Monday, April 18th is the grand daddy of them all: The Boston Marathon, our country's oldest marathon. I started thinking about the old ABC's Wide World of Sports. Remember the line from that show's introduction every week?  They showed "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat".

When I think of running a marathon, I think of agony, because the one marathon I did completely was torture.  I ran the Kona Marathon in Hawaii to benefit a charity, and while it sounds like a breathtaking jog along the most beautiful coastline, it was not.  It was actually about a mile of "stunning" and 25.2 miles of black lava fields.  It was hot and my sneakers were wet from the misting tents to keep us cool.  All runners know that if you get your sneakers wet, you will get blisters, big blisters. But I have a Kona Marathon medal to prove I finished, as I cried while crossing the finish line.

Miguel A Amutio
Miguel A Amutio
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The "runners high" is real, and that's why thousands of people around the world run long distances.  Also, less than 1% of the population have run a marathon, so it's a big deal.

Let's turn to New Hampshire specifically.  Over 300 Granite Staters ran the Boston Marathon last year.  The race had been postponed for two consecutive April starts, but returned for 2021 in October.  So, if you're feeling like we just saw the Boston Marathon, you are not incorrect.  It was only six months ago.  2022 marks the return of the Patriot's Day marathon.

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Does New Hampshire host any marathons? Yes, indeed.  There are nine marathons held in the 603 annually, and they each have their own personality. Many are qualifying races for Boston.  The Cheap Marathon in Derry is literally $20 to race. The New England Series in Claremont specifically calls themselves "looney", and the Brewery Chase Relay in Derry (what's up with runners and Derry?), boast a 26.2 mile run between seven breweries.

Newmarket, Manchester, Bristol, Amherst, Keene, and Nashua all host marathons as well. Each race is capped off with a fun afterparty, because who doesn't want a cold beer after a long run?  Find out the where and when of all the marathons in New Hampshire at the runningintheusa.com website.  Happy Running.

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