The SKCC Marathon Award
Updated: 29 June 2023
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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 their assigned call, SKCC member number, and 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 have the option to receive a printable certificate or a special commemorative plaque. After achieving 100 confirmed marathons, a plaque, similar to the one shown above, will be mailed to an Awardee who had 25 or more confirmed marathon QSOs as of April 12, 2023. These plaques will be paid for by the Club. All other Awardees will have the option of the printable certificate (at no cost), or a commemorative plaque with the costs paid by the awardee.
Rationale: The Marathon Award has been deliberately designed to be a challenging achievement for an Amateur Radio Operator by creating 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 yet promotes quality content in every contact. The Marathon Award requires people to use and develop conversational CW skills to build camaraderie and long-term friendships.
A typical Marathon QSO should result from a CQ, or answering a CQ. It would extend beyond the typical, brief exchanges that have become the starting point for today’s QSOs, and proceed to engaging the other station in an extended, informative, and entertaining exchange for a lengthy period. Anyone can send a brief exchange in a few seconds and move on. A Marathon requires real skill, a quality station, and a creative mind.
The Award, as envisioned by the originator, was to enhance the ragchew skills needed to turn a formatted, quick exchange QSO with another member into a real bond with someone who is essentially unknown. And to recognize these rare and special talents of those with the highest level of ragchewing recognition created to date. Few will be able to earn this award. That remains the spirit and intent of the Marathon Award today.
Here's how it works
1. Complete a QSO lasting at least 60 minutes with another SKCC member. Both parties must be using their own call sign and their own personal SKCC numbers. This restricts use of 2nd call signs, Club call signs, special events call signs, etc.
2. Both parties to the QSO must submit the following QSO information giving the date, time, band, both call signs and SKCC numbers, and duration of the QSO. If you are eligible to use the automated submission link below, it will fulfill the reporting requirements. If you are not eligible to use the link, then you will need to report your QSO information via email to the award manager, Cecil Turquette, K5YQF, at marathonmanager@skccgroup.com. The QSO details above must be provided under the submitting/confirming stations’ email header along with his “QSL” confirming language
3. Logs of active Marathon participants will be displayed on the Marathon Award page after achieving 5 confirmed Marathons. Those only confirming Marathons will not be listed. Logs may be moved to an inactive status after 3 months without a submission.
4. 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 time needed for band change. Minor QSYs within a band like “up 1” to avoid QRM are permissible.
5. 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. This is not intended to exclude occasional portable operations, a second QTH, or a permanent relocation.
6. When a member reaches 100 confirmed QSOs lasting 60 minutes or longer in the database, he or she will qualify for the award. A suitable announcement will be published, and a certificate or commemorative plaque will be prepared for the operator.
7. . Participants must use SKCC approved keys (straight keys, sideswipers (cooties), or bugs). See the club's policy on acceptable keys here.
Questions about the award description above should be sent to the Marathon Manager marathonmanager@skccgroup.com at any time.
How to Submit a Marathon QSO
NOTE: Do not use this link if you are not an established marathon participant with a log set up though the Marathon Manager. Do not use this link if you have already achieved the Marathon Award.
Marathon QSOs are submitted via the link below. The data is written directly into your log and will be available immediately after submission. Here’s how it works:
Click the link below to begin the process. Follow the online directions. Enter the QSO details in the format requested. You can enter comments to the Award Manager, if desired. You can also send a copy of the data to an email address you enter on the form.
When you submit the QSO info, the software performs several checks and will display relevant error messages. Correct any errors and submit again. If you continue to have difficulties, contact the Marathon Manager for assistance.
This procedure only enters the information into your log. Confirmation is still done by the Marathon Manager. Confirmation is accomplished in two ways:
[1] If the other party is also a marathon participant and has a log, then his submission into his log will be considered confirmation for you. And your submission will be considered confirmation for him/her. No other emails will be needed.
[2] If the other party is not a marathon participant, he will not have a log, and he/she will need to confirm the QSO directly to the Marathon Manager. It is recommended you contact the other party to be sure that he/she knows how to confirm the QSO via email.
