What makes a marathon worth running? Well, other than the chance to challenge both your physical and mental limits and to prove to yourself that with hard work and determination you can achieve just about anything?
For starters, a great course with scenic views certainly adds value to an event. And when that course is lined with hordes of enthusiastic fans cheering you on, well that's definitely a big plus, too.
The World's Best Marathons
Oh, and don't forget; a race that's organized and well-planned will make a world of a difference. When you're running a marathon you've already got enough to worry about, all of the extra details (starting line corrals, in-race fuel, etc.) should be taken care of by the race and its organizers. (Especially since you probably shelled out some big bucks for an entry fee, right?)
These factors played a big role in helping us rank our list of the world's best marathons. We first began with some simple statistics from Running USA that identified which 2013 marathons were the largest in the United States and the world (largest meaning races with the most finishers).
We also factored in the opinions of our readers. We asked you, the marathon runners of the world, which 26.2-mile races are your favorites of all time.
To tie it all together, we created a scoring system that awarded points for everything from course quality, event organization and fan ratings based off runner reviews on MarathonGuide.com to the number of 2013 finishers and of course, votes and comments from our reader survey.
Click Here to see the Original Story on The Active Times
- The Editors, The Active Times
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