Spring Marathon ~ Which One To Do?

So, I’m pretty sure I want to do a Spring Marathon.  I need to decide which one to run, and pretty quick, because the first one on the list is opening registration Saturday, December 1^st, and the word from those who know say it sells out in one day.

 Here’s my  list of Options:

 Bayshore Marathon – Traverse City, Saturday, May 25th

PRO: Great scenery, always wanted to run this event, great town, popular and mid-sized but not huge. Flat course. My parents have a condo 40 minutes away I can stay at.

CON: In-state but still travel at a 4 hour drive. Have to decide early and commit and it’s a holiday weekend so who knows what I’ll want to do. Family will have to adjust to my schedule, and hate to ask this when I also expect to travel to New York in November 2013 for the marathon.

Lansing Marathon. - April 21st, 2013

PRO: An hours drive. A date with some good weather. The infamous Detroit Runner has it on his schedule. It would be neat to see more of Lansing, a college town with a mix of rural areas    

CON: Lansing? (Moo-U?) I’m a wolverine, so I'd be a stranger in a strange land. Small marathon, no race day pickup unlike Toledo so I would have to travel there the night before.

Glass City Marathon - Toledo, Ohio, April 28th, 2013

PRO: Similar to above, flat and good time of the year. Also an hours drive, so its close, and I can do race day pick up so can sleep in my own bed and leave my house at 4:30 am and eat breakfast on the road, stop at a Cracker Barrell or Citgo for my morning sit-down, and get my race bib and be good to go. Day tripping.

CON: Also a small marathon, and I have no ties whatsoever to Toledo (except I’ve been to the Zoo, which is wonderful, and wasn’t Klinger from MASH born there?)

Martian Martian - Dearborn, MI  April 13th, 2013

PRO: Running Fit supports it, and they’re good people. The race has some fun race gimmicks and themes. Great kids run.  A 30 minute drive or less

CON: The course is pretty hilly, but that’s the only fun part. Mundane and blah.  The full gives you nothing that the half doesn’t give.

Ann Arbor Marathon - June 9th, 2013

PRO: Ran it last year and enjoyed myself. Ann Arbor is a critical part of my formative years. If I run it this year, I will be tied for running it the most consecutive years in a row of anyone~ twice J.  They are changing the course a bit.  A 35 minute drive. Did I mention it’s Ann Arbor? Starts at the Big House, runs through familiar areas. I'd like to support Champions for Charity and their efforts implementing an Ann Arbor marathon.

CON: It’s really a summer marathon at June 8^th. From who I have spoken with, the course changes aren’t really the parts I wanted changed.  Very, very Hilly course.

So, there you have it. If you've run one of these, let me know. The decision time is coming. Tick-tock, tick-tock…...