7 Small Half Marathons Worth Traveling To

With half marathons growing in popularity (there were more than 1.85 million finishers in the United States alone, according to Running USA), one of the biggest challenges facing runners is simply deciding which race to run. Choices have never been more abundant. Of course, you can browse our complete half marathon calendar to find a race that suits your location and timing, but we’ve also hand-picked seven great half marathons we think are worth building a trip around.

They are as follows:

1. Great Wall, China

One of the toughest and most scenic half marathons is the one at The Great Wall of China. It covers a distance of 8.5 km starting from the rocky stairs of the Tianjin province passing through the scenic beauty of villages and farmlands of China. The date of marathon is set on the 17th of May, so participants can register their names to be a part of this historic run.

2. Marrakech, Morocco

Morocco is famous for Marrakech Marathon too apart from being the home of Sultan Marathon des Sables. The former one was conducted on previous month, January, while the latter is scheduled at April this year.

New York City, NY

The Big Apple Run is one of the best half marathon runs in the world. Scheduled on March 16 this year, it is a perfect event to experience culture and art fusion. The participants will start running from Times Square and move through the 7th Avenue along the Hudson River to conclude at the South Street Sea Port. Even if a person does not wish to be a part of this sporting event he should be a spectator and enjoy the amazing spectacle where music meets art.

Miami, Florida

Miami Beach is not only one of the most popular beaches for basking under the glorious sun but it is also a hosting place of half marathons. It took place on February 2 this year where participants covered the half marathon distance. A large number of people braved the cold temperature to take part in this event while another large group was present to enjoy the beach parties and to enjoy eating out at the award winning restaurants.

Rome, Italy

Rome is a great tourist destination and is famous for majestic art, great sculpture and fine dining. It is also known for holding two marathons – The Roma Ostia Half Marathon, scheduled for the 2nd of March and the Maratona di Roma, schedule for the 23rd of the same month. The route of marathon covers world famous sites – the Colosseum and Saint Peter’s Basilica. It is a good idea to carry a camera to click snaps of the picturesque city.

Canada

Canada is home to half marathons as it hosts various half marathons at different locations from January to October. Apart from being famous for freshwater lakes, homegrown spices and hockey it is famous for holding great half marathons in the cities of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. The half marathon hosted past the Niagara Falls specially meant for the womenfolk.

Athens, Greece

Athens, the Greek city is known to have a glorious past. This is the place where the first marathon took place and it holds a lot of information for history lovers. On the 5th of April, it will host the Poseidon half marathon with the course run in Faliro Bay. On the 9th of November another marathon is hosted covering a distance of 5 km or 10 km famous as the classical Athens historical course marathon. It is a good idea to reserve tickets for Greece and be a part of half marathon at the place where it started. The marathon run starts from the hills of Athens and finishes at the Panathinaiko Stadium, the place where modern Olympics unfold.