My Racing Bucket List

Completing the Best and Worst Race Link Up I did recently got me thinking about some of the very cool races there are out there. This inspired me to create a Racing Bucket List. So, below you'll read a bit about some races I would love to do!

Bloomsday-- It's a 12K race in Spokane, WA. It's been going for nearly 40 years. Spokane isn't too far away. Who wouldn't want to run when lilacs are supposedly in peak bloom? Sounds great.

Photo credit: www.bloomsdayrun.org.

Bozeman Marathon-- And by marathon I really mean marathon relay. RELAY. Ha! You thought I was admitting to wanting to do a marathon, didn't you?! Bozeman Marathon runs in September in Bozeman, MT. I think it would be super fun to do it as a relay with three other people-- each of us running about a 10K. I'm in Bozeman all the time in the fall. The trick would not be getting there, it would be finding three other people to commit to doing it with me! The greater the challenge, the greater the reward... who's with me?! They do, of course, offer full and half marathon distances for those of you who don't play well with others. ;)

This photo has nothing to do with running, but this is me, Harvey (dog), and Jeff (husband), on the M trail in Bozeman.
I'm fairly certain it has not snowed for Bozeman Marathon in it's brief history, and also pretty sure the race route does not hike up to the M. 

Title 9K-- 9K (duh!) with a couple locations. This year, they did it in Boulder, CO in May and in the Bay Area in September. I love this company and what they're about and I think it would be awesome to participate in this event. Women only-- NO BOYS ALLOWED! ;)

Missoula Marathon--Again, I probably aint' doin' no stinkin' marathon! But what I would like to do is the 5K that they also offer and then stick around and cheer for all my friends who ARE doing a half or full marathon! This is a super popular race in Montana, so I know I'd have a lot of people to cheer for! Seriously, I am in awe of people who run that far. You guys rock. Hardcore. But I'm probably sticking with my 5Ks and 10Ks for now.

Image source: www.missoulamarathon.org

Run to the Pub-- Around St. Patrick's Day in Bozeman, MT. They offer a half-marathon and a 10K. According to their website, this event was voted by Runner's World to be the #2 Half-Marathon in the country! Must be pretty awesome. The 10K probably is, too, which is what I'd be running. My sister in law and her husband did it last year with some friends and said it was great. I'm hoping to sneak down and do it sometime if I can (that's when we are calving!). But seriously. If it's that awesome, I should be able to make it down someday for this race, right? It'll happen. Someday.

Thanks to Katie S. for sharing this photo from after the run!

Bix 7-- Late July, Davenport, IA. 7 mile race. This is one that people always talk about in Iowa. As in, "Have you done Bix yet?" or, "Have you ever done Bix?" People just know what "Bix" is. Runners know what "Bix" is. I hear it's hot, hilly, and hard, but it just feels like something a runner should do. So, someday, I will do it. It's been running since 1975, so another one that's almost 40 years. Hopefully I will do this sometime within the next 40 years.

Icebreaker-- OK. I have done this one before. Twice. This is a great race because it's big and it's local, and it's staying on my list because I want to try to do it as many years as I can, as long as they keep doing it. I've only missed one since I've lived here, because I was sick. It kicks off the racing season in the spring and it's just a lot of fun. So the Icebreaker makes the list. They have 5, 3, and 1 mile races in April in Great Falls, MT. Next time I do it, I'd like to do the 5 mile.

Ulm Buffalo Jump Events-- No website for this one, but it's put on by RaceMT. The Buffalo Jump events includes a half-marathon, 10K, and 3 mile walk. Located at Buffalo Jump State Park, Ulm, MT. I was really close to doing this one last spring, but I was just coming off of being sick (which is why I missed the Icebreaker) and didn't ultimately feel I'd had sufficient training. So, maybe next year.

Image source: www.getevent.com
Seriously. I would LOVE a tshirt with this bison on it!

Governor's Cup-- This one is a classic in Montana. Offers the full complement of race distances: fun run, 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon. I'd really like to make it to this race, held in Helena, MT in June, sometime. Just seems like something a Montanan should experience! Plus, I'm inspired by Heather Lieberg, who runs for Oiselle, is from Helena, runs in Governor's Cup regularly, and just finished with an awesome time in the Twin Cities Marathon! Read this article HERE to find out more about here.

Take Jeff to Dam to Dam.  Is it really fair to put something I want my husband to do on my bucket list? Fair or not, it is something I want to do with Jeff. This is one race that was always important in my family growing up. My mom did the 20K, back before it was converted into an official Half-Marathon. I've done the 5K a number of times. It's just a race that was always a classic in our family, and I'd like to bring Jeff to do it with me someday. Held in Des Moines, IA in late May.

Any race that ends in a football stadium-- I don't have one picked out for sure for this one, but someday I think it would be really, really cool to do a race that ends on the field of a football stadium. Bonus points if it's the Chicago Bears. I know they exist. Someday, I'll do this.

Image source: www.k2k5k.com.
My brother did this 5K in Iowa City this fall.
Not sure if finishing in University of Iowa's stadium is ideal, but I could probably make it work!

A race in Rudyard and/or Goldstone-- Rudyard is the town I live near (by near I mean 20 miles north of), and Goldstone is the name of our "neighborhood" out in the country. I would really like to run a 5K or 10K in either or both of those places, even if that might mean I'll have to organize it myself. There. I've written it in my blog. Now you all know that I have that pipe dream and you can hold me accountable for making it happen!!!

Half Marathon or Marathon?
I don't have any half or full marathons on my list because at this point. I'm just not interested in that distance. I like being in the 5K to 10K range, or slightly higher. I'm a natural sprinter, so distance running is not easy for me. I'm happy for now with the challenge of training for shorter races.

So, there's just a few! I see races all the time that look like fun, and I'm sure this list will grow! Any suggestions for races I should add to my list? Do any of you have a racing bucket list? What's on your list? Or, who wants to do any of the above with me?!