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Cleveland Rocks! 5 Reasons to Love the Cleveland Marathon

February 9, 2018

Cleveland rocks! There are so many reasons to love the Cleveland Marathon. Find out why YOU should run the Cleveland Marathon in May!

Cleveland rocks! There are so many reasons to love the Cleveland Marathon. Find out why YOU should run the Cleveland Marathon in May!

I’m super excited to be the featured ambassador of the week for the Cleveland Marathon. If you follow me on Instagram and Facebook, you know I’ve been running a fun giveaway for a free entry to your choice of race at the Cleveland Marathon in May. Since today’s topic for the Friday Five 2.0 is all about love, I couldn’t think of a better time to tell you all the things I LOVE about the Cleveland Marathon!

Cleveland Rocks! 5 Reasons to Love the Cleveland Marathon

1. The weather.

Who could forget the Most Cleveland Race EVER back in 2016? It started off overcast, then changed to a drizzle, pretty soon it was icing in our faces, and then of course there was the thundersnow. And of course about 30 minutes after I crossed the finish line the sun came out. HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?! It happens only in Cleveland. (I can’t make this stuff up!)

The weather is really variable in Cleveland in May. One year it will be cold and overcast (2014, 2016) and the other years it will be hot as Hades (2015, I’m looking at you), and yet others it’s perfect (like in 2017). The exciting weather is just one reason to love the Cleveland Marathon!

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

2. Tour the city!

The Cleveland Marathon course takes you on an amazing tour of the city. You hit a ton of local hotspots including Ohio City, Tremont, the Lakefront, and downtown. Runners get to see the iconic 10-story-tall LeBron James banner, run by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Great Lakes Science Center, and more! The Cleveland Marathon is a great way to visit Cleveland on foot.

Cleveland Rocks!

3. The after party is fantastic.

After crossing the finish line at Public Square, you’ll be greeted with enthusiastic spectators, delicious post-race fare, and of course, the beer garden. The after party is a lot of fun and when the weather’s nice, it’s a great place to stick around and celebrate your accomplishment!

Cleveland Rocks! 5 Reasons to Love the Cleveland Marathon | Running on Happy

Team CLE!

4. Super swag.

The Cleveland Marathon usually rocks some pretty great swag. Last year for the 40th running, runners received a great shirt, a keychain, and a commemorative medal. I have no doubt they’re working on some fantastic swag for 2018 as well!

5. It’s a “little big” race.

Out of all the things I love about the Cleveland Marathon, the thing I love the most is that it’s a little big race. It’s not a small race by any means, but it’s not SO big that it’s intimidating like some of the other big dogs (NYCM, I’m looking at you). There are some races I would love to run but I’m way too stressed out based solely on the amount of runners in attendance. The Cleveland Marathon, on the other hand, is comfortably large. Not so big that it’s intimidating but not so small that it’s a small race.



Check out these 5 reasons YOU should run the @clevemarathon in May! #runCLE #WeRunCLE #Cleveland
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In a nutshell, Cleveland rocks and the Cleveland Marathon is awesome. If you’re local, I highly recommend running it. And if you’re not, you should add the Cleveland Marathon to your bucket list!

Need more reasons to register? Check out a few of my past race recaps:

  • My first half marathon!
  • The insanity that was the Most Cleveland Race Ever
  • A fabulous start to the 2017 season!

Today is the last day to enter to win a FREE ENTRY to the Cleveland Marathon. Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook! The winner will be announced next week. If you’re antsy and don’t want to wait to register until next week, you can use code RFCLE10 for 10% off any race!

Looking forward to seeing you in May! #clevelandrocks

xo

Let’s talk!

What’s your favorite race size?

Have you been to Cleveland?

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Friday Five 2.0

73 Comments


Lisa @ Mile by Mile
February 9, 2018 at 5:05 am
Reply

The Cleveland Marathon is such a great race! (Coming from someone who’s never run it:)) I did do the 10k one year…I think that was 2012 and it was super hot. We won’t be back again this year but maybe one day!



