I am always hearing about some really interesting marathons. Many of them really pique my interest but I cannot run them all. I have begun making posts of these marathons with the disclaimer that these are not marathons that I have necessarily run but are events that really sound of interest to me. Of course I also will show you the best way to reach these marathons! If you do end up running any of the marathons I write about, please let me know what your thoughts were of the event!
Cool Marathon Alert: Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon
This is an inaugural marathon set for April of next year. It looks like their preparation is excellent and they have received $250,000 from a private investor to help them so all their financial obligations are paid for before the registrations even come in! This is very helpful to give the marathon organizers a great shot at a successful race. There was another marathon that took place in the same city (Canton, OH) last year but was only run once due to financial problems. This is a completely separate race by different personnel so it should work out better.
For any football fan, this is sure to be a great race to participate in. It begins at the Pro Football Hall of Fame and ends at Fawcett Stadium. Not only does it give you a chance to hit the Football Hall of Fame, but you can then run a marathon hitting both famous points. The course and the course artwork is designed within the theme of the Football Hall of Fame. The medal is also a Football themed medal made by the same supplier that supplies the Boston Marathon.
Getting There
Nearest airports:
- Akron-Canton Airport
- Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport – 60 miles
- Pittsburgh International Airport – 75 miles
- Port Columbus International Airport – 128 miles
- Detroit International Airport – 200 miles
Cleveland International Airport is a hub airport for United, Detroit Airport is a hub airport for Delta, and Pittsburgh Airport is a spoke airport for a couple of other airlines. Akron is not a large airport but does have decent availability with United, US Airways, and Delta for award travel. From my home in Rochester to Canton is only about 4 hours so I have never flown into Akron/Canton before. Canton is actually in a great position for runners who want to drive as all of Ohio is a short drive, lower Michigan, Western New York, and Western Pennsylvania.
- Delta – requires 25,000 miles
- Southwest – requires various amount of points based on the fare of the ticket
- United – requires 25,000 miles (20,000 miles if under 750 miles)
- US Airways – requires 25,000 miles (5,000 miles reduced if you hold the US Airways credit card)
As for the hotels, there are many low cost hotels in the vicinity. If you want to use points, IHG and Choice Hotels have great availability. Hilton and Marriott are also options.
Race Details
- Marathon: Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon
- Date: April 27, 2014
- Time: 7:00AM
- Place: Canton, OH
- Races: Marathon and Half-Marathon
- Cost: $80 (Marathon), $60 (half-marathon)
- Website: website
Summary
This is a great race for the sports fan. It would make a nice road trip for football buddies to be sure. This would make a great Spring marathon in the Northeast – cool temperatures, great sites. I wish I was in a position to run this race. It sounds like it is an inaugural marathon that will be a great success!
