After getting denied for the NYC marathon yesterday I was trying to think of other big, "bucket list" races to enter. I know we've discussed this topic before, but I couldn't find a dedicated thread for it.

What races (marathons, triathlons, cycling, ultras, etc.) are on your bucket list?

I pretty much just run, so here's my list:

Marathons:
Boston Marathon (trying to qualify)
NYC Marathon (denied via lottery twice, or could auto-qualify with a 2:53... yeah right)
Big Sur Marathon (I'll add this one to the list since I live sort of nearby, but it's also a lottery)

Ultras:
Western States 100 (very tough lottery and qualification, more on this in a minute)
Hard Rock 100 (very tough lottery)

Other:
Tahoe Rim Trail
Grand Canyon Rim to Rim (to Rim?)

Completed Bucket List Races:
Marine Corps Marathon
Houston Marathon (I'm from Houston so this one was special)
BCS Marathon (This should be on every Ag's list)

In order to qualify for the WS lottery I need to get some 100k or 100 mile races done. The problem is, I don't really know what to sign up for. There's hundreds of options on UltraSignup. Instead of just signing up for nearby races, are there any 100k WS qualifiers that are must-do, "bucket list" type of races?

coop-aero-06 said:

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In order to qualify for the WS lottery I need to get some 100k or 100 mile races done. The problem is, I don't really know what to sign up for. There's hundreds of options on UltraSignup. Instead of just signing up for nearby races, are there any 100k WS qualifiers that are must-do, "bucket list" type of races?

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western states has a very specific set of qualifiers: http://www.wser.org/qualifying-races/

and good luck with hard rock. its virtually impossible to get in at this point. I'm not even going to try.

Quote:

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Big Sur Marathon (I'll add this one to the list since I live sort of nearby, but it's also a lottery)

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I'm running it in April. My wife and I signed up via a charity (Children's Tumor Foundation). Really looking forward to it.

Officially I'm just along for the ride while she crosses it off of her bucket list.

Boston
NYC
Marine Corps
London

Those are my big marathons I'd like to do.

AggieOO said:

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coop-aero-06 said:

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In order to qualify for the WS lottery I need to get some 100k or 100 mile races done. The problem is, I don't really know what to sign up for. There's hundreds of options on UltraSignup. Instead of just signing up for nearby races, are there any 100k WS qualifiers that are must-do, "bucket list" type of races?

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western states has a very specific set of qualifiers: http://www.wser.org/qualifying-races/

and good luck with hard rock. its virtually impossible to get in at this point. I'm not even going to try.

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Yeah, I'm pretty familiar with the qualification process. I probably should have asked if anyone could recommend any of those qualification races. I'm probably going to sign up for the Cuyamaca 100k simply because it's sort of nearby and it's not a lottery to get in. But I'm not really that excited for it, except that it would qualify me for the WS lottery. If I'm going to be going through this process for the next 5-10 years waiting to get in, are there any others that I should look at? And if I'm going to really get into this whole ultra trail running stuff, are there any other trail races (marathon, 50k, 50 milers) that I should add to my bucket list?

there are actually a handful of good ones on the western states list. I'll post more later, i'm out at work HH now. I end up running something close to home to check the box, b/c that's the easiest. I can run Bandera and be at home in bed the same night after running the 100K.

Badwater
Antarctica marathon
Tokyo marathon
London marathon
Berlin marathon
Comrades

Ironman and qualify for Kona

coop-aero-06 said:

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In order to qualify for the WS lottery I need to get some 100k or 100 mile races done. The problem is, I don't really know what to sign up for. There's hundreds of options on UltraSignup. Instead of just signing up for nearby races, are there any 100k WS qualifiers that are must-do, "bucket list" type of races?

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Western States qualifiers that are worth looking at or are "bucket list" type races:

Angeles Crest
Black Canyon
CDR
The Canyons (run on the western states trail)
Gorge Waterfalls
Hard Rock
HURT
Leadville
Sean O'Brien
Tahoe Rim Trail
UTMB
Ultra Trail Cape Town
Ultra Trail Mt Fuji
Vermont
Wasatch
Zion

depending on what you like in a race, you could likely argue a lot more on the list.

As for my bucket list:

Western States
Badwater
Redwoods Marathon
Trans Zion Run (doing this in May)
3 Days of Syllamo (had to bail on this one this year)


that's all i can think of right now, though i'm sure my list is a mile long

races/runs already checked off:

R2R2R
Boston
NYC
Comrades
Ironman (AZ, TX, & WI)

The Pilot said:

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Badwater
Antarctica marathon
Tokyo marathon
London marathon
Berlin marathon
Comrades

Ironman and qualify for Kona

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Well, well, well. Ironman and Kona huh?

I heard Antarctica Mike (I think he did the inaugural marathon there) speak a couple of weeks ago. Interesting story. Definitely give that a shot!

My only big one left is Boston, and that is going to take some serious work.

I've done NYC and signed up for Chicago this year which were the top on my list. My main goal now is to get all 50 states in by my 50th bday.

After that I'd like to get all the continents covered.

Yeah, hopefully in the next 5 years I'll give the ironman thing a try. We'll see if the Kona thing sticks

AggieOO said:

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coop-aero-06 said:

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In order to qualify for the WS lottery I need to get some 100k or 100 mile races done. The problem is, I don't really know what to sign up for. There's hundreds of options on UltraSignup. Instead of just signing up for nearby races, are there any 100k WS qualifiers that are must-do, "bucket list" type of races?

