The SKCC Marathon Award
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To earn the Marathon Award, one must engage in 100 QSOs, each 60 minutes or longer, and each with a different SKCC member using SKCC qualified keying devices. There is no time limit to earn the award but only QSOs logged after 0000Z 1 January 2008 count.
Members who achieve the Marathon award will receive a special commemorative plaque.
Rationale: Create a true operating challenge that involves the fundamental ideals of ham radio as celebrated by SKCC: operating skill, a good station, conversation skill, and a consistent, quality fist. Create an award that cannot be achieved easily or quickly yet promotes quality content in every contact. The Marathon Award requires people to actually ragchew. Ragchews build camaraderie and long-term friendships. These are ideals worth working for.
The Marathon Award has been deliberately designed to be a challenging achievement for an Amateur Radio Operator. Ragchewing is an art. Anyone can send a brief exchange in a few seconds and move on. Engaging the other station in an extended, informative, and entertaining exchange for a lengthy period requires real skill, a quality station, and a creative mind. The intent of the Marathon Award is to recognize these rare and special talents with the highest level of ragchewing recognition created to date. Few will be able to earn this award.
Here's how it works:
1. Both parties to the QSO must send an email "QSL" to the award manager, Cecil Turquette, K5YQF, at marathonmanager@skccgroup.com showing the date, time, frequency band, both call signs and SKCC numbers, and duration of the QSO. The confirming station must provide QSO details under his email header along with his “QSL” statement or other confirming language.
2. One band change is permissible during the QSO, and is limited to a break no longer than 10 minutes. The QSO must be extended to include the QSY time time.
3. All QSOs must be from your home QTH using your equipment and antennas. If your only mode of operation is via remotely located equipment, then all 100 marathons must be made from the same remote equipment.
4. When a member reaches 100 QSOs lasting 60 minutes or longer in the database, he or she will qualify for the award. A suitable announcement will be published, the commemorative plaque will be prepared and sent to the operator.
5. Participants must use straight keys, sideswipers (cooties), or bugs. See the club's policy on acceptable keys here.
Tracking Marathon Award Progress -- 100 QSOs needed
| Award | Callsign | SKCC | Name | Claimed | Confirmed | Awarded | Last Update |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | K5YQF | 1820 | Cecil Turquette | 100 | 100 | 24 Sep 2014 | 24 Sep 2014 |
| 2 | N5IR | 12357 | Bill Billingsley | 100 | 100 | 24 Sep 2020 | 24 Sep 2020 |
| 3 | K5KV | 1952 | Benny Owens | 100 | 100 | 06 Oct 2020 | 06 Oct 2020 |
| 4 | WA4FAT | 11062 | Bill Levey | 101 | 100 | 17 Nov 2020 | 17 Nov 2020 |
| 5 | KN4IXU | 18215 | Rob Christian | 100 | 100 | 19 Nov 2020 | 19 Nov 2020 |
| AA4SN | 15195 | Buck Buckowski | 11 | 11 | 22 Nov 2020 | ||
| AA8CL | 2339 | Carmen "Bud" Labbato | 13 | 13 | 18 Jan 2021 | ||
| AA8KY | 6159 | Billy Massie | 23 | 23 | 23 Jan 2021 | ||
| AB4PP | 32 | John-Paul Keon | 3 | 3 | 02 Dec 2020 | ||
| AC4ZH | 21121 | Paul Dickens | 8 | 8 | 23 Jan 2021 | ||
| AC5NL | 21749 | Jeff Moore | 3 | 3 | 18 Dec 2020 | ||
| AD5RX | 22986 | Jon Nall | 5 | 5 | 23 Nov 2020 | ||
| AE5II | 15292 | KC Copley | 8 | 8 | 08 Dec 2020 | ||
| AF4QK | 20594 | Kenny Averitte | 7 | 7 | 18 Dec 2020 | ||
