Apr 9

Apr 9 Dreaming of Running a Marathon? Here Are the Best 5 in the World – Start Training Now!

Paris, France.

This is mostly flat, and takes in some of the city’s most famous landmarks. Starting on the Champs Elysées, it winds passed Notre Dame, the Place de la Bastille and the Eiffel Tower, through two of the city’s wooded parks and along the banks of the Seine before finishing on Avenue Foch in sight of the Arc de Triomphe.

With 40,000 runners taking part, it’s one of the world’s biggest marathons, and at 35km the organisers hand out cheese and wine, just to make sure you know exactly which city you’re running in!

Big Sur International, California, USA.

While this is at times a challenging and hilly course, the Big Sur International Marathon is worth the effort, as it’s known as one of the most scenic and beautiful marathons in the world. It snakes through California’s redwood forests and along the coast-hugging Hwy 1, offering runners spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. Along the route there is an eclectic roster of live music to help keep you moving, including the surreal sight of a tuxedo-wearing musician playing a Grand Piano on the famous Bixby Creek Bridge at the halfway point.

Great Wall Marathon, China.

So iconic you can see it from space! The Great Wall of China also hosts one of the world’s toughest marathons. Aside from the heat — temperatures can reach close to 40°C during the race — the main challenge is the many steep climbs, over 5,000 steps.

The event is a sellout each year with 2,500 runners from over 60 nations taking part. As well as two lengthy sections along the top of the wall, the race offers some relief from the climbing with a flat section in the middle on asphalt and gravel roads, taking you on a tour through picturesque Chinese villages and rice fields.

Berlin Marathon, Germany.

If you hope to run a fast time, you may want to consider following in the footsteps of the greats with a jaunt around Berlin's marathon course. One of the six "Major Marathons" (along with Tokyo, Boston, London, Chicago and New York), Berlin’s speedy course has seen 10 marathon world records, including all of the last seven men’s world records.

The course is almost perfectly flat, as well as wide and straight, especially in the first two miles, which means you’re unlikely to get stuck in the crowd if you’re a hotrod speedster. The route is hardly boring, though, with the highlight the passage through the Brandenburg Gate near the end, a poignant symbol of the division that marked the city in the years before the Berlin Wall came down.

New York City Marathon, USA.

Racing down First Ave in Manhattan, the skyscrapers glinting in the sun, the cheering crowds five-deep on either side, is one of the most uplifting experiences in running. The New York City Marathon is a festival from start to finish, taking you on a tour of the city’s five boroughs, the roads lined the entire way with people encouraging you, holding up hilarious placards and handing out food and drink of every description. Just save a little energy for the rolling hills of Central Park at the end.

That’s our top 5, go get it in 2021!