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There are more than 500 marathons to choose from around the world. This list of 10 is a collection of the world’s five major marathon events (top-fivers) along with another five chosen for their unique settings.
If you’re looking for a marathon that recreates the celebrated history of the athletic event, then hop a plane for the Athens Classic Marathon. It is organized each year in honour of the very first marathon run by Pheidippides back in 490 BC. He ran all the way from the Marathon battlefield to bring news of the Athenian victory over the invading Persians to the anxiously waiting people in Athens. If you run it, you will hopefully cross the finish line with the thrilling feeling of having completed the course, unlike Pheidippides who, as legend has it, dropped dead from exhaustion.
Next to the Athens Classic, Boston’s annual top-fiver race is the longest-running marathon event, started in 1897, the year after its debut at the 1896 Summer Olympic Games. Traditionally run on Patriots Day, the third Monday of April, by anywhere from 20-30,000 runners, the course is known for being a tough one for participants. It begins in Hopkington and passes through eight different New England towns before finishing at Copley Square. It’s a hilly course, and runners must contest with Heartbreak Hill, near Boston College, just at the point in the race where they’re most likely to also be “hitting the wall.”
Runners looking for a more exotic and challenging course might consider the Kilauea Volcano Marathon in Hawaii, although it is now only a half-marathon event. The history of volcanoes usually has people running away from them, but this race takes you right onto one of the world’s most active volcanoes. But don’t worry, it doesn’t tend to explode as much as just gently spew from time to time. The tricky parts are the portions that have you running over lava bed trails. If you trip and fall, you can get cut pretty badly, so gloves are recommended. Other portions of the course take you through beautiful rain forest.
New York City’s annual event is another top-fiver whose course takes runners through all five boroughs of the Big Apple. It begins on Staten Island and then winds through Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan before runners cross the finish line in Central Park. Runners end up crossing no fewer than five bridges during the course, with plenty of support from as many as two million spectators lining the streets. With more than 47,000 finishers in 2011, the New York City Marathon has sealed its position as the world’s largest. Staying warm in the hours before the run starts can be problematic, so be sure to wear layers you can part with as there’s no way to get them back after you strip them off.
If running a marathon in the middle of July sounds like a death sentence to you, just remember that July is the middle of winter in South America. Now that you’ve gotten over that mental block, consider running the Rio de Janeiro Marathon in Brazil. After a couple of tunnels at the beginning, the course is going to be beautiful beaches to your left, mountains to the right. The beaches, of course, offer a bit more eye candy than the mountains, but then again that depends on what you’re looking for! The beaches include such well-known names as Ipanema and Copacabana. Once you cross the finish line, you might feel like dancing your own samba, or perhaps tossing back a caipirinha, the national cocktail of Brazil.
Why in the world would you want to run a marathon in Iceland, of all places? Actually, there are quite a few good reasons. How often do you get to Iceland? The capital is a very hip city, and the marathon is timed to coincide with their biggest event of the year, Culture Night, complete with exhibits, live entertainment and much merry-making. Since the global economic meltdown, during which Iceland declared bankruptcy (yes, the entire country), the exchange rate has been quite favorable, making it a highly affordable trip. But perhaps the best things is that after running 26 miles, you can take a nice long soak in the healing waters of Iceland’s most famous geothermal pool, the Blue Lagoon.
London’s annual race is a top-fiver event that draws large crowds and features a blessedly flat course. Runners begin in Greenwich and get to see some of London’s best sites, including Cutty Sark, City Hall, Tower Hall, Canary Wharf, Cleopatra’s Needle, the London Eye, Big Ben and the Parliament buildings before finishing at the Mall. Besides being diverted from the pain by these iconic landmarks, runners are also buoyed by the cheers of spectators all along the route. You’ll also get a good chuckle from what will probably be the greatest number of costumed runners you’ll see in a marathon. Live bands are playing at various points along the course, and runners themselves tend to break into spontaneous song at certain points. All if these elements make London one of the most enjoyable marathons you’ll ever run.
The annual Chicago Marathon is another top-fiver that offers probably the fastest and flattest course of them all, so this is the one where you aim for your personal best time. The course is a giant loop that begins and ends in gorgeous Grant Park. This is another biggie, with as many as 45,000 participants. After crossing the finish line, be sure to gather your friends and family together and head to the 27th Mile Post-Race Party at Grant Park’s Butler. The party will include live entertainment with lots of food and drinks. If you were a runner, you’ll also enjoy a free beer. Try to think of that as you hit the wall.
The last top-fiver on this list takes place in the capital city of Germany, beginning and ending at the famous Brandenberg Gate that dates back to 1791. Mild fall temperatures and a relatively flat course combine to make for some great times. Runners will be treated to famous landmarks such as the Reichstag and Berliner Dom, but plan on staying a few days before or after to take in the some of the city’s other historical and cultural sites. During the first 15 years of its history, the race was only run in West Berlin. It was in 1990 that runners for the first time passed through the Brandenberg gate on a course that ran through both halves of the reunified city.
You won’t just be “hitting the wall” during this race, you’ll also be running on top of it! This is an extraordinary experience that is not for the faint of heart. Starting just a couple hours outside of Beijing in the village of Huangyaguan, the course makes a beeline for the centuries-old Great Wall of China, one of the wonders of the world. After leaving the wall, the course winds through scenic rice fields and villages before circling back for another round of running on the wall. Make sure your training routine for this race includes lots of stairs because you’ll be running up (and down) more than 5,000 of them during the Great Wall run. Plan on taking as much as 50% longer to finish this run, and bear in mind there’s an 8-hour limit to get through it.
