As we are staring down the end of 2014, many of us are putting together our race calendar for 2015. I know I am! I particularly like a few spring/summer races set up going into a nasty winter because it forces me to keep moving, when I’d rather be hibernating. So, I’ve been looking at the calendar and one of the races I’ve been watching for the last 3 years has moved to early June. The Marion Rotary Marathon For Shoes, Half & Marathon Relay is on June 14, 2015 in Marion, Iowa.
Who still needs the state of Iowa? I do! I’ve registered for the 2015 Marion Rotary Marathon for Shoes and will soon be coloring in Iowa!
Marion, IA is located just north of I-80 about 4 hours from Chicago and is centrally located for Wisconsin residents too! This is the 3rd year for this race, the first two years focused on creating the perfect race, year three is focused on growth. So let’s help Marion Rotary Marathon For Shoes GROW! They have a great charity component and the number of runners directly effects the number of kids they can help each year. More on the charity below:
The Marion Rotary Marathon for Shoes is a charitable marathon designed to raise support for Shoes for Kids, a program of the Marion-East Cedar Rapids Rotary Club, as well as other rotary supported initiatives.
More than 10,000 children in Cedar Rapids Metro Area schools qualify for free or reduced lunch. Many of these students have other unmet needs, as basic as shoes. Shoes for Kids provides health administrators in the Cedar Rapids metropolitan area with “shoe cards,” valued at $20 each to Payless Shoe Source. Cards are distributed to students with inadequate footwear.
Many times, with parental permission, the school nurses or counselors actually take the kids shopping for shoes. We often hear of this being the first time these students have bought their own new pair of shoes. The program began in 2003 and has provided more than $45,000 in shoes to needy children. Each year the need outweighs the financial resources.
The Marion Rotary Marathon for Shoes will allow us to grow this program across our community and region.
So as I’ve said, I’m all in to try to help get the word out about this race and also help the kids of the Cedar Rapids area. Bonus, I get to run PLUS color in another state on my map. 
Marion Rotary Marathon For Shoes has generously offered FIVE (5) free entries to be given away. The free entries may be used for either the full ($60 value) or the half marathon ($30 value). They want YOU and ALL YOUR FRIENDS to come see what Iowa and the City of Marion have to offer. In order to be entered in the drawing you can do one, or all of the items listed below. Just let me know in the comments what you did so that I can give you the appropriate number of entries! Maximum possible entries per person = 6.
- 1 entry – comment below and tell us how you pick your races. Location? Timing? Charity component? Or do you just go where your friends go?
- 1 entry – Like Marion Rotary Marathon For Shoes on Facebook HERE.
- 1 entry – Follow Marion Rotary Marathon For Shoes on Twitter HERE.
- 3 entries – Share this giveaway with your friends via your favorite social media channel. Tag me so that I can see it! Otherwise, I’ll ask for the link if you win via a social media share. It’s super easy to just retweet my link, or share my facebook post. Or you can go to the bottom of this post and share it that way.
Good luck! I’ll select the 5 winners on Tuesday, December 2nd at 9am.
If you want to register now, go HERE and you can use the 30% off discount code: MARION201515. This code brings the marathon entry down to $42, can’t beat that deal!! Or the code will bring the half marathon down to $21. Now that’s a deal too!
See you in Marion for the 2015 Marion Rotary Marathon For Shoes!
Amanda – TooTallFritz
TooTallFritz 
When selecting out of town marathons, I try to go in tandem with friends at least once a year. Otherwise I try to go places where I can also bring my family along and make it into a little weekend getaway for the wife and kids.
I re-tweeted your link and liked everything. That should cover me for the six entries. 🙂
I completed 1-4. I liked them on FB, I followed them on Twitter (and then I also shared the link on my FB page and personal page, and tweeted the entry info on my twitter account).
Usually I choose races in new locations that I haven’t been to before. It’s a FANTASTIC way to see a city (by running through it), and it’s a great way to meet the locals. I LOVE runcations!! 🙂
i pick my races by location, where my friends are going and price!!! Mostly friends though!!! I need this state!!!!
