I’m giving some thought to a Fall marathon (or two). Oddly, my last two marathons were at opposite ends of the marathon experience. Earlier, I posted a blog on the New York City (NYC) Marathon, the largest marathon in the world. Let me tell you about a follow-up to the New York Marathon, a wonderful early March small race about 5 hours south of New York. The Lower Potomac River (LPR) Marathon isn’t the smallest marathon in the world, but it’s close.
I hesitate to spread the word about this small gem for fear of losing out on registration another year. I’ll take that chance and share my large/small marathon comparison:
Entry Fee (depending on registration date/details):
NYC: $255
LPM: $50
Transportion to Start:
NYC: 2.5 hours approx. Subway, ferry, then bus to Start
LPR: 5 minute drive to start/finish at Paul Hall Center from the St. George Inn
Start Time:
NYC: 10:30 a.m. – 3rd wave
LPR: 7:30 a.m.
Women and Place in F65-69 Age Group:
NYC:121 in AG, 6th Place
LPR: 3 in AG, 2nd Place
Finishers:
NYC: 53,000
LPR: 180 (Race caps registration at 200)
Fantastic Women Race Directors:
NYC: Mary Wittenberg
LPR: Liza Recto
Personal Finish Time:
NYC: 4:28
LPR: 4:39 (I’ll save the excuses)
Scenic:
NYC: through portions of 5 boroughs, over Hudson River
LPR: along Potomac River, past lighthouse, horse farm, riverside cottages
Weather:
NYC: High Winds, cool & crisp
LPR: Clear, crisp, minimal remaining roadside ice and snow after a tough winter
Time Change on Race Date (how odd is this?):
NYC: To EST – gained an hour
LPM: To DST: – lost an hour
Race Photos:
NYC: 3-Image Download, $49.95
LPM – Courtesy images at request from on-course photo-joggers of Chesapeake Bay Running Club.
Perks:
NYC:
Large Expo
Seminars
Photo Ops with Elite Runners
LPM:
Waterside dinner with local runners at the
Ruddy Duck steps away from Inn
Indoor Bathrooms at Start/Finish
Post-race Showers available in the Spa
Buffet luncheon (no charge for runners) during awards
How do your large and small marathons compare?
Does the convenience and hospitality of the small marathon trump the celebrity, expo, and crowd support of the mega-marathons – or not?
Still a Runner 
I love small marathons. Actually, I love small races of any kind! Large marathons are overwhelming to me. Boston is an incredible race for so many reasons, but I still prefer the smaller ones, especially in scenic areas. HUGE congrats on placing 6th in your age group in NYC. That’s fantastic!!!
Thanks and I agree, Angela. Local scenery and usually local cuisine if you stay in town long enough to search it out.
I definitely prefer a smaller race. The crowds are exciting, but can give me anxiety, lol!
Yes. I find tunnel vision helps with that.
In general, I prefer smaller races. I always look for local races with lots of character or are a little quirky.
Yes, quirky is good – and memorable.
I like small to medium sized races. For shorter distances I really like small races, but for a half or full marathon, I enjoy some crowds and having some people running close to me. I like the 2,000 – 5,000 range though. I don’t like starting late or being crowded together when running – 56,000 sounds crazy!
Jackie it was crazy when you think about the total people and the logistics. They did have us staggered in enough start times that I didn’t feel as crowded as I sometimes have in races half the size. A lot of credit to the NYC RD & her team for pulling it off so well.
I’m with you on choosing a race with smaller numbers for short races.
I to love small regional races. My experience with them is much more positive than larger races!
Good to hear support for the regional races. My fall race will likely be a small regional race.
as a race director I want a big crowd, but I like running in smaller races, 300 to 500 5k and 1000 to 1500 half marathons.
I agree, Dave, although as a fellow race director I find that different types of runners are drawn to different size events. Expectations for what they expect to achieve in participating in the event can be quite interesting.