The 6 Best U.S. Marathons To Set A Personal Record

By Matt Fitzgerald
Published Jul. 18, 2011
Updated Jul. 20, 2011 at 8:17 PM UTC

Houston Marathon

Photo: houston.culturemap.com

The Chevron Houston Marathon has quietly emerged as one of the most popular marathons for PR-seeking runners. Performances such as Ryan Hall’s American record of 59:43 in the concurrent half marathon have enticed thousands of others to go after records of their own.

If you’ve ever been to Houston, you know the marathon course could only be flat, and it is. January weather in Houston is typically perfect for running, and the crowd support in America’s fourth-largest city is surprisingly strong.

The only small negative of the Houston Marathon as a PR event is that it requires runners to be in top shape at a time of year when most of us are not. But all it takes to work around that issue is a little planning.

Also by Matt Fitzgerald: Adventures In Minimalism

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