2 Races for 2015 set!

After such a good run in Corning, NY for the Wineglass Half Marathon. It got me thinking about races for next year. I've still got 3 more races to run this year, but I know that it's good to start looking at runs for 2015 to get the early registration fee. 

What influences me when I choose a race?
1) Price - Most runners know that runs are quite expensive. They can really burn a whole in your wallet if you are registration crazy like me. :p Registering early can help a lot as the fees are the lowest right when registration opens. The later you wait, the higher the price you will have to pay.

2) Location - I look at location in terms of logistics. Will I have to get a hotel room or is it close enough to drive? Proximity to home is nice to save money, but it is also nice when the location is someplace fun or special and we can make a cool racecation out of it.

3) Date - Here I check to make sure nothing else is going on at the time. If it is some place far, will Hubby be able to take time off work, or will the kiddos have to miss school?

4) Course - Here I like to see if the course is scenic. Where are we running? Are we running through the City or by the water or a in a park, or all of the above? Is the course hilly or flat. Flat is preferred especially if chasing a PR.

5) Swag - It always helps when there is great swag at a race. A cool shirt, medal, or neat items such as a wine glass, a Tiffany's necklace, or yummy chocolate at the end of a race can help persuade me to register for a run. :)

I really wanted to do different race locations this year. I looked at this list of 50 Best Half Marathons in the US - by Dailyburn. I saw that for New Jersey was the Asbury Park Half Marathon, April 18, 2015. I had heard about the Asbury Park Half Marathon from some friends from Moms Run This Town as well. I liked the idea of running near the coast. It is some place new and sounds like fun. I can tell this is a smaller race as last year's race had 600 plus participants. I was hoping to get the $45 price that my MRTT friends got for signing up early, but it had already gone up to $55. Still not a bad price for a half marathon, so I signed myself up.

Pic from Asbury Park Half Marathon website

The other race that peaked my interest was the Boston Run to Remember Half Marathon. It also was on the list of 50 Best Half Marathons in the US. The price right now is only $65. Great price for a half marathon (in my opinion), and in Boston too. We visited Boston last year and I loved doing a long training run there. I always thought it would be cool to run a race in that city and this was my chance. I looked at the date of the run and it was right at Memorial Day weekend, 5/24, perfect for a mini vacation. I signed myself up. 

Photo from Boston Run to Remember website

I'm so excited for both of these races! I did not look much at swag for these runs as the price and locations beat out swag. 

The other race I am sure I will try for is the NYC Half Marathon, March 15, 2015. It's a lottery and registration opens today October, 12 at 5pm. Here's hoping I get in! :)

Do you have any races for 2015 yet?