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:08 pm
    Reply

    Definitely let me know when you come back. 🙂

patrick@looneyforfood.com
February 9, 2018 at 5:06 am
Reply

i have never been to Cleveland but you certainly make it sound appealing!



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:09 pm
    Reply

    You should totally come to Cleveland. We have an AMAZING foodie scene.

Judy @ Chocolaterunsjudy
February 9, 2018 at 5:53 am
Reply

I’m actually comfortable with huge & small races & everything in between. My husband is more comfortable with smaller races & he’s my Sherpa so I do do a lot of small halfs.

I’ve been to Cleveland once, for my cousin’s wedding, decades ago. We didn’t see the city, though.



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:09 pm
    Reply

    You should come!

Deborah @ Confessions of mother runner
February 9, 2018 at 6:56 am
Reply

I have never been to Cleveland! You do make it sound super fun even for someone who has never run a marathon. fun! thanks for the link up today



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:09 pm
    Reply

    There’s a 5K, 8K, 10K, and half, too 🙂

Erica @ erica finds
February 9, 2018 at 7:27 am
Reply

I’m a big fan of the Cleveland Half – did it a few years w/a friend who moved there. They do a great job! The back half seemed a bit quiet for me but glad that it’s a lot of fun!



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:09 pm
    Reply

    The back half of the full is a little bit quiet, but not for long. It’s a great race!

Kimberly Hatting
February 9, 2018 at 7:30 am
Reply

This sounds like a perfect race! I just wish it wasn’t a week before our daughter’s graduation (whomp whomp). That’s not to say I couldn’t swing it….



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:10 pm
    Reply

    You should TOTALLY swing it. You’ve got a place to stay if you do!

Jeffrey
February 9, 2018 at 7:32 am
Reply

Cleveland is a great race, I’ve had some good and great times there!



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:10 pm
    Reply

    Me too! 🙂

Coco
February 9, 2018 at 7:44 am
Reply

I love how you turn the variable weather into a plus! If you don’t like the weather, wait a few miles! I love it when race courses show off the best of a city. And crowd support can make all the difference.



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:10 pm
    Reply

    Ha! Yes, exactly!! Our weather is a total roll of the dice in May.

Carrie
February 9, 2018 at 8:04 am
Reply

I’ve never been to Cleveland, but after reading this, you make it sound like a great city to visit! Whether your a runner or not 🙂



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:11 pm
    Reply

    Definitely! We have a really great yoga, fitness, craft brew, and foodie scene. The races are just the cherry on top.

      Carrie
      February 9, 2018 at 2:20 pm

      Yoga, Fitness, Craft Beer and food?! I’m definitely adding Cleveland to my list to visit 🙂

        Rachel
        February 14, 2018 at 7:11 am

        ?

Meranda@Fairytalesandfitness
February 9, 2018 at 8:05 am
Reply

I’m so glad you are getting to run a race you love so much! You are a great ambassador!
Ice in May????? Now I have to go look up “Thunder snow”, never heard of that!



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:11 pm
    Reply

    Oh gosh, it was a doozy. We get thundersnow every now and again, but it was particularly insane in 2016.

Becca | Rabbit Food Runner
February 9, 2018 at 8:46 am
Reply

I’ve never run the Cleveland Marathon but you give some great selling points! I also love little big races



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:11 pm
    Reply

    You’re always welcome to check it out 🙂 🙂

Lesley
February 9, 2018 at 10:01 am
Reply

I like the idea of doing races to see a city. When I did the Dallas half, it took me places I hadn’t been before, and some of it was quite nice.



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:12 pm
    Reply

    That’s so fun! I’ve only flown through Dallas. I should stick around next time!

Rebecca
February 9, 2018 at 10:12 am
Reply

sounds like an exciting race on lots of levels! I’ve never been to Cleveland



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:12 pm
    Reply

    Cleveland has a lot to offer, not just the racing. 🙂 Great restaurants and food, and lots to do!

