There are a lot of benefits to running a large marathon. There’s usually good crowd support, for one, and the pre-race expos are much larger, offering a wide selection of running duds, shoes, accessories and seminars. In addition, the courses are typically very accurate, being certified by USA Track & Field (USATF), the sport’s official governing body.

Larger marathons often offer participants the chance to run with a pacing group, too — a group of fellow marathoners who sign up to run with an experienced leader who will keep them on pace in order to finish the race in a specific time. Often, pacing teams lead groups all the way from those hoping to hit a blazing 2:50 to those looking for a 5:15 or 5:30 finishing time.

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Here are some of the largest U.S. marathons with their approximate number of runners in parentheses.

ING New York City, NY (37,000)
LaSalle Bank Chicago, IL (35,000)
Honolulu, HI (26,000)
Los Angeles, CA (25,000)
Boston, MA (22,000)
Suzuki Rock ‘n Roll, San Diego, CA (20,000)
Marine Corps, Washington, DC (19,000)
Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL (13,000)
Philadelphia (9,000)
Twin Cities, Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN (8,000)
Portland, OR (7,000)
Grandma’s, Duluth, MN (7,000)
Motorola, Austin, TX (6,000)
HP Houston, TX (5,000)
St. George, UT (4,500).

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