Don’t Sleep on Shorter Races

For many, the marathon dream often crystalizes on the first Sunday of November: the day of the annual 26.2-mile race through New York City. 

You might watch from the sidelines as participants trudge through all five boroughs, with a smile on their faces. Maybe you see inspiring videos of people from all walks of life, from young adults to 80-year-olds, embarking on the same challenge together. Or, you might read about the staggering 55,000-plus participants who cross the finish line and think: “I want to be a part of that.”

It makes sense. Major races like New York, Tokyo, and Chicago are a mixture of exhilarating, gratifying, validating, and humbling. But all the glitz, glam, and clout that comes with running a high-profile race shouldn’t stop you from also participating in smaller or lesser-known races, says Evan Wood, a Precision Run Coach who has run the New York City Marathon 11 times, completed a few other majors (including Boston and Berlin), and raced countless smaller-scale and shorter-distance events.