Mesa Falls Marathon, Ashton, Idaho: Skip the crowds—and the hassle—of big, classic tourist races and sink into the easygoing pace and welcoming feel of a small-town course. "I often tell people that this is one of my favorite races," Galloway says. "It's a quieter, more humble, more honest experience. A runner's race. People come here to get together and run because it's something that they love to do—not to tick it off their bucket list." In Mesa Falls, breathe in a beautiful, downhill course through lonely farmland and rushing springs, share a well-deserved handshake with the ("fantastic") organizers at the finish line, and chat with locals over a huckleberry milkshake from the local drugstore's soda counter. No wait or reservation is necessary.