Point to Point Courses

I'll admit I'm a "lazy" racer. I prefer races where I can wake up and walk right to the starting line from my hotel or wherever I'm staying. I am the worst race participant because I often show up at the starting line 15-20 min. before the gun goes off. On two occasions someone has had to help me over the blockades in order to get into my starting corral because they've closed them off. I know it's bad but I just like to run! It's also usually too cold to be standing around an hour before the gun goes off. I think I tend to drink too much water and eat too much when I do arrive early just because I think I should be and I'm just waiting to get running.

Due to my race laziness, I do not sign up for point to point races. I have run in a countless number of point to points and thinking back, they weren't that bad. Getting up early and being shuttled to the starting line isn't really as much of an ordeal as I make it out to be in my head. I've always had success on these courses and it's fun to know you're actually running from one place to another. My first and second marathons were both point to point (Napa Valley Marathon and Boston). My new appreciation for these courses comes after talking to the race director of the Napa-to-Sonoma Half Marathon. He has designed 5 half-marathon courses, all point to point. As a race director, I would think he'd prefer a loop course or out and back. Having the same start & finish area cuts down on so many logistical issues but he likes mapping routes that take people along unique courses that do not cover the same area. It was interesting to hear someone talk so enthusiastically about point to point courses. I will no longer avoid point to point races, in fact, I think I'll put Grandma's Marathon back on my race to-do list.

35th Annual Grandma's Marathon (6/18/11) Opens Registration, Revamps Website
Grandma's Marathon - our favorite summer destination - is blowing it out for their 35th anniversary with a new website, early registration opening, and the announcement of extra runner perks. Named after the original sponsor, Grandma's chain of restaurants, Grandma's Marathon is the largest Summer Marathon in the USA (and always one of the largest 15 in the country). The marathon is embraced as the largest annual event in Duluth. On the shores of Lake Superior, a short flight or 2-1/2 hour drive north of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Grandma's is unique in the world of marathoning as this city of 85,000 hosts nearly 20,000 runners participating in the marathon, half marathon and 5K. Being in Duluth for the weekend, it seems like the city was created just for the marathon, as - it appears - nearly everyone in town is wearing their volunteer shirts 24x7 and are there just for the runners... In addition to posting many of the fastest finishing times in the country, Grandma's was chosen to host the 2012 and 2013 USA Half Marathon championships on the Half Marathon course which covers the second half of the marathon course.