Questions about the process or any difficulties can be submitted to the Marathon Manager marathonmanager@skccgroup.com at any time.
Marathon Award participants with an established log, and who have not achieved the the Award, click this link.
Note: Logs of active Marathon participants will be displayed on the Marathon Award page after achieving 5 confirmed Marathons. Those only confirming Marathons will not be listed. Logs may be moved to an inactive status after 3 months without a submission.
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 | 27 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 | KU4E | 18215 | Rob Christian | 100 | 100 | 19 Nov 2020 | 19 Nov 2020 |
| 6 | KQ4CW | 22743 | Dave Ellison | 101 | 100 | 07 Feb 2021 | 07 Feb 2021 |
| 7 | N7WI | 16967 | Tom Stoio | 103 | 102 | 22 Feb 2021 | 01 Jul 2023 |
| 8 | WA3SCM | 2968 | Dave Slater | 100 | 100 | 11 Mar 2021 | 11 Mar 2021 |
| 9 | KK0I | 2370 | Jack Hill | 100 | 100 | 21 Apr 2021 | 21 Apr 2021 |
| 10 | W2OZB | 17177 | Phil Bartash | 100 | 100 | 07 May 2022 | 07 May 2022 |
| 11 | W4LRB | 11021 | Ben Cuperman | 100 | 100 | 23 May 2022 | 23 May 2022 |
| 12 | AA6MK | 13548 | Mike Kelly | 101 | 100 | 03 Sep 2022 | 03 Sep 2022 |
| 13 | NJ8L | 13613 | Vern Walker | 100 | 100 | 13 Dec 2022 | 13 Dec 2022 |
| 14 | K2FW | 20151 | Steve Bockman | 100 | 100 | 26 Dec 2022 | 26 Dec 2022 |
| 15 | AI8AI | 23084 | Ai Nguyen | 100 | 100 | 01 Jan 2023 | 16 Sep 2023 |
| 16 | AK9A | 5902 | Bob Paiva | 100 | 100 | 17 Mar 2023 | 17 Mar 2023 |
| 17 | VE3WH | 4592 | Sam Cross | 103 | 100 | 17 Mar 2023 | 17 Mar 2023 |
| 18 | KA5TJS | 5172 | Allen Matthews | 100 | 100 | 29 Mar 2023 | 29 Mar 2023 |
| 19 | W6RKE | 12450 | Jerry Finn | 103 | 101 | 10 Apr 2023 | 11 Apr 2023 |
| 20 | KA8HFN | 2046 | Larry Fridley | 109 | 106 | 16 Apr 2023 | 03 May 2023 |
| 21 | KY8D | 14636 | Gan Starling | 101 | 100 | 23 Apr 2023 | 23 Apr 2023 |
| 22 | W3NP | 3182 | Dave Humbertson | 100 | 100 | 02 May 2023 | 02 May 2023 |
| AA4SN | 15195 | Buck Buckowski | 37 | 37 | 25 Jul 2023 | ||
| AA5JC | 24262 | Josh Carroll | 5 | 5 | 17 Apr 2023 | ||
| AA8CL | 2339 | Bud Labbato | 31 | 31 | 22 Apr 2023 | ||
| AB4PP | 32 | John-Paul Keon | 16 | 16 | 15 Jul 2023 | ||
| AB4RH | 7310 | Billy Zeyher | 8 | 8 | 14 Apr 2023 | ||
| AC4ZH | 21121 | Duane Dickens | 19 | 19 | 15 Apr 2023 | ||