Chelsea
February 9, 2018 at 10:18 am
Reply

That sounds like an amazing race! I’ve never been to Cleveland but maybe I need to add it to my travel list!!

I like both small and larger races for different reasons! I ran my first full marathon in a smaller race and I wish I would’ve done that in a larger one because I ran most of it solo which was extra tough! But, there so many fun things about a small local race too that I love, like the community of it all!



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:13 pm
    Reply

    You should definitely add it to your list!

    I could see how a small first marathon would be lonely. It’s such a new and intimidating experience!

Jennifer @ Fit Nana
February 9, 2018 at 10:23 am
Reply

That sounds like a lot of fun! I’ve run the Flying Pig in Cincinnati but haven’t run in Cleveland yet. I like both large and small races – although, 30k for the Army 10 mile was entirely too much – but I do better in smaller races because I get overwhelmed by people and I hate not being able to find my family/friends at the finish!



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:13 pm
    Reply

    30K for Army 10 sounds ridiculous. If I’m going to a big race it needs to be a half marathon minimum. 😉

The Accidental Marathoner
February 9, 2018 at 10:29 am
Reply

That does sound like a fantastic race, but I just can’t, can’t, can’t sign up for another marathon this year! But can I tell you, you look totally badass crossing that finish line!



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:14 pm
    Reply

    That’s great, though! Because there’s a 5K, 8K, 10K, and half marathon, too! So you could totally fit it into your training schedule. 🙂 And it’s a short drive from you!

    And thank you so much. I thought I was going to die when that photo was taken. I was in so much pain!!

Ana
February 9, 2018 at 10:57 am
Reply

You are really good at selling this marathon!! I even looked up how far it is from me. Maybe I’ll think about it for this spring!



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:14 pm
    Reply

    You should! 100 days from today!!

Chaitali
February 9, 2018 at 10:57 am
Reply

Wow, this does sounds like a great race! I haven’t though about this one before but I’ll have to look into it more 🙂 Usually I just do whort races from May to September to avoid the Summer weather issues though.



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:15 pm
    Reply

    The Cleveland Marathon has 5K, 8K, 10K, and half marathon options as well. 🙂

      Chaitali
      February 9, 2018 at 4:00 pm

      Oh, I love races that provide so many options!

Annie @ ANNIE GETCHA RUN
February 9, 2018 at 11:58 am
Reply

I’ve never been to Cleveland but that does sound like a fun race. I love the big BIG races. The energy at them is insane and really gives you power.



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:15 pm
    Reply

    The energy is really great at big races, you’re right. It carries you through the challenging moments!

Amy Gorin
February 9, 2018 at 12:35 pm
Reply

How fun! Years ago I walked the Columbus half marathon, didn’t know all this about the Cleveland one!



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:15 pm
    Reply

    You should come check it out 🙂

Karen Bayne
February 9, 2018 at 1:21 pm
Reply

It’s fun when you have a good area to hangout a bit! A beer garden helps 🙂



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:15 pm
    Reply

    The hanging out at the end is the best part 🙂

Hannah
February 9, 2018 at 1:29 pm
Reply

I like small races, but I’ve never actually run a big race…just the logistics and time required to get to the starting line kinda put me off! I’m not sure I’ve even run a race that would count as small-big.



    Rachel
    February 9, 2018 at 2:16 pm
    Reply

    I hear you. I’m not a big fan of big races. The only reason I’m good with Cleveland is because it’s not so huge that it’s intimidating. And MCM, while huge, never felt really big either.

Nicole @ Fitful Focus
February 9, 2018 at 2:18 pm
Reply

Little big races are my favorite. I’ll have to look into adding this to my race cal one year soon!



    Rachel
    February 14, 2018 at 7:11 am
    Reply

    You should! Come run the CLE 🙂

Wendy
February 9, 2018 at 2:38 pm
Reply

I’ve heard so many good things about this race! Maybe I’ll have to come to Cleveland some day!



