Racing plans

My last race was the Sportsworld five mile classic. There's been a few races here that look good but most were in the first two weeks of moving here and I had rather more pressing things on my mind like, finding a job and unpacking boxes. And spending as little money as possible. Since then I have had time to reflect on what races I might compete in for the remainder of 2011. A marathon is the highest priority and I would like to secure a PB. Thereafter anything else is to help realise the marathon goal.
To date I have decided the target Martathon will be the Harrisburg Marathon on 13 November. This is a relatively small race with less than 1,000 participants in 2010. It has received favourable reviews on Marathonguide.com and it is quite cheap at $55. Compare that to the Baltimore running festival expecting $85 for the half marathon! It is also a very fast course and appears almost completely flat. The Harrisburg half marathon takes place on 11 September and would be a good opportunity to gauge both my fitness and the course. At the moment I have no other plans to run other races but would like to do so. Unfortunately, prohibitive race fees, like that for Baltimore prevent that. It also seems many races are charity organised with high fees to cover both race race organisation and raise funds, which is fair enough, but I have serious reservations about their ability or willingness to cater for the serious runner, especially the unemployed serious runner. The local running club scene and accompanying races appears quite weak but I continue to explore; I suppose it is one of the exciting things about living in a new place.