“W

hat are your top 10 marathons to run in the United States?” That was a question asked of me recently on Facebook, one of nearly 400 questions asked over a one-day period, inspired by a contest featuring a giveaway book. There is almost no limit to the amount of response you can generate if you offer something free. It’s a tough question, since my last marathon was Disney World a dozen years ago. That marked my 111th marathon, and although I have not officially “retired” from 26.2-mile races, that seemed like a number worth savoring. Is it fair to nominate marathons for a top 10 list that I have not run? Probably not, so I offer this confessedly biased list from among my 111.

1. Chicago Marathon My hometown race. I have run Chicago often, beginning when the race was the Mayor Daley Marathon in 1977. One of the four marathons I won overall was the Windy City Marathon: same city, different race, less prestige, no Kenyans. Now with 45,000 entrants, Chicago is crowded but fast and with a great expo. It offers a loop course with a start and finish in Grant Park, so runners do not need to endure a long bus ride before or after.

2. Boston Marathon The classic race has served as a subject for many of my articles and books, most recently 4:09:43: Boston 2013 Through the Eyes of the Runners. Crowd support is intense. The pavement vibrates with their cheers. I have run Boston 18 times, more than any other marathon, setting my PR of 2:21:55 (first American) in 1964. But let’s tell the truth: some of my worst marathons also occurred on Boston’s devilishly difficult course. Nevertheless, the race tugs at my historical roots, and it should at yours as well.

3. Honolulu Marathon Next to Boston I have run Honolulu more often than any other marathon: 11 times, and they were some of my best races, including a father-and-son win with son, Kevin, in 1989. (Kevin made me pick up our trophies at the awards ceremony while he went to the beach.) Starting in the dark with fireworks bursting overhead provides a true runner’s high. How can any runner resist an opportunity to use a marathon as an excuse to visit the Hawaiian Islands? (Please don’t miss Pearl Harbor.)

4. Heart of America Marathon

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Run on Labor Day in typically warm weather over an agonizingly hilly course, Heart of America almost defies runners to mail in their entry blanks. Fair enough; only the tough need apply. It’s small; you can walk up to the line five minutes before the start and nudge your way into the front row. I won Heart in 1968 and was running last in 2001 until the final mile, when I caught someone walking.

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I could have slowed down and maintained my last-place position, but I rudely jogged on by. Big mistake: how many runners can brag that they finished both first and last in the same marathon?

5. Bermuda Marathon Yeah, my questioner did say “in the United States,” but I make the rules here, so I’m going to cheat and include Bermuda because of its proximity to the East Coast—not quite Hawaii, but close. With its blue-water views, Bermuda is my pick for most scenic marathon among those I have run. Everything on this tight little island is close, within walking distance, and if you need to explore further, you can rent a scooter.

6. Twin Cities Marathon Having attended Carleton College in Minnesota, I love everything about this state. Minnesota has produced more than its share of Olympic marathoners (Buddy Edelen, Ron Daws, Janis Klecker, Bob Kempainen), and I suspect it is partly because they have been hardened by the winter weather. I coined the

phrase still used by race organizers: “Most beautiful urban marathon in America.” Won my age group and $250 one year. Undeniably a conflict of interest, but I already have confessed my bias.

The “other” great marathon in Minnesota. I have seen Duluth grow from a dumpy town to Hip City. With its point-to-point course beside Lake Superior, Grandma’s can be either superfast or superslow depending on wind direction. (A cooling tail wind from the northeast works best.) Among the best postrace parties of any of the races on this list.

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7. Grandma’s Marathon

8. Disney World Marathon Do you really need an excuse to visit Disney and hang out in the theme parks? It matters little that the course is slow because it narrows as it winds through those same theme parks. January weather also can be unpredictable: hot one year, cold the next. To this I say, so what? Carry your iPhone and cop a picture with Mickey and Donald. Disney is a race you run to enjoy, not to grab a PR.

The start over the VerrazanoNarrows Bridge is spectacular; the finish in Central Park, priceless. Despite a not-that-fast course, I ran one of my best races in NYC

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9. New York City Marathon

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in 1978, finishing a few minutes ahead of the legendary Grete Waitz in her first marathon. Fred Lebow’s decision in 1976 to run through all five boroughs was an act of genius. Largest marathon in the world, with 50,000 runners. Difficult to gain entry through the lottery, but put NYC on your bucket list.

10. Bayshore Marathon Bayshore used to be this off-in-the-middle-of-nowhere event in Traverse City, Michigan. Huh? Where? Then, after running the race in 1995, I talked Bayshore up too much in print and online, so the race now sells out. Flat course, good scenery, but most important: Bayshore remains symbolic of a lot of medium-sized marathons that we all need to support because they are at the heart of running. How could I overlook Big Sur or your favorite marathon? Answer: because I never ran them! Each long-term runner needs to develop his or her own top 10 list for bragging rights. Start making your list now.