Rave Races: History Buffs

Take a run through yesteryear with races that have stood the test of time.

Get Your Phil

See the meeting place of the Founding Fathers by foot in the Philadelphia Marathon. The race takes runners down Benjamin Franklin Parkway, through the streets of Independence Hall and past the steps made famous by a true national treasure, Rocky Balboa.
When: 11/23/14
Where: Philadelphia, PA
philadelphiamarathon.com

Traditional Trot

The oldest footrace in America, the YMCA Buffalo Niagara Turkey Trot has been a Thanksgiving tradition for 118 years. The race didn’t allow women to participate until 1972(!), but now more than 14,000 runners and walkers (of both sexes) from all over the world run the 8K every year.
When: 11/27/14
Where: Buffalo, NY
ymcabuffaloniagara.org

Galaxy and Beyond

Channel Neil Armstrong at Florida’s oldest 26.2-miler, the Space Coast Marathon and Half Marathon. The race is held in the shadow of the Kennedy Space Center, which has been used for every NASA human space flight since 1968, including the moon-bound Apollo 11.
When: 11/30/14
Where: Cocoa, FL
spacecoastmarathon.org

Revolutionary Road

Run along the nation’s first true public road at the Old Sandwich Road Race. The route was first created by the Wampanoag tribe and later became a popular stagecoach route for ferry passengers. Now it’s a wide, pat path perfect for a 5K, 10K or half marathon—all distances offered at this Massachusetts race.
When: 6/15
Where: Plymouth, MA
runplymouth.com

So Inclined

In 1974, one of the first half marathons in the country kicked off with only 99 participants. Now, 9,000 runners hit the streets of Kansas City for the Hospital Hill Run. The course has some serious climbs, but that hasn’t stopped runners like Joan Benoit Samuelson from clocking blazingly fast times over the last four decades.
When: 6/6/15
Where: Kansas City, MO
hospitalhillrun.com