Setting Goals: My Race Bucket List | The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans LLC

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As we look ahead to 2016 (I mean, seriously!?!? How is it 2016?!?!?) many of us try to set our race calendar for the year.  Maybe we’ve found some great cyber and Christmas specials on race entries, maybe a loved one “gifted” us an entry, or maybe we are just really anal like to be organized.

Whatever your reason, I’d like to give you my race bucket list.  Since I’m coming back from injury and will be lucky to finish the one race I have planned in 2016, this is truly a wish list for me, especially since most are full marathons & I’m not sure I’ll ever run another full.  But that’s what wish lists and bucket lists are for, right? To shoot for the moon?  Maybe it will give you some fitspiration as you plan your half or full marathon calendar.  I decided to look for one race per month as a fun way to organize this list.

January: Walt Disney World Dopey Challenge – Go big or go home, right?!?!  Someday I really would LOVE to run the Dopey – all 4 races of Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend.  Cost aside, just being physically able to complete 48.6 miles in 3 days would be incredible.  Not to mention all the BLING!

February: Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans: Mardi Gras worthy bling and a run through the French Quarter during the only time of the year the heat isn’t oppressive? Yes, please!  In actuality, February is the only month I have an actual race planned for 2016.  I’ll be in Jacksonville, FL *hopefully* running the 26.2 with Donna Breast Cancer Marathon (half marathon for me provided my body holds up).  If you are planning to run this race, let me know and we can try to arrange a Donna meet up!

March: The Zion Half Marathon: This list would not be complete without at least one National Park race.  The majority are half distance and sadly, this one has been sold out for quite awhile, but it’s going on the list anyway because the beauty would be unparalleled.

April:  The Boston Marathon – Because Boston.  I will never qualify to run this and most likely will never have the means to get in under a charity but it pretty much is the dream of every runner to cross that finish line on Boylston Street.

May: The Great Wall Marathon – How incredible would it be to run across the Great Wall of China!!!  This is billed as one of the most challenging marathons on the planet but what an experience it would be.  One look at the elevation map might have you saying “no way! SO MANY STAIRS!” but if anyone wanted to buy me an entry, plane tickets, lodging, and the whole 9 yards, I’d be all over this one. If you have 5 minutes, I highly recommend you click the link and watch the video.  It’s breathtaking.

June: The Big Five Marathon – South Africa: What’s the Big Five?  Probably a marathon you’ve never heard of – I hadn’t until I started researching for this post.  This marathon contains a challenging route going right through one of the Big Five game reserves.  During the marathon you’ll see Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo, Lion and Leopard with nothing separating the runners from the African wildlife.  I’ve always wanted to go on safari and run another international marathon (I’ve run the Detroit International which includes a jaunt through Canada).  Seems like this would be the best of both worlds.

July: Gold Coast Marathon – Australia:  Since we are hitting up the other continents, I couldn’t pass up a chance to run in Australia 🙂  Run along the eastern coast in Brisbane, the scenery would be stunning.  Plus, to run a marathon in July I’d have to head to the Southern Hemisphere.  It’s too dang hot and humid here!

August: Dublin Rock ‘n’ Roll – Ireland: I’ve always wanted to go to Ireland.  Running past Christ Church Cathedral and the Guinness brewery seems like a really good reason.

September: Le Marathon du Medoc – France: Now this one sounds like it would be just plain FUN.  Dress up in a costume based on the year’s theme, get wine at the aid stations, run through French vineyards and get all manner of exotic foods at the finish line.  The website is in French which makes it even that much more of an adventure 🙂

October: Niagara Falls International Marathon: October is a huge marathon month, with Chicago, Nike Women’s (although I couldn’t confirm the date for 2016) and Marine Corps just to name a few, so I really could have my pick of races.  The weather is perfect throughout the majority of the country and I’ve run my two marathons: Grand Rapids Marathon and Detroit International Marathon during the month of October.  For my October wish list pick, I stayed a little closer to home.  I remember visiting Niagara Falls with my family as a kid and I would love to go back.  This race starts near Buffalo, NY where you cross into Canada on the Peace Bridge, about 4.5 miles into the race and then run north along the Niagara River to finish at the base of the Niagara Falls.  Of all the races on this list, this one is probably the most realistic to cross off someday.

November: Antacrtic Ice Marathon: So what is a girl who has become adverse to running in snow doing putting a marathon a few hundred miles from the South Pole on her list?  What’s a bucket list without something that absolutely terrifies you!  This is billed as the only footrace completely within the Antarctic Circle.  If someone wants to go really nuts, there’s also a 100k.

December: Honolulu Marathon – because what wouldn’t be an incredible way to top off the year than a trip to Hawaii.

What’s on your marathon bucket list?  Anything I should add if I ever win the lottery?

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