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Western States qualifiers that are worth looking at or are "bucket list" type races:

Angeles Crest
Black Canyon
CDR
The Canyons (run on the western states trail)
Gorge Waterfalls
Hard Rock
HURT
Leadville
Sean O'Brien
Tahoe Rim Trail
UTMB
Ultra Trail Cape Town
Ultra Trail Mt Fuji
Vermont
Wasatch
Zion

depending on what you like in a race, you could likely argue a lot more on the list.

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Thanks for the list. I've heard of most of those, and many of them are tough to gain entry to as well.

I'm going to be in Texas for New Years this year, so I'm considering staying an extra week to run Bandera.

Bandera is a challenging race and Hill Country State Natural Area is gorgeous. I'm just tired of running it.

if i get denied for WS again, i'll likely be back at Bandera just b/c its easy for me logistically.

One I forgot about is the Bataan Death March out in White Sands. Never works out logistically to go out there

Boston. A lot of work before I get there, but still on the list.

Moved out west, and discovering some very cool trail marathons and ultras.

Volcanic 50 (running over and around Mt St Helens) may be first on the list. (well second. I have to knock out a 50k somewhere else before I can run that one, per registration requirements)

CrockerAg98 said:

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Moved out west, and discovering some very cool trail marathons and ultras.

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I'm the same way. I was always a road guy, and I still have a lot of goals for road races. But I'm finding myself running a lot more on the mountain trails after moving out west.

Rock N Roll's in New Orleans and Las Vegas

coop-aero-06 said:

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CrockerAg98 said:

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Moved out west, and discovering some very cool trail marathons and ultras.

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I'm the same way. I was always a road guy, and I still have a lot of goals for road races. But I'm finding myself running a lot more on the mountain trails after moving out west.

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watch those road goals fade as you find the trails seduce you.

AggieOO said:

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coop-aero-06 said:

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CrockerAg98 said:

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Moved out west, and discovering some very cool trail marathons and ultras.

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I'm the same way. I was always a road guy, and I still have a lot of goals for road races. But I'm finding myself running a lot more on the mountain trails after moving out west.

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watch those road goals fade as you find the trails seduce you.

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I don't think I can run or bike on trails. I'm too damn clumsy and would most definitely crash and sprain or break something.

sounds like an excuse.

You usually run a lot slower on trails. Part of the reason why I don't see myself ever fully giving up the road, I enjoy running fast. On trails, I feel like I'm usually holding back because I don't want to fall.

takes more effort to run the same speed on trails.

You doing grasslands? I have several teammates going up to run the 20 miler.

No, I'm running Rock n Roll. Are they running the 50 miler? It's the only one I've done but I think it's relatively easy, the year (2 years ago) I did it we had terrible mud. Weather last year was great and should be good this year as well.

The Pilot said:

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No, I'm running Rock n Roll. Are they running the 50 miler? It's the only one I've done but I think it's relatively easy, the year (2 years ago) I did it we had terrible mud. Weather last year was great and should be good this year as well.

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"You doing grasslands? I have several teammates going up to run the 20 miler."

Unofficial? Officially they only have a 50, marathon, and half, unless things changed.

AggieOO said:

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coop-aero-06 said:

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CrockerAg98 said:

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Moved out west, and discovering some very cool trail marathons and ultras.

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I'm the same way. I was always a road guy, and I still have a lot of goals for road races. But I'm finding myself running a lot more on the mountain trails after moving out west.

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watch those road goals fade as you find the trails seduce you.

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Yeah, I'm feeling the pull of the trails for sure.

I have a 20 mile training run (road) on my schedule for Saturday which will take a little under 3 hours, but I would much rather go out and do a 25-mile trail run that would take me over 4.5 hours.

But I also agree with Pilot; I also like going out and hammering a good tempo run on the roads too.

My running club is almost exclusively trail runners so it's been a great introduction to the trail running scene out here. But it's also pretty amusing to hear about how much they HATE running on roads. I told them that I'm hoping to BQ this year and the consensus response was something like "why would you want to do that?"

The Pilot said:

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Unofficial? Officially they only have a 50, marathon, and half, unless things changed.

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sorry, meant marathon. I have Toughest in Texas on my brain since I'm racing that one. There's a 20 miler there that my wife and some of my teammates are running.

I ran 18 last saturday and it was my longest road run in probably 3.5 years. It sucked. The ONLY positive was that I knocked out my long run and was home probably an hour and half earlier than i normally would.

AggieOO said:

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sounds like an excuse.

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Ironman
Escape from Alcatraz Tri
RAAM

AP4P2020 said:

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Ironman
Escape from Alcatraz Tri
RAAM

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T&P for your wallet.

I am running grasslands. I'm not in shape though and only doing the half. Mainly just using it as a long run. This week will hopefully kickoff my serious training for the year.

I figured I'd bump this thread because it sort of goes along with the 2018 H&F Goals thread.

For 2018 I'm running Boston in April, and I'm entering the lottery for:

Tahoe Rim Trail 50 mile
Waldo 100k
NYC Marathon

Waldo will be my WS100 qualifier, if I get in.

Judge me all you want but shooting for Dopey challenge in 2019.

Other than that, Marine Corp is top of the list.