Runners Should Begin Training and Preparation for These Top Spring Marathons Now

Here are some of the top spring marathons runners can participate in next year.

Runners take part in the Yonkers Marathon, Half-Marathon and 5K race Sept 15, 2024. About 1,800 runners took part in the race, which started and finished at Larkin Plaza in downtown Yonkers. The Yonkers Marathon is the second oldest marathon in the United States, after the Boston Marathon. / Seth Harrison/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Running is one of the most popular activities people around the world can do. Whether you are doing it as a leisure activity or training for a major competition, almost everyone has partaken at one point or another.

One goal that people could have is to run in a marathon.

It is an incredible achievement to finish one of the 26.2-mile races. But, they are grueling events that take time to prepare for. At a minimum, it is recommended that three or four months are spent training.

Beginners could use even more time, especially if it is the first time they are doing it. If competing in a marathon is one of your goals for 2025, especially in the spring, the time to start training is now!

Finding the right marathon for you to compete in could be daunting. Hundreds of them are held around the world and Matthew Huff of Runners World has you covered with some of the best to choose from during the springtime.

Three of the ones pointed out are Abbott World Majors; the Tokyo Marathon, Boston Marathon and London Marathon. They are held on March 2, 2025, April 21, 2025 and April 27, 2025.

Getting into those races is not as easy as others on the list, but they are prestigious and worth attempting at some point. There are seven world majors every year, with Sydney being added in 2025 along with the New York City Marathon, Berlin and Chicago.

There are alternate races if you cannot qualify for the big ones that Huff recommends, such as the Newport Road Races Marathon held on April 19. Easton Beach is the setting for the start and finish of this race.

There are some challenges on the course when it comes to hills, but the views are incredible and considered one of the best in the United States.

If you want to plan a trip to the West Coast and get in some running, work things around the Los Angeles Marathon on March 16.

While the field is significantly smaller than some of the other major market races in the country, this is a course that doesn’t get old with all of the views that can be seen during the race.

If you want to challenge yourself with a difficult marathon, Big Sur International is the one for you. Immaculate views can somewhat make up for the difficulty of the course, which includes a ton of hills along California’s State Route 1.

Late in spring, on May 31, you can run in the Fargo Marathon. This is a good option for anyone who is hesitant to put in all of the training work in the dead of winter, as training could begin in February or March when the weather starts to warm up.

This is a race that has gained popularity in recent years and will bring you to a region of the country you may not normally look to visit.