I have done all the above, shared on facebook, follow on Twitter and facebook.
I usually use a combination between locations and charity. I have been known occassionally to run something just because my friends are! 🙂
I pick my races by location and timing. But friends are definitely a huge factor sometimes!
I liked them on facebook and followed them on twitter. I’ll do the other options in a bit! Woohoo! I need Iowa!
Ok I shared on facebook and tagged you personally (because I can’t tag your page from my phone!!)
I pick races with a blindfold and a map. Kidding. Normally, I pick based on previously run, where my friends want to go, whims and good causes 🙂
I like everything 🙂
Well this marathon is a new one to me and that early summer June window might be good opportunity to run in a new state. How do I set my marathon schedule for the upcoming year? Well for me it centers on Boston Marathon and that one is set. Then depending on how well I hold up through winter training and getting through the Boston race. Usually I only do a fall marathon that used to traditionally be Chicago, but this year I had to change that schema to run BQ.2 in Geneva to get my qualifying time for Boston 2015. I sometimes do an early summer marathon, like one year it was Grandma’s in Duluth, and this year I am tentatively planning on Peace Marathon in Woodstock, Michigan as early fall marathon. Shorter distance races from half or less…don’t plan out and run them and usually just wait to 1 or 2 weeks to decide.
I did the FB Like and I copied and pasted your link into a Tweet on Twitter, then I copied and pasted your link with short comment and shared to all my FB friends. Soooo…you can see I am really interested in getting a give-away entry!
Generally choose by location. However, I’m trying to run every marathon offered in IA and have not done this one yet. Would love to do so!
Usually choose races by location and who’s going.
Also liked on Facebook and followed on Twitter!! 🙂
I pick my races based on location (working on the 50 states), reputation (is it well organized, nice medal, community support) & course (not about to run 100+ laps on a track just to check off a state).
Commented here, liked on Facebook and about to share the link on social media
I choose my races based on location!!!
I’m a follower, wherever I am told to race, I go! I did like the facebook page, started following on twitter, and shared your post!
No rhyme or reason on how I pick my races … most are local within an hour of home. I may be slower than molasses in January in WI but I am moving forward…. so going to get my 2nd half in next year!!!
Best way to pick a marathon is by the amount of great friends that run it with you!
Best way to pick a marathon is by the amount of great friends that run it with you! Shared on Facebook!
I like entering races usually based on distance of the race. I prefer 100 mile races and like everything over a marathon distance. I also like running with others so if it is someone’s first race at a particular distance. I love running with them and showing them encouragement along the way.
I liked on twitter, Facebook and shared and tagged you in it.
Price is the biggest factor for me for a race, then if the kids dont already have activities that day!
I liked them on FB
I followed on twitter
I shared on my FB page SeeMommyRace
I tend to pick the closest races to home or if friends are running them!
I liked Marion Rotary on FB, and I shared your giveaway on FB.
I have been considering this race! It’s just a short ways down the road from my house 😉 There are numerous factors for the events I do: travel time, family commitments, challenging aspect of the course, registration price, etc. I do love events that support a worthwhile cause, so this looks like a “have-to-do” event 😉
I’m headed over to the Marion Rotary on FB to give them a well-deserved LIKE
I pick races based on getting as many as I can on the weekends I am not working. I also try to get new states if I can, but that is getting more difficult. Marion is a local race for me, so it is a definite for me if I am off work!
Timing is everything, but I like to go where my friends go!
1. I like them on Facebook
2. I liked them on Twittter
3. And I retweeted your original tweet to share via Twitter.
I signed up for this Race last year and something came up, so I could not run it and it is on my List of races to run!! So I would love to run this race and hopefully We can meet up there! I will Share all the info!! :)) I pick my races on dates and places, love to travel to Races!! Hope tp see you at this race!! :))
I pick races based on location mostly. But I have been known to sign up for a race based on the charity, the vibe I get and what others have said about it. 🙂
I liked them on Facebook!
I liked them on Twitter (@tradingheels)
I retweeted and shared on Facebook. 🙂