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The marathon directory continues to get bigger. We have collected 700 marathons worldwide in 83 different countries. <!—more—%> #700 is the San Juan Island marathon that was held at the begging of the month in Friday Harbour. This marathon reminds me a lot of good memories, since I had the opportunity to spend a month there when I was a teenager. But I that time, I didn’t even know what a marathon was. If you want to help us improve the quality of our marathon calendar don’t hesitate to send us any information regarding a marathon that is not yet in the database. If the race has a living website, we will include it. You can contact us either by sending a message at info@42k195.com or by leaving a comment on this post. Where will you run your next marathon ?

I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about Squidoo, the new Web 2.0 plateform created by Seth Godin. Squidoo lets it’s users create lens (Web pages) about a subject, providing information about the topic, links to other web sites, books,… Once the lens is created users, can vote for them and add comments. It is so easy to use that I wanted to give it a try. I created my first lens. Gess what it’s about marathon calendars. Where will you run your next marathon ?

The creation of a new marathon is so seldom that it has to be mentioned. Next October, the first marathon in is history will be organized by the city of Toulouse (France). Until now, among the five largest cities in France, only Paris and Lyon organized a marathon. They will now be three. For those who don’t know Toulouse is the largest city in the south-west of France and is the capital of French aerospace industry. The marathon du grand Toulouse will start at 9:30 at AéroConstellation to end at Sesquières. The route will lead the runners through the heart of the city and pass by the Capitole and the Cité de l’espace. Aid stations are located every 5 k of the route that seems to be quite flat since the change of altitude between the start and the finish line is less than 18 meters. http://www.lemarathondugrandtoulouse.com/carte_interactive.html Seven pacemakers will be there to help runners keep a steady pace to reach their target time (between 3:00 to 4:30). For those who aren’t ready yet for a full marathon, the organizers have also set up a four-runner team relay. The distance to run by each one goes form 6 to 15km. I wish this brand new marathon the success it deserves! Where will you run your next marathon ?

Where will you run your next marathon ?

Until last year, the old duchy of Burgundy welcomed 3 marathons : The marathon des grands crus de bourgogne in Dijon, Marathon des Blues Trotters and marathon du Charolais. But 2006 was the 10th and final edition of the marathon des grands crus de Bourgorgne. For those interested, the domain name www.marathonbourgogne.org is now of sale. The two surviving marathons follow a very specific theme. The Marathon des Blues Trotters is a friendly race that follows during part of its course the gorgeous canal of Burgundy. The marathon du Charolais celebrates the charolais cattle in the city of Gueugnon. Did you know that ‘Charolais’ designated a breed of cattle but also a breed of sheep, a cheese and also a breed of chicken ? Many delicious things to enjoy a post-marathon feast ! Where will you run your next marathon ?

There are only 2 marathons in Basse-Normandie and the two will be held on the same week-end in June (9 & 10th). Is it due to chance or done on purpose ? The older is the Marathon de la liberté de Caen which will turn 20 years old. The race commemorates the allies La course commémore le débarquement des alliés sur les plages normandes, longe la côte de Nacre, entre Courseulles-sur-mer et Caen. The younger, Marathon du Mont Saint-Michel will held its 10th edition. The course goes from Cancale to end up in front of the Mont Saint-Michel (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Until last year, the race took place on the third week-end of June. In 2007, it will be the 10th. Who doesn’t like competition ! Many issues tear them apart: the former is run in the morning (9 AM), the latter in the evening (5:30 PM). the former is in the North, the latter in the South. the former is held on Saturday, the latter on Sunday. Which will draw more runners during the week-end ? Will there be marathoners to reconcile them by running the two races in a row ? PS : Credits to babinet for the Mont Saint-Michel picture. Where will you run your next marathon ?

This is it. Spring marathon season is on ! TV reports or passionate story from a friend or a colleague lead you to ask yourself this very simple question : why not me ? You have made your decision. You too want to enter a marathon. It is far to late to get ready for a race before summer, but you can be fit and ready for autumn. Here are 6 simple tips I can give you to help you in your quest : crossing the finish line after 42.195 km or 26.2 miles of running. I’ve followed some and some I wished I had been told to ease my training. 1. Cry out loud your decison to run your first marathon. The main problem you will face during your first marathon isn’t physical, but psychological. Physically, nearly anyone can complete a marathon. But psychologically, It is quite difficult to keep on running with heavy legs when you pass the 30 km station. Tell everyone around your that you’ll run a marathon, open up a blog, bet on the outcome with a friend. All these external triggers will be particularly useful when you’ll be on your own, on the road, running. 2. Select a marathon near your home. It is useless to run anonymously far from home. I hear a lot of people tell they want to run their first marathon in New York City. although, the crowd is particularly warm and helpfull, you’ll still be one runner among tens of thousands. Running near your home guaranties you to encounter people you know or friends that came to support you. Is there a better support than a ‘Keep on Dad’ banner when it has been written by your own kids ? If you don’t know yet if there’s a marathon in your neighborhood, I’m pretty sure you’ll find one on my web site www.42k195.com 3. By new gear (shoes, socks, T-shirt). Take your gear seriously. You’ll use it during the next months on your many training sessions. Select shoes and socks you’re comfortable in. It is the best way to prevent blisters. The same is true for shorts and T-Shirts. The new technical fabric that are sold now, get rid of the sweat very efficiently and are much more pleasant to wear than old cotton ones. 4. Follow a training program. There are many different types of programs. I’m not qualified enough to give any advise on that but I know that selecting one will help you stay focused. Your training will be much more regular than if you chose to run according to your mood. 5. Train with a friend. This issue is related to the previous one. Having a training partner makes every session more pleasant and bearable. Your friend will get your out training even when it’s raining or when you’re a little tired. 6. Who cares about your time ! For your first marathon, you can forget about time. Your only goal must be to cross the finish line. You can do it… Where will you run your next marathon ?

