The new year is right around the corner, so now's a great time to start thinking about your races for 2013. Having a few races on the calendar makes it easier to plan your training, and having specific goals will help maintain your motivation. In addition, more races now have lotteries or sell out very early, so it's important to plan ahead and make sure you don't get shut out of a race you're hoping to run. Here are some tips for finding local races or researching destination events:
Search the Internet for races. Some great sites with lots of local events to check out include: active.com or Running in the USA . If you're looking specifically for full or half marathons, try MarathonGuide.com and HalfMarathons.net. MarathonGuide.com has lots of helpful reviews about both U.S. and international marathons.
Contact your local road running club. Most clubs sponsor at least a couple of local races each year. Even if they don't, they'll probably know about some races in your area. If you become a member of the club, they'll put you on their mailing list. And most clubs give race entry discounts to members.
Stop in to your local running specialty shop or sports store. They'll probably have signs posted about upcoming races. If not, talk to one of the salespeople -- they should know about local events and will probably have some recommendations for fun races that are worth traveling to.
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