching events in early spring in the southern states or early summer in the northern states. I am also interested in a smaller race or something that has a natural back drop. I do enough city races already.

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I believe running a waterfront of Ireland’s coast would be so soothing that one one not even know they are tired. 😇

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I’m running a half marathon in all 50 states with 20 more to go. The farther away the destination is for me I’ll do back to back races. I took a road trip this fall and did my New England states (two per weekend) - DE/CT; MA/ME; VT/NH. This summer was WA/OR. I’ve also done SD/ND in one weekend. My goal is to get 18 done this year and then I’ll have Hawaii and Alaska left. I’ll plan 2 week vacations for those so they will be last. By the way did I mention that I don’t like running! 😊

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I ran my first ever half marathon in Maui in 2015. Now I have completed 7 more in 7 different states! So that is how I pick them. Trying to do a different state each time. I love to get recommendations from your emails on fun places to go as well as ones that are flat! LOL

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