    Rachel
    February 14, 2018 at 7:12 am
    Reply

    Please do!! It’s so close! I’ll show you all the sights and we can eat all the food!

Abbey Sharp
February 9, 2018 at 5:15 pm
Reply

You’ve got me sold! I’m not a runner, but I would definitely go to see Cleveland and watch the marathon lol



    Rachel
    February 14, 2018 at 7:12 am
    Reply

    Cleveland is a wonderful city. We have a lot to offer.

Summer @ summer-price.com
February 9, 2018 at 6:54 pm
Reply

I’ve always wanted to go to Cleveland and check out the city I’m used to ever-changing weather too. In Idaho, we often say if you aren’t happy with the weather wait 5 minutes and it will change.



    Rachel
    February 14, 2018 at 7:13 am
    Reply

    That’s exactly how it is here, too!

MCM Mama Runs
February 9, 2018 at 10:14 pm
Reply

This is on my someday list! I’ve heard so much good about this race and I’ve never really spent much time in Cleveland.



    Rachel
    February 14, 2018 at 7:13 am
    Reply

    You should! There’s so much to do here.

Megan @ Meg Go Run
February 10, 2018 at 6:44 am
Reply

I love little big races! I feel like The Vermont City Marathon is a little big race (at least it used to be) and the Flying Pig.



    Rachel
    February 14, 2018 at 7:14 am
    Reply

    I’ve never done Flying Pig But it’s on my list. Same with Vermont!

Mikki
February 10, 2018 at 9:28 am
Reply

Sounds like a great race. Hope you have another great year.



    Rachel
    February 14, 2018 at 7:14 am
    Reply

    Thanks!

Natalie
February 10, 2018 at 10:29 am
Reply

What a great race that was. Such an interesting and inspiring story. Cleveland sounds like amazing city. Hope you’ll have fun again next year!



    Rachel
    February 14, 2018 at 7:14 am
    Reply

    Thanks! Come visit. 🙂

Clarinda
February 10, 2018 at 3:39 pm
Reply

I wish I were a bit more local. This sounds like a great race! Maybe one year.



    Rachel
    February 14, 2018 at 7:14 am
    Reply

    You’re welcome to stay with me when you come!

Jenn
February 10, 2018 at 5:11 pm
Reply

Intriguing.

I prefer larger races. I just don’t feel quite as much pressure. But I can pretty much hang in all sizes.

I don’t believe I have ever been to Cleveland, but I’ve heard great things about the city. I think it would be awesome to race there!



    Rachel
    February 14, 2018 at 7:15 am
    Reply

    It’s a lot of fun. It’s big enough that you don’t feel pressure but small enough that it’s not overwhelming. If that makes sense.

TOni
February 10, 2018 at 7:16 pm
Reply

I have never been to Cleveland. I do love smaller races! This sounds like a great way to visit Cleveland, but I am not interested in snow…..



    Rachel
    February 14, 2018 at 7:15 am
    Reply

    Come visit!!

Esther
February 11, 2018 at 1:54 am
Reply

Congrats lady! It sounds like it is a great race! I do need to get in a race in Ohio one of these years!
Hope it all goes well!



    Rachel
    February 14, 2018 at 7:15 am
    Reply

    Thanks, Esther!

Chris Brown
February 18, 2018 at 7:06 am
Reply

I’m in for the half CLE. Since 2010 I’ve worked a water station, so now for the 8th year, I’ll actually be grabbing some of those water cups! Thanks for being an amassador!



Five Reasons Cleveland Marathon Weekend is the Best! - Running on Happy
May 4, 2018 at 5:02 am
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[…] reopens TODAY (5/4) for all the Cleveland races! So if you’re interested in seeing what the fuss is all about, use code RFCLE10 for 10% off your registration and SIGN UP before it’s too […]



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