by Shari Mernett
You love to run right?  And who doesn’t enjoy going away on a holiday?  Have you thought about combining both your love of running with travelling?  What a great excuse to get out there explore some new towns and meet interesting people.  Here are ten great reasons I like destination races. 

1. Unique tourist Opportunities
Most race courses are designed to pass by the most beautiful, interesting and historical spots in a city.  If you think about it, cities usually close their streets for two groups only: royalty and runners.  Take advantage – be treated like royalty! 

2. Funky races and cool finisher medals! 
There are a lot of great races around the world and most races try to be unique in order to attract more participants.  Consider doing the Médoc marathon in France, where runners are encouraged to wear elaborate costumes and are offered wine at the rest stops.  You can go to Washington to run the trails, find some mud and receive a chocolate medal.   Or for the more athletically-minded, you could sign up for the Bermuda triangle challenge: a 1-mile race on the Friday, a 10km race on the Saturday and a half or full marathon on the Sunday.  Ever wanted to go on a cruise but didn’t want to go formal?  Check out the Cruise to Run going to either the Caribbean or Alaska. 

Photos: Médoc marathon in France

3. Pre-empt vacation eating
If you’re anything like me, you see vacations as a chance to go to exotic places and learn about them by eating. The calories you burn by starting the trip with a race will go a long way towards mitigating vacation weight gain.  And don’t forget to run the rest of the holiday in order to explore more areas!  (Good excuse continuing to balance out those calories!)

4. Increase your happiness levels
Research in psychology consistently shows that people derive more happiness from spending money on experiences compared to purchasing stuff. So instead of upgrading your sports watch annually, consider setting that money aside to pay for the experience of a destination race.  Nothing beats the mental satisfaction to be able to say “I was there and I competed in that race!” 

5. Motivate your training
Which race do you think will make you train harder: a 10k race that starts five blocks from your house that you signed up for last week or a 10k race in a far-away city that involved taking vacation time, booking a hotel and getting on a plane? 

6. Unusual race distances = automatic PRs
Doing destination races is a great way to step outside the usual race distances. Do the “Around the Bay” 30k race in Hamilton as a stepping stone before trying the full marathon or run the 8k Victoria Road Race leading up to a 10k.

Photo: Disneyland half marathon

7. There’s a race for every body
The beauty of racing is that like vacations, there’s something for everyone. If you’ve got young children, consider doing a race through Disney World. If you’d like to plan a girls’ getaway, do one of the growing number of women’s only half or full marathons to receive a necklace at the finish line from a hunky, shirtless fireman.  Is there a beer lover in the family?  Check out the Will Run for Beer race series and receive a Will Run for Beer jacket!    The opportunities are endless! 

8. Run with the elites (maybe)
Elite racers tend to be drawn to the larger races in big cities. If you run a race in a major city like Chicago, New York or Boston, you might get to rub elbows with an elite racer.  Run an out and back marathon and you will be able to cheer on the elite’s as the head back to the finish line.  

9. Cross a race off your bucket list
In running, some races around the world are spoken of in hushed tones and with deep reverence like the Boston marathon, the Athens Marathon or, for the extremely ambitious, the Badwater Ultramarathon. Running these races doesn’t just give you bragging rights. It gives you international bragging rights.  Ever wanted to see the Great Wall of China?  Well, don’t just see it, run it! 

10. Make a distance début
When elite runners transition from shorter to longer distances, they call this making their début. Why not make a début of your own even more memorable by running in an exotic location?  And better yet, see how many different races you can run in around the world!