A few weeks ago, I was listening to a podcast, something my wife and kids get tired of hearing me say. Short sidebar – GWTC is launching our own “We Run This Town” podcast in mid-late October, hosted by Mickey Moore, who as usual is volunteering his time and talents. It’s going to be great. Anyway, I was listening and heard Kara Goucher, one of the most admired American distance runners, talking about her favorite race of all-time on her podcast. She said that the 2008 New York City Marathon held a very special place in her heart because it was her first marathon and because she’s from NYC. It got me thinking – what makes a race memorable and special? Is it the location? The people we are with? The big PR? For me, one really stood out. The 2022 Marine Corps Marathon is something I’ll never forget. Finishing the run up to the US Marine Corps War Memorial “Iwo Jima” in DC and being given a medal by a Marine was unbelievable. Something about this 20-something young man with glasses serving our country and giving me a medal for paying to run a race was a little surreal. I felt like it should have been the other way around. My son had flown in from Lexington, KY and was waiting for me outside the fence, and one of my best friends ran it with me. That one stood out to me and it had nothing to do with the race itself or my finishing time. I had to ask others if they felt the same way, so I asked a whole bunch of people from Tallahassee – from the kids who grew up running our community races, to the more… seasoned…that’s what I’ll call us.

I asked a couple of my kids first. Jonah, who ran for Chiles and now beats me in marathons without training (I have special words for people like him), immediately said the 1600m at the Capital City Classic his junior year is definitely the one. He said five teammates PRd in that race, all his friends from Lincoln and Leon were in it also and it’s the one that made him fall in love with the 1600. He also mentioned the Wingfoot XC meet in Georgia because of the drive with his team and spectacle of a huge night meet. My daughter Ansley, whose true love is swimming, said hers is the Red Hills Triathlon when she was 13 because she got to swim and bike also and her friends were there cheering her on.

Friendship was something that came across a lot, especially among the high school kids. Josh Hicks, a current senior at Chiles said the Panama City Rutherford Ram Rush in 2022 was his favorite. The beach, the hotel, and the van rides there and back with his team were the highlights. It was also the first time he won a race of any kind. And speaking of winning races, one runner who is familiar with this is Felton Wright, who has run marathons in all 50 states. But the race Felton remembers most was a large XC race at Center College in Kentucky. Apparently, a Civil War reenactment was going on and the last ½ mile was in an open field. He was racing one other guy for the win, and he noticed on each side of them was a Calvary escort to the finish. He says he’s never had a Calvary escort since – although he did have a pretty big group of Tallahassee friends run with him in New Jersey when he completed his 50th state marathon.

Shayna Arrigo, a current FSU student from New Jersey said her most memorable races were the 4×400 and 4×800 at states her senior year for Sachem East High School. Once again, another young runner talking about her team. Shayna never ran distance until she got here and now, she’s training for her third marathon. Trailahassee has that effect on people. And there are a lot of distance runners here. John Baughman, a former GWTC runner of the year, called out the Long Haul 100 in 2023. John says it was that rare race where his legs were dying and yet it felt good. He says that’s only happened twice in his 13 years of ultrarunning. Kyle Kraeft, a fellow ultrarunner said that sometimes a change-up makes a race memorable. He ran the Looking Glass 100k that starts from Brevard, NC and usually hits Bald Mountain and the Art Loeb Trail. But because of the hurricane, they didn’t do the normal route, and he got to run a course that was a perfect mixture of very tough followed by forgiving. Gaby Passidomo Smith, one of the younger ultra runners in our area, says hers was the Antelope Canyon 55k because it was technical, challenging, and beautiful. Like many others who mentioned family, she also said having her sisters and her nowhusband Wilson waiting for her at the finish was “very special.”

Several runners mentioned marathons. Local legend Jane Johnson said her first Boston Marathon was her favorite race because, “It’s an event.” I was actually shocked that more people didn’t mention Boston because it is such an iconic race. But most runners seem to be more about the camaraderie and scenery. GWTC President Jerry McDaniel has run a bunch of them, and he says his favorite and most magical was the Humboldt Redwoods Marathon in Northern California. It was Jerry’s first marathon after a 17-year break. He says he went with his friend Bill Perry and the great temps somehow allowed them to run faster than he ever had before. He also says it was his wife Jackie’s first half-marathon.

Jackie and Jerry are the Race Directors for the Springtime Tallahassee race and that one came up many times. Peg Griffin, the long-time Treasurer and Timer for GWTC says she worked with the Florida Bar for years and would run part of the course during lunch. So that course is very special to her. She also pointed out that it is challenging, but forgiving, which was another theme I heard from many people. Runners like challenges, but we also like a little downhill reward every now and then. Another local favorite is the Tallahassee Turkey Trot, directed by David and Mary Jean Yon for many years. The theme with that one was once again family. Geoffrey Adams says the 2019 race was his favorite because it’s the one race all six members of his family ran. Now that’s Thanksgiving!

I honestly didn’t realize how much this question would strike a chord with local athletes. And the ones who REALLY gave the best answers were the kids. I don’t know if it’s SMIRFs, Strava or what, but these kids in Tallahassee really love running! Two of my favorite answers came from two of our local kids who grew up running GWTC races. Alexis Mayfield has been running for as long as I can remember. If you’ve run a GWTC race, you know Alexis. She’s the girl who ALWAYS has a smile on her face whether she’s racing or volunteering with her mom, Rebekah. Alexis was another vote for the Turkey Trot 10k. She says the course is “super-fast” and it is the perfect time of year since the weather is nice and cool, and there are tons of runners so there’s a lot of competition. Alexis loves competition, and she said she also loved the Jesse Forbes 2-mile track race because it was at night on the track and a bit of a unique experience. I couldn’t write this column without including the site of the 2026 World XC Championships, the Apalachee Regional Park. That venue was listed as the favorite for Charlotte Sikes, who like Alexis grew up running in Tallahassee. Charlotte says her favorite race she’s ever run was the Leon County Middle School Cross Country Championship last year in 8th grade. She says she loves the course because it’s challenging (we’ve heard that before!), but still a fast race. It was her last Leon County Middle School race, and it ended in the best way possible. Her team worked hard all year, and it paid off when they took 1st place! She says that whenever she thinks of that race, “a million happy memories come back to me, and I couldn’t imagine a better way to end that season.” And I can’t imagine a better way to end this column!