| AC8KJ | 8611 | George Rowe | 10 | 10 | 03 Sep 2023 | ||
| AF4QK | 20594 | Kenny Averitte | 22 | 22 | 10 Jul 2023 | ||
| AH6AX | 11165 | Larry Wandel | 30 | 30 | 02 Jul 2023 | ||
| F6HKA | 6069 | Bert Banlier | 15 | 15 | 26 Jul 2022 | ||
| K0AF | 22366 | Andy Folkmann | 48 | 48 | 23 Sep 2023 | ||
| K0RO | 14800 | Ralph Bolt | 72 | 72 | 23 Sep 2023 | ||
| K1PUG | 12486 | Hank Cattey | 35 | 32 | 30 Jul 2023 | ||
| K1RWT | 19217 | Russ Tine | 12 | 12 | 20 Sep 2023 | ||
| K1YAN | 7563 | Gary Meyn | 26 | 26 | 23 Sep 2023 | ||
| K3ESE | 19100 | Lloyd Lachow | 33 | 33 | 20 Feb 2023 | ||
| K3WK | 25013 | Gary Tartanian | 41 | 41 | 08 Sep 2023 | ||
| K3ZGA/SK | 12392 | Bob Schwer | 9 | 9 | 21 Apr 2023 | ||
| K4ARD | 8197 | Brian Ard | 10 | 10 | 06 Nov 2022 | ||
| K4ISW | 13162 | Lee Moyer | 35 | 35 | 04 Jul 2023 | ||
| K4KYN | 26302 | Jeff Gary | 31 | 31 | 02 Oct 2023 | ||
| K4TNE | 13884 | Jeff Bray | 5 | 5 | 12 Jun 2023 | ||
| K4UYQ | 17931 | Don Bulloch | 13 | 13 | 05 Aug 2023 | ||
| K5ENS | 19964 | Ken Schumacher | 9 | 9 | 18 Dec 2022 | ||
| K5MEG | 24217 | Meg Blubaugh | 56 | 56 | 24 Sep 2023 | ||
| K5OGX | 5078 | Phillip Barros | 6 | 6 | 23 Sep 2023 | ||
| K5PE | 17399 | Roger Dillon | 19 | 19 | 26 Dec 2022 | ||
| K7NXL | 25895 | Dan Boren | 20 | 20 | 15 Sep 2023 | ||
| K8UDH | 10532 | Bruce Murdock | 16 | 16 | 13 Apr 2023 | ||
| KA4UPI | 2582 | Mark Melton | 87 | 87 | 02 Oct 2023 | ||
| KB1FGC | 21047 | Rich Guerrera | 37 | 37 | 13 Sep 2023 | ||
| KC1FUU | 24695 | Jon Foster | 5 | 5 | 18 Mar 2023 | ||
| KC5F | 21092 | Steve Smith | 24 | 23 | 06 Jul 2023 | ||
| KD0EVP | 22435 | Darren Hain | 19 | 19 | 02 Apr 2023 | ||
| KD2GUT | 23124 | Caryn Murray | 11 | 11 | 02 Oct 2023 | ||
| KD2ZUD | 27215 | Jasper Fox Sr. | 15 | 15 | 13 Sep 2023 | ||
| KD9KHA | 23208 | Andy Lach | 50 | 50 | 11 Sep 2023 | ||
| KE8UEX | 26310 | Ram Seshan | 14 | 14 | 20 Apr 2023 | ||
| KG5SSB | 21881 | Dan Bostick | 9 | 9 | 08 Sep 2023 | ||
| KJ4R | 13788 | Ed Bradshaw | 12 | 12 | 07 Sep 2023 | ||
| KJ7GNB | 20930 | Bill Hunt | 40 | 40 | 06 Mar 2023 | ||
| KO4WFP | 25974 | Teri Beard | 96 | 96 | 29 Aug 2023 | ||
| KY4ID | 25154 | Mike Burton | 9 | 8 | 14 Sep 2023 | ||
| KY4O | 7091 | Bill Spencer | 60 | 60 | 16 Sep 2023 | ||
| N0IPA | 23014 | Jim Stinson | 9 | 9 | 21 Mar 2023 | ||
| N3BNT | 2309 | Dennis Heidt | 19 | 18 | 02 Sep 2023 | ||
