Three Marathons Around the Word to Run in Your Lifetime

Get set, ready go! Three Marathons Around the World to Run in Your Lifetime.

If running a marathon is your thing, I both congratulate and commend you. As somebody who gets out of breath going up the stairs and will actively avoid physical exercise at any cost – whether that be through wheeling my way across the office at work or driving to the shops around the corner – unsurprisingly, completing a marathon has never been on my list. That said, if I was ever going to go through with the blood, sweat and tears associated with such an epic feat, I’d at least want to be rewarded for it with more than a shiny medal. The notion of additional reward intrigued me, so I started Googling. Five minutes later, the clouds that had marred the running part of my brain my entire life metaphorically parted, and I’d basically signed up to a handful of marathons in my head. Here are three marathons that will get your heart rate going without the cardio, as they lead you on a guided tour of some of the most phenomenal places on the planet.

Image source: Flickr

Tokyo

On any given day, attempting to run through the streets of Tokyo is a matter of taking life into your own hands. With pedestrian crossings so heavily swamped with people you can barely see the floor and subways so packed they employ people to literally shoe-horn people into carriages, a marathon is the ultimate way to explore the city without the shoulder barging and bustle. The marathon takes place in February each year which makes for ideal running conditions as temperatures of six degrees are far more palatable than those experienced during the city’s scorching summers. Wind your way through the streets of what is undoubtedly one of Asia’s most eccentric cities, passing through landmark neighbourhoods such as Shinjuku and Asakusa, straight past Tokyo Sky Tree and along the river. The luxury hotels in Tokyo are some of the finest in the world, so you’ll not be short of options post-race when it comes to kicking back and relaxing as you soak up the skyline whilst enjoying the inevitable ice bath. If you’ve always wanted to explore this vibrant metropolis on foot without the hassle, this is your chance.

Image source: Flickr

Singapore

The Singapore skyline is a sight to behold. Crisp, colourful and towering high, it dominates the landscape, and seeing it from across the water at night is one of the major attractions for visitors. I love a quirky concept. So, you can imagine my excitement to learn that this is no ordinary, conformist marathon. Instead, runners are invited to chase the night and are tasked with finishing the course before the sun rises. If you ever needed an incentive to finish, that’s it. A real challenge that you can get your teeth into. In fact, the fear of people seeing my sweaty, post-marathon face in the light of day would be enough to spur me on. Amateur and professional runners travel from all over the world to navigate Singapore’s neon-glow lit streets and take in the skyline like never before on what is undeniably the run of their lives.

 

Image source: Flickr

Image source: Flickr

Petra Desert Marathon

Yet again, any preconceptions I had of marathons being trudges along dull concrete roads through major cities were washed away, as I learnt about a run that traverses an ancient world and ends with a casual sandwich and a banana. If there was anything that was going to ever convince me to run a marathon, this is it. Beginning in the Ancient City of Petra, the course voyages via age-old tombs, mountainside carvings and caves before heading out into the Jordanian desert. Not for the faint hearted, the temperatures sit at around 40 degrees, making it one of the most difficult marathons on the planet. The reward lies in the spectacular scenery and diverse landscape, which serves as the inspiration needed by competitors to keep going.

*Collaborative