Key Dates to Celebrate in 2017
Plan your year of running joyfully with this adventure-filled calendar.
January 22
Play the Rose Bowl
At the inaugural Pasadena Half Marathon and 5K, runners wind amoung palm-lined streets and verdant golf courses before crossing the finish line located on the field of the famous Rose Bowl, the 11th-largest stadium in the country. pasadenahalf.com
January 23-29
Track Jet-Setting Runners
Two-time Olympian Ryan Hall and prolific ultrarunner Mike Wardian (pictured) are among those attempting the 2017 World Marathon Challenge (seven marathons in seen days on seven continents). The stage race kicks off in Antarctica and concludes in Austalia. worldmarathonchallenge.com
March 12
Feel Small in SoCal
The two blimp hangars in Tustin, California, which are rarely open to the public, rank among the largest wooden structures ever built—and racers in the inaugural Tustin Hangar Half Marathon and 5K get to run through one of these 17-story behemoths. tustinhangarhalf.com
April 4
Run for Life
Bill Pierce and Scott Murr—the creators of the Run Less, Run Faster training philosophy—release their latest book, Train Smart, Run Forever: How to Become a Fit and Healthy Lifelong Runner by Following the Innovative 7-Hour Workout Week. In it, they share the secrets of still-active masters athletes who’ve been running their whole lives. amazon.com
April 17
Celebrate Women’s Running
Kathrine Switzer, the woman the Boston Marathon race director attempted to remove from the course in 1967, returns to run the race 50 years after that iconic moment.
April 21-22
Relay in Paradise
A new Ragnar Trail relay at Turtle Bay, on the north shore of the Hawaiian island Oahu, weaves through lush tropical jungle and past white sand beaches. It’s one of three new trail relays that Ragnar debuts this year. runragnar.com
May 6-7
Hit Hayward Field
If you want to see the University of Oregon stadium in its current state, get there before June, when a renovation is set to begin. Go for Eugene Marathon weekend—the 5K, half marathon, and full marathon all end on the iconic track. eugenemarathon.com
May 28
Run Canada
Runners will celebrate Canada’s sesquicentennial at the Calgary Marathon, which is commemorating the 150-year milestone with an additional race distance (a 150K solo or relay race), flag bearers from all provinces and territories, and maple syrup waffles at the aid stations. calgarymarathon.com
June 13
Find Perfect Form
Sitting in cars, at desks, or on the sofa sabotages running form by tightening key muscle groups. In Your Best Stride: How to Optimize Your Natural Running Form to Run Easier, Farther, and Faster—with Fewer Injuries, Jonathan Beverly explains how to reverse those effects. amazon.com
August 4-13
Watch the World Championships
London’s former Olympic Stadium is where 2,000 athletes from more than 200 nations will converge for the IAAF World Championships. Distance nerds, flag these dates: August 4 for the men’s 10,000 meters (the women’s is August 6); August 8 for the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase (the women’s is August 11); and August 12 for the men’s 5,000 meters (the women’s is August 13). Usain Bolt fans should tune in August 5 (for the men’s 100 meters) and August 12 (for the men’s 4x100-meter relay)—the Jamaican track superstar says he’ll retire after those events. london2017athletics.com
September 2
Speed by Scenery
Let views of the verdant Appalachian Mountains inspire you through the new Shenandoah Half Marathon, which plots a mostly uphill course along Shenandoah National Park’s western boundary in Virginia. shenandoahhalfmarathon.com
September 4
Race Colorado's Newest 10K
The organizers of Bolder Boulder 10K, the fourth-largest race in the country, are adding an end-of-summer sister race in Fort Collins called the FORTitude Labor Day 10K Classic. Like the famous Memorial Day event, this race winds through college-town neighborhoods and ends at a stadium (Colorado State University’s brand-new, $220 million pride). fortitude10k.com
November 5
Bid Farewell to Meb
Four-time Olympian and American marathon legend Meb Keflezighi runs his 26th and final 26.2 today at the New York City Marathon, a race he won in 2009.
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