The Thrill of the Race

Many people enjoy the challenge that running presents to the athlete and the thrill of crossing the line after finishing a marathon race is hard to beat. Often it is not just the ability to complete the grueling 26.2 miles but the opportunity to do that over again in a variety of races that drives the dedicated runner. With that in mind lets take a look at some of the most famous marathon destinations that comprise the World Marathon Majors, a competition that collates the points of serious participating runners with the prospect of winning a prize or just the knowledge for the amateur that you ran your best!

The Greatest Races of All Time

The marathons that are included on this circuit will take the competitors all around the world with the prospect of visiting some truly iconic cities. Tokyo, Japan plays host to its marathon in late February and is one of the more recent additions to the championship circuit. The Boston Marathon in the United States is one of the original five marathons that were included in the championship series and takes place on Patriot’s Day, which is an American holiday, occurring on the third Monday in April. Next in line is the annual London Marathon which is run in late April and is also one of the original marathons of this series. The course is run on mainly flat terrain around the river Thames area and has the runners initially starting from three different start points which then converge upon each other for the remainder of the race. The course takes the runners past some very historic land marks such as the Cutty Sark sailing vessel and Tower Bridge. Passing the London Eye and Buckingham Palace the competitors finish along side St James’s Palace.

Moving along to late September and the racers can compete in the Berlin Marathon in Germany, yet another of the original ones in the series  developed in 2006. Chicago sees the series back in the United States for early October and New York City, US for the first Sunday in November. The New York Marathon is probably the largest race on the circuit with over 50,000 finishers in 2016 and close to twice that many applicants for 2017! Due to its popularity among runners of all skill levels a lottery is held to determine those who will be invited to participate. The race itself takes the competitors through all five boroughs of New York City including Staten Island, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and the unmistakeable Central Park. Certainly if you get the opportunity to compete in any of these iconic marathons you would be challenged and thrilled by the courses and their individual tests and equally inspired by some of the world’s most beautiful and historic destinations. Similarly exciting is the experience of watching one of these memorable events and being a part of the very special commitment it takes on the part of both competitive professionals and enthusiastic amateurs alike, to push themselves to do the very best they can. The times run will undoubtedly vary enormously but the spirit and achievements are equally admirable.