| N4HAY | 14649 | Dick Hayter | 18 | 18 | 02 Oct 2023 | ||
| N4JEH | 26014 | Jenna Hurley | 14 | 14 | 10 Jun 2023 | ||
| N4TMM | 14467 | Jim Ewing | 20 | 19 | 23 Aug 2023 | ||
| N5DR | 19844 | Cecil Smith | 39 | 38 | 23 Sep 2023 | ||
| N5KIP | 3755 | Dick Burroughs | 91 | 90 | 27 Sep 2023 | ||
| N6CUQ | 24270 | Matt Shank | 8 | 8 | 08 Mar 2023 | ||
| N7PHI | 20999 | Derek Hansen | 9 | 9 | 25 Feb 2022 | ||
| N8DF | 22670 | Dave Fuller | 15 | 15 | 03 Aug 2023 | ||
| ND4U | 5936 | Den Blair | 35 | 35 | 30 Mar 2023 | ||
| ND8MS | 19789 | Mark Soulard | 17 | 17 | 05 Aug 2023 | ||
| NE5A | 24849 | George Randolph | 19 | 19 | 23 Apr 2023 | ||
| NF1O | 164 | Barry Whittemore | 13 | 13 | 27 Jul 2023 | ||
| NW7US | 4758 | Tomas Hood | 14 | 14 | 24 Oct 2022 | ||
| PG4I | 11019 | Jo Stakenborg | 2 | 2 | 17 Apr 2022 | ||
| VA2GJ | 18768 | Gerald Lemay | 78 | 77 | 16 Sep 2023 | ||
| VA5CW | 4326 | Bill Down | 21 | 20 | 07 Apr 2023 | ||
| VE1AHX | 18100 | Ben Pooley | 27 | 27 | 14 Aug 2023 | ||
| W0RLY | 17845 | ERIC Worley | 21 | 21 | 25 Jul 2023 | ||
| W1ZAH | 20478 | Frank Arciuolo | 35 | 35 | 10 Jul 2023 | ||
| W2ITT | 21419 | Rob WITT | 38 | 38 | 23 Sep 2023 | ||
| W2QCY | 21544 | John Farina | 9 | 9 | 24 Sep 2023 | ||
| W3DF | 12995 | Dan Flanagan | 31 | 31 | 28 Sep 2023 | ||
| W4ABQ | 2782 | Kevin Falls | 6 | 6 | 06 Apr 2023 | ||
| W4CMG | 20093 | Cathy Goodrich | 59 | 58 | 19 Aug 2023 | ||
| W4LSV | 2795 | Barry Fluxe | 15 | 15 | 19 Aug 2023 | ||
| W5WTH | 18901 | Pat Hensley | 21 | 21 | 20 May 2023 | ||
| W6DFM | 27053 | Mike Mitchell | 7 | 7 | 01 Aug 2023 | ||
| W6JIM | 15169 | Jim Crites | 8 | 8 | 17 Apr 2023 | ||
| W8YA | 23445 | Mark Williams | 26 | 26 | 12 Jul 2023 | ||
| W9DLN | 3635 | Dan Nyman | 23 | 23 | 12 Apr 2023 | ||
| WA3RSR | 23232 | Ken Baake | 27 | 25 | 20 Apr 2023 | ||
| WB0B | 8753 | Larry Newby | 45 | 45 | 04 May 2023 | ||
| WB4HUL | 1787 | Sid Scott | 15 | 15 | 26 Sep 2023 | ||
| WB5EVO | 14807 | Paul Adams | 36 | 36 | 02 Sep 2023 | ||
| WB5JWI | 5013 | Les Hock | 30 | 30 | 19 Jul 2023 | ||
| WI0S | 2048 | Kieth Cook | 22 | 22 | 05 Sep 2023 | ||
| WI5H | 11770 | Mike Maner | 22 | 22 | 26 Apr 2023 | ||
| WM4Q | 16465 | Pete Harris | 53 | 52 | 17 Jul 2023 | ||
| YL3JD | 21931 | Hanz Van de pol | 3 | 3 | 20 Mar 2023 |
To see each participant's latest log, visit the entrants' log page here.