Run50 Stories
English Stories
Race stories translated with a more conversational voice, keeping the travel notes, food detours, and finish-line messiness intact.
Run50 / U.S. States
Run50 U.S. State Stories
Ordered from State 1 onward, with revisit races kept near the state where they belong.
Louisville Marathon: my first marathon in North America
A pandemic-era out-and-back through Beckley Creek Park, with masks, staggered starts, six-foot gaps, a hot final stretch, and State 1 of Run50.
Kentucky Derby Marathon: Louisville's biggest running party
A hometown Run50 revisit through Derby season, downtown Louisville, Churchill Downs spirit, old friends, and a city that knows how to turn race weekend into a party.
Cleveland Marathon: from night into daylight
A two-part Cleveland weekend: Rock Hall, Cavaliers, Lake Erie, then a cold dawn marathon through bridges, skyline, and industrial grit.
Flying Pig Marathon: Queen City bridges and a rain-soaked finish
A second Ohio marathon through Cincinnati's river city: flying-pig branding, bridges, hills, rain, and a race that somehow became even more memorable when it got wet.
New York City Marathon: the 50th running across five boroughs
A two-part New York weekend: cyberpunk city scenes, Flushing, Times Square, Central Park, the Hudson River, then my first World Marathon Major.
San Francisco Marathon: Golden Gate fog, hills and bay light
A two-part San Francisco weekend: Karl the fog, Chinatown breakfast, Golden Gate sunset, biking the city, then a hard beautiful marathon across the bridge.
Indianapolis Monumental Marathon: a rainy one-day run back under five
A pre-dawn drive from Louisville, autumn rain downtown, Monument Circle, pacer groups, run-walk intervals, and a 4:55:12 finish that made running feel possible again.
Honolulu Marathon: an island daydream and 47's first full marathon
A two-part Hawaii story: Waikiki mornings, Diamond Head, rainbow seas, west-side roads, then the 50th Honolulu Marathon with fireworks and a nearly eleven-hour finish.
Atlanta Marathon: Olympic rings, hills, and a 16-hour road trip
A Georgia marathon weekend with Chattanooga on the way, Olympic city landmarks, Coca-Cola, CNN, rolling Atlanta streets, and the shared rhythm of 26.2 and 13.1.
Denver Colfax Marathon: 26.2 Mile High miles
A Colorado weekend built around old friends, Denver sun, Rocky Mountain light, stadium miles, and the thin-air rhythm of the Colfax Marathon.
Anchorage Marathon: Alaska without the aurora
A summer-solstice Alaska story: no northern lights, but mountains, coastal trails, wild scenery, long daylight, local runners and the kind of trip that makes the map feel larger.
St. Joseph Marathon: the first edition across Missouri
A Missouri road-trip marathon before Chicago: long drive, inaugural race energy, parkways, heat, hills, friends, and a wedding weekend at the end.
Chicago Marathon: State 11 and a second World Marathon Major
Running the 45th Chicago Marathon, missing the first flight, eating in Chinatown, starting in Grant Park, witnessing Kelvin Kiptum's world record day, and walking Siqi into her first Major finish.
Nashville Marathon: running in the music city under autumn sunshine
Running U.S. State 12 quest in the Capital of Country Music, crossing the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge on a hot October day, and completing my slowest marathon of the year inside the baseball stadium.
Marshall University Marathon: scoring a football touchdown in West Virginia
Running U.S. State 13 quest under the autumn sunshine, honoring the 1970 sports plane tragedy memorial on campus, and scoring a touchdown at the finish line inside the football stadium to break 4 hours.
San Antonio Rock 'n' Roll Marathon: the Spurs trip that became State 14
A Spurs-inspired Texas weekend with the Alamo, River Walk, Fort Sam Houston, live bands, a late hill, and a 4:12 finish to close out 2023.
Miami Marathon: wearing CR7 in Messi's backyard
An accidental double-run of Florida. A wrong-date plane ticket brought us back to the heat of Miami, where I ran 26.2 miles in a Ronaldo jersey—right in Messi's territory.
Little Rock Marathon: running in President Clinton's backyard
A U.S. State 17 quest under the dawn lights, crossing the Clinton Presidential Bridge, loop around the Dassault Jet center, and climbing rolling hills of Allsopp Park.
Too Slow for Boston Marathon: loops, RV camping, and the stubborn mule
A U.S. State 18 quest going against the speed-worshipping norm, completing 20 neighborhood loops under the sun, and celebrating with local block-party volunteers.
RunCN / China
RunCN China Stories
China race weekends from Hubei, Guangxi and Hong Kong, kept together as their own series.
Xiangyang Marathon: from Luojia Mountain to the Han River
First marathon back in China after almost six years, with Wuhan rain, Xiangyang beef noodles, old city walls, and a surprise 3:57.
Guilin Marathon: heat, karst hills, and family at the finish
A hot run along the Li River and through Guilin's mountain-lined streets, with my parents and aunt waiting at the finish.
Hong Kong Streetathon: tunnels, bridges, and a 5 a.m. start
A race through expressway tunnels, elevated roads, Victoria Harbour wind, Tseung Kwan O Bridge, and the final stop of a long China trip.
RunWorld / Global
RunWorld Stories
International marathon trips outside the U.S. and China, sorted by RunWorld entry order.
Mexico City Marathon: high altitude, pyramids, and a bus full of friends
Running at 2,240m altitude down Paseo de la Reforma to the Zócalo, followed by a pyramid detour and a memorable ride with local marathoners.
Pisa Marathon: under the Leaning Tower and through Tuscany
A winter-sun marathon from the Leaning Tower to the Arno, Tuscan villages, Marina di Pisa and the Ligurian Sea, followed by an Italy art-school road trip.