| AH6AX | 11165 | Larry Wandel | 10 | 10 | 25 Dec 2020 | ||
| F6HKA | 6069 | Bert Banlier | 8 | 8 | 30 Dec 2020 | ||
| K0RO | 14800 | Ralph Bolt | 40 | 40 | 10 Dec 2020 | ||
| K2FW | 20151 | Steve Bockman | 22 | 22 | 22 Jan 2021 | ||
| K2MZ | 21122 | Rob Zarges | 3 | 3 | 02 Jan 2021 | ||
| K3ESE | 19100 | Lloyd Lachow | 23 | 23 | 22 Dec 2020 | ||
| K3ZGA | 12392 | Bob Schwer | 7 | 7 | 27 Dec 2020 | ||
| K4ISW | 13162 | Lee Moyer | 13 | 13 | 22 Jan 2021 | ||
| K8UDH | 10532 | Bruce Murdock | 5 | 5 | 14 Nov 2020 | ||
| K9GVM | 21171 | Nick Andrews | 2 | 2 | 24 Jun 2020 | ||
| KA4UPI | 2582 | Mark Melton | 8 | 8 | 31 Oct 2020 | ||
| KA5TJS | 5172 | Allen Matthews | 14 | 14 | 18 Jan 2021 | ||
| KA8HFN | 2046 | Larry Fridley | 67 | 53 | 31 Dec 2020 | ||
| KC4HCH | 7688 | Roger Land | 1 | 1 | 23 Dec 2020 | ||
| KC5F | 21092 | Steve Smith | 13 | 13 | 04 Nov 2020 | ||
| KD8TUR | 12017 | Dave Tourtelot | 4 | 4 | 20 Dec 2020 | ||
| KD9KHA | 23208 | Andy Lach | 6 | 6 | 22 Jan 2021 | ||
| KE8CTH | 17337 | Brant Colbry | 5 | 5 | 12 Sep 2020 | ||
| KG6OKI | 9781 | Mark Holiday | 1 | 1 | 24 Oct 2020 | ||
| KJ7GNB | 20930 | Bill Hunt | 20 | 20 | 19 Dec 2020 | ||
| KK0I | 2370 | Jack Hill | 57 | 56 | 08 Jan 2021 | ||
| KK7XC | 20133 | Eric Brill | 1 | 1 | 22 Dec 2020 | ||
| KL2AX | 8329 | John Larsen | 2 | 2 | 12 Dec 2020 | ||
| KQ4CW | 22743 | Dave Ellison | 79 | 79 | 23 Jan 2021 | ||
| N0GRP | 23055 | Rob Sullivan | 1 | 1 | 07 Oct 2020 | ||
| N4HAY | 14649 | Dick Hayter | 4 | 4 | 09 Jan 2021 | ||
| N4TMM | 14467 | Jim Ewing | 8 | 8 | 05 Jan 2021 | ||
| N5DR | 19844 | Cecil Smith | 8 | 8 | 29 Dec 2020 | ||
| N5KIP | 3755 | Dick Burroughs | 12 | 12 | 10 Dec 2020 | ||
| N7PHI | 20999 | Derek Hansen | 8 | 8 | 12 Jan 2021 | ||
| N7WI | 16967 | Tom Stoio | 57 | 57 | 23 Jan 2021 | ||
| N8BB | 5433 | Werner Haschke | 3 | 3 | 10 Dec 2020 | ||
| N8DF | 22670 | Dave Fuller | 5 | 5 | 19 Jan 2021 | ||
| ND8MS | 19789 | Mark Soulard | 2 | 2 | 23 Jan 2021 | ||
| ND9M | 8233 | Jim Clary | 8 | 8 | 29 Dec 2020 | ||
| NW7US | 4758 | Tomas Hood | 5 | 5 | 23 Jan 2021 | ||
| PG4I | 11019 | Jo Stakenborg | 1 | 1 | 12 Oct 2020 | ||
| VA3RSA | 21258 | Rich Budny | 3 | 3 | 07 Dec 2020 | ||
| VA5CW | 4326 | Bill Down | 8 | 7 | 20 Dec 2020 | ||
| W0RLY | 17845 | ERIC Worley | 6 | 6 | 12 Dec 2020 | ||
| W1TAG | 15461 | John Andrews | 7 | 7 | 17 Sep 2020 | ||
| W2ITT | 21419 | Rob WITT | 11 | 11 | 31 Oct 2020 | ||
| W2OZB | 17177 | Philip Bartash | 49 | 49 | 12 Dec 2020 | ||
| W2SKY | 22019 | Peter Fournia | 12 | 12 | 30 Dec 2020 | ||
| W4LRB | 11021 | Ben Cuperman | 11 | 11 | 22 Dec 2020 | ||
| W4LSV | 2795 | Barry Fluxe | 5 | 5 | 01 Jan 2021 | ||
| W5OTR | 8794 | Chris Leslie | 9 | 9 | 03 Jan 2021 | ||
| W6JIM | 15169 | Jim Crites | 6 | 6 | 14 Nov 2020 | ||
| W6RKE | 12450 | Jerry Finn | 20 | 18 | 01 Jan 2021 | ||
| W6TED | 21371 | Ted Thompson | 8 | 8 | 18 Dec 2020 | ||
| W7OWF | 21582 | Rick Doughty | 2 | 2 | 27 Dec 2020 | ||
| W9YY | 21824 | Jack McClurkin | 5 | 5 | 12 Dec 2020 | ||
| WA3IGU | 19535 | Dennis DiAugustine | 2 | 2 | 09 Jan 2021 | ||
| WA3SCM | 2968 | Dave Slater | 45 | 45 | 22 Jan 2021 | ||
| WA4NID | 17453 | Dave Johnson | 1 | 1 | 03 Oct 2020 | ||
| WB0B | 8753 | Larry Newby | 18 | 17 | 22 Jan 2021 | ||
| WB4HUL | 1787 | Sid Scott | 3 | 3 | 02 Jan 2021 | ||
| WB5JWI | 5013 | Les Hock | 2 | 2 | 01 Jan 2021 | ||
| WB8SCT | 15511 | Jack Gerbs | 6 | 6 | 31 Oct 2020 | ||
| WI5H | 11770 | Mike Maner | 8 | 8 | 20 Jan 2021 | ||
| WM4Q | 16465 | Robert Harris | 11 | 11 | 19 Jan 2021 | ||
| YL3JD | 21931 | Hanz Van de pol | 1 | 1 | 12 Oct 2020 |
To see each participant's latest log, visit the entrants' log page here.