How Do You Pick a Favorite Race?

Paul Grinvalds - excellent runner & cyclist!

People often ask me what’s my favorite race?  A reasonable question and one that I struggle to answer.  Too many qualifying questions immediately pop up.  Are we talking about performance?  Or is it location?  What about those incredibly well-organized races?  Should the question be broken down into small races vs. larger ones?

You get the idea.

Before I take us any further down this cavernous rabbit hole, kudos go out to my friend Paul Grinvalds for suggesting this post.  Paul’s an excellent runner - fast enough to absolutely impress in the 800 meters yet also has the talent to tackle marathons with amazing results.  He’s also the "Master of Information and Detail."  He’s ranked all of his marathons from most to least favorite.  What caught Paul's attention is how those rankings can change over time as preferences and time have their impact.  He acknowledges that performance isn’t always the primary indicator of a favorite race.

My List

For the sake of this post, let’s try that out.  Below are my best performances since 2017 (when I returned to competitive racing) as per Age Graded Results.

1. Hop Hop 10K (2021)

2. Winter Warm Up 10K (2022)

3. Yeti 5K (2021)

4. Des Moines Half Marathon (2019)

5. Sycamore 8 (2019)

(Note that Age Graded Results show your time now compared to what it would be in your younger peak years.)

It’s an interesting list.  Numbers 1 and 3 are virtual races, ran about a month apart four years ago.  Number 2 was a 10K with less than 50 people.  Number 4 is the only half in the group.  2019’s Sycamore 8 was actually run on a blacktop trail because recent rains had made the dirt trail too muddy for the race.

2019's Sycamore 8

Out of that list, only the 2019 Des Moines Half Marathon is in my personal Top 5 Races - which are listed below.

1. Des Moines Half Marathon (2019)

2. Fueled By Fine Wine Half Marathon (2019)

3. Cap Pursuit 10 Miles (2021)

4. Bix 7 (2024) 

5. Drake Half Marathon (2021)

What’s Going On?

Although none of these races has me earning my highest rankings using Age Graded Results, they stand out to me for other reasons.  2021’s Capital Pursuit had me fighting cold November winds to have my best overall time in that race.  Last year’s Bix 7 stood out because I had to fight through other runners to eke out a fifth-place finish in my age group after being placed in a slower corral.  And the 2019 Des Moines Half Marathon was simply my best performance in decades.

2019’s Fueled By Fine Wine Half Marathon rates even more discussion.  Its high ranking is a result of a combination of a strong performance in what at the time was my favorite race.  Because of its steep hills, overall times were much slower than other half marathons. 

A careful review shows that I hold half marathons in higher regard than I do shorter races - even those it’s clear that I’m technically better at them.  It also seems that I lean into races where I had to struggle to achieve that final outcome.  Also have to say that it looks as though 2019 and 2021 were pretty decent years with running.

Has it really been over 4 years since this race?

What About the Future?

I should add that when I completed the Drake Half Marathon in 2021, I ranked it as my second-best race since 2017.  I based that ranking on both the overall time and how I stubbornly fought through a sore knee for the final four miles.  However, that pride became a pitch-perfect Homer Simpson “D’oh!” when I learned a few weeks later than it was a sore knee I had experienced in that race, but a sore IT band.  By pushing it like I did, I injured that tendon enough that it flared up with almost every run for the next several weeks.  As a result, I don’t look quite as fondly on that race.

Results are important, but not the complete story.  Last year’s Sycamore 8 trail run was what I considered an “good, not great” outcome.  But what stood out was how much I enjoyed the awards celebration afterwards where I met several people and reconnected with other friends.  As a result, I look back fondly on that race.  

Then there’s the Eugene Half Marathon.  My IT band has slowed the final two miles both times I’ve run it.  Which is a clear frustration.  On the other hand, I’ve spent the rest of that day with my two good friends who attend that race to watch me.  No way will I allow a disappointing outcome to spoil time spent with both of them.  Could be that I look back even more fondly on both of those races.

Lastly, channeling my frustration and anger into last year’s Bix 7 helped me achieve my goal of placing in my age group - which seemed a better alternative than fuming about my misfortune.  But how will I view that race as time goes on?  I’m a competitor.  But I’m also not completely proud of my every action in that race.  I’m guessing that it won’t remain in my Top 5 for that much longer.

Bottom line, for me there is indeed more that goes into determining my favorite races than simply performance.  And what about you?  What are the criteria you use?  Feel free to share it below or in the responses on Facebook.  

Once again, my thanks to Paul for this excellent idea!

Just a few like-minded folks ready for 2024's Bix 7!