RaceRaves announces Best Marathons in the U.S.

The runners have spoken and RaceRaves, the premier global race finder and reviews community, has announced the much-anticipated results of its 2023 initiative to crown the best marathon in every U.S. state.

The company’s authoritative new guide, which features a profile of every winning event by state plus a nod to each runner-up, will help first-time and long-time marathoners alike discover great events nationwide and build their all-star marathon wish list.

Winners were determined through an online poll conducted on RaceRaves.com from March 23 to (Boston) Marathon Monday, April 17, with thousands of runners from all 50 states and 45 countries casting their votes. Three to five candidates per state plus a write-in option were provided based on finisher ratings and reviews on RaceRaves.

(Due to their exclusive status and popularity as Abbott World Marathon Majors, the Boston Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon and TCS New York City Marathon were excluded from the voting in their respective states.)

Among the highlights:

• The Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon in Ohio earned bragging rights as the poll’s top overall vote-getter.
• The Big Sur International Marathon prevailed in California, the state with the most total marathons.
• Two event management companies, Brooksee (Arizona, Nevada) and FRESHJUNKIE Racing (Louisiana, Mississippi), celebrated wins in two states.

Common themes among the winning events include exceptional production and race-day support, strong community involvement, and a marathon course that showcases the beauty and character of the local region.

“We’re excited to congratulate all of our winners on this well-deserved award,” said RaceRaves Co-founder Mike Sohaskey. “And we’re gratified by the enthusiastic response from runners nationwide. This initiative further underscores our commitment to promoting first-class events and to helping runners discover the best races across the country.”

The full guide including all the winning marathons and runners-up by state is available on the company’s blog at RaceRaves.com. The blog also features Runner’s Choice: Best Half Marathons in the U.S. (2019) as well as one of the industry’s most comprehensive articles on the Best Boston Marathon Qualifying Races.