You may have dreamed of it, Suni Williams will do it on monday 16th. What am I talking about ? Suni Williams will be the first astronaut to participate officially to the Boston Marathon. The best part of it is that she will actually run the Marathon while in the International Space Station !! It must be the first marathon run 210 miles away from the ground. This marathon is the most expansive ever and you won’t find it on www.42k195.com Source : NASA Astronaut to Run Boston Marathon in Space Where will you run your next marathon ?

With 5 marathons, Aquitaine is one of the French regions that offer the largest choice. Although the region has five differents ‘départements’ the marathons are centered in Gironde that counts four of them. The only exception is Pau’s marathon wich is located in Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Alike Alsace (cf. Marathons in Alsace ), the marathons are mostly rural. Pau is the only big city to host a marathon. Marathons in Aquitaine also favor wine and gastronomy in general. Two of them celebrate wine : Le marathon du Médoc and le marathon des premières cotes de Blaye. Two names that must make wine lovers dream… The third one, marathon de l’huitre de Gujan Mestras celebrates the oyster that is grown in the bassin d’Arcachon. Marathon de l’huitre de Gujan Mestras Marathon du Médoc Marathon des premières côtes de Blaye Marathon des villages Marathon de Pau Take a few minutes to have a look at the marathon des villages website. It is gorgeous and will certainly encourage to take part. It’s a brand new marathon that will take place on October 14th. Good luck to the courageous organizers. The marathon du Médoc has become quite an star since it’s creation 23 years ago. Its success may be due to the wine tastings that are organized along its course but also due to the fact that each and every runner must wear a disguise ! Disguise, wine tasting and hilly course, three raisons why you will not come to Pauillac to beat a personal best, but to have a great time. Where will you run your next marathon ?

Three marathons are referenced in Alsace. Marathon du vignoble d’Alsace, Marathon du ballon d’Alsace, Marathon du Jura alsacien As suprising as it may seem, none of the big cities in Alsace: Strasbourg, Colmar or Mulhouse host a marathon.This three marathons rural and take a great benefit of the beauty of the landscapes. The first one wanders between the vineyards. The second one, particurlarly hilly, follows hiking trails around the Ballon d’Alsace. The third oine located in the south of the Haut-Rhin visits the plateau of the alsatian Jura. Here is a short video, posted on dailymotion to promote the marathon du vignoble d’Alsace. One can run a marathon and still have some sense of humor. Where will you run your next marathon ?

If not the month where most marathon take place, April marks the beginning of the spring marathon season (for the northern hemisphere). At least 60 marathons occur in April. The most famous is certainly Boston Marathon that will take place on the 16th. This year will be the 111th edition. Boston is the oldest marathon in the world and also maybe the most prestigious. Not everyone can run in Boston. You have to qualify to enter the race. To do so, you need to complete one of the Boston qualifying marathons in less than a certain time, determined by your gender and your age. This is not a Marathon for an average runner ! You may find a list of the qualifying marathons on Bill’s Boston Marathon Qualifiers Guide. If you want to learn more about the Boston Marathon, you can read Boston Marathon: The First Century of the World’s Premier Running Event. April hosts another World marathon majors : the Flora London Marathon (on April 22nd). London isn’t the only European capital to welcome a marathon in April : Paris, Vienna, Madrid, Lisboa Belgrade Bratislava But despite the name, Athens Marathon, cannot join the list since it takes place in Ohio. ;-) If you want to run for a PR, go to Fortis Marathon Rotterdam (15th) in Netherlands. The world weirdest marathon will be held on the 7th : the North Pole Marathon. It is the only marathon that is run on water (actually on a 6 to 12 feet of ice separating you from the cold Artic Ocean). The registration is now closed for the 2007 edition, but it’s time to register for 2008 daredevils ! Autumn begins in the southern hemisphere with 3 marathons : Canberra, Santiago, and Rotorua As you can see there is plenty of choice. Where will you run your next marathon ?