Des Moines is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County with parts extending into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857. It is located on, and named after, the Des Moines River, which likely was adapted from the early French name, Rivière des Moines, meaning "River of the Monks". The city's population was 214,133 as of the 2020 census. The six-county metropolitan area is ranked 81st in terms of population in the United States, with 709,466 residents according to the 2020 census by the United States Census Bureau, and is the largest metropolitan area fully located within the state.
An ultramarathon, also called ultra distance or ultra running, is a footrace longer than the traditional marathon length of 42.195 kilometres. Various distances, surfaces, and formats are raced competitively, from the shortest common ultramarathon of 31 miles (50 km) and up to 3100 miles. World Championships are held by the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) for 50 km, 100 km, 24 hours, and ultra trail running. The Global Organization of Multi-Day Ultramarathoners (GOMU) holds World Championships for 48 hours and 6 days. World Records are ratified and recognized by World Athletics, the IAU, and by GOMU.
Seafair is a summer festival in Seattle, Washington, that encompasses a wide variety of small neighborhood events leading up to several major citywide celebrations. While many small block parties and local parades occur under the auspices of Seafair, most Seattle residents associate Seafair with the Torchlight Parade, Seafair Cup hydroplane races, and the Blue Angels. Seafair has been an annual event in Seattle since 1950 but its roots can be traced to the 1911 Seattle Golden Potlatch Celebrations.
The Twin Cities Marathon is a marathon in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area which normally takes place the first weekend in October. The race is often called "The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America" due to a course that winds through downtown districts, then along parkways that hug lakes and waterways all throughout dense urban forests in the neighborhoods of both cities.
The Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Running Series is an annual half marathon foot-race run on the Las Vegas Strip and in parts of the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada. The former marathon distance race was one of the oldest marathons in the United States, having been held annually between 1967 - 2019.
The Austin Marathon is an annual marathon held in Austin, Texas, since 1992. The race weekend also features a half marathon and a 5K run with a two-day expo taking place on Friday and Saturday. The 32nd annual event is scheduled to take place on February 18, 2024.
Turkey trots are footraces, usually of the long-distance variety, held on or around Thanksgiving Day in the United States. The name is derived from the use of turkey as a common centerpiece of the Thanksgiving dinner. A few races in the United Kingdom during the Christmas period are described as turkey trots. In the United States, many courses used for these Thanksgiving events are run at a certified USA Track & Field road race distances between 5Ks and a half marathon; others are informal fun runs between 1.0 mile (1.6 km) and 5 km. The fun runs are often run as charity benefits and feature runners in costumes, particularly as turkeys. The Atlanta Marathon, which ran on Thanksgiving from 1981 to 2009, was the only full 26.2-mile (42.2 km) marathon to run on the holiday. It has been replaced by a shorter race, the Peachtree Road Race. The oldest documented turkey trot, a still-ongoing annual event in Buffalo, New York, dates to 1896.
Iowa Speedway is a 7⁄8 mile (1.4 km) oval short track in Newton, Iowa. Since its inaugural season of racing in 2006, the track has hosted a variety of racing event, including events sanctioned by NASCAR and IndyCar. The facility has been owned by NASCAR since 2019, with Eric Peterson currently serving as the track's president. Iowa Speedway is served by Interstate 80.
The Little Rock Marathon, started in 2003, is an annual marathon held in Little Rock, Arkansas. The event, which is traditionally held the First Weekend of March each year, attracts participants from all 50 states and over 15 different countries. The mission of the Little Rock Marathon is to provide a premier event open to athletes of all abilities, while promoting a healthy lifestyle through running and walking and raising money for Little Rock Parks & Recreation. In January 2016, Runner's World named the Little Rock Marathon as a “Bucket List Race: 10 Great Marathons for First-Timers”. It also ranked #5 on American Town Media's "The Dream 26: The Best and Most Unique Marathons In America" list and voted one of the best Half Marathons in the nation on the 100 Half Marathons Club 2017 list.
The Colfax Marathon is an annual marathon foot-race held in Colorado, United States, since 2006. Significant portions of the course follow Colfax Avenue.
The Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart and Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade are IndyCar Series races held at the Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. The first event was held in 2007. From 2007 to 2013, it was a 250-lap race; beginning in 2014, the race was increased to 300 laps. For 2020, the race reverted to 250 laps, with consecutive 250-lap races on Friday and Saturday night. After being left off of the calendar for 2021, it returned to the 2022 schedule with the 250/300 format held in years previous.
The Crim Festival of Races is an annual road running event with several races and walking events. The original distance was 10 miles and is the marque race as "The Crim" with its infamous Bradley Hills and blue line to keep runners on course. The Crim has been held in August in Flint, Michigan since 1977. It draws runners from around the world from countries such as Kenya, Russia, and Ukraine. The race attracts approximately 50,000 people each year. The festival is one of the Flint Parade of Festivals.
The Manitoba Marathon weekend consists of a marathon, half marathon, marathon relay, 10 km race, and 2.6 mile fun run. The marathon was first run in the City of Winnipeg in 1979 and has generally been held annually on Father's Day since then. In 2019, about 10,000 runners in total participated over the weekend, including 655 who finished the marathon.
The Illinois Marathon is a for-profit marathon which was held for the first time on April 11, 2009 in Champaign, Illinois. This was to be the first marathon ever held in Champaign. The course is very flat and it was expected to produce fast times, with only 85 feet (26 m) of elevation change. Race weekends have been held annually on the fourth weekend in April since 2009, with the only cancellation to date being the 2020 Race Weekend as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The races offered are:
Lisa Uhl is an American runner. She is a four-time NCAA Division One champion, former NCAA record holder in the 10,000 meters, and the sixth fastest American woman to ever cover that distance. She competed in the 10,000 meters in the 2012 Summer Olympics. She competed for Iowa State University.
The Green Bay Marathon is an annual race event that takes place on the 3rd week of May in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
runDisney, is the road race division of Disney Sports Enterprises, a unit of Disney Experiences, a segment and subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The division is designed to get runners to plan a "runcation", a vacation planned to coincide with the race they signed up for.
The Milwaukee Marathon is an annual marathon, and a Boston Marathon qualifying race, for runners of all ages and abilities that courses through downtown Milwaukee each spring. It offers three race distances: a full marathon, a half marathon, and a 5k.
Sammy Malakwen is a middle- and long-distance runner from Kenya who also trained in Two Harbors, Minnesota. He has won several major marathons, and has finished in the top 10 of several major road races.
Pasca Jerono is a Kenyan-born American middle- and long-distance runner best known for winning the 2014 Grandma's Marathon in 2:33:45.
