6 Places That I Want to Race!
Happy Friday! So far as part of the 10 Day Challenge I have shared my nine loves and eight fears and seven wants. Today I’m sharing six cool places I would love to race!
Thank you to Kristin @ Sweat Courage for starting this challenge!
1. Antarctic Ice Marathon
(Photo Credit: Antarctic Ice Marathon Facebook Page)
A race where you run into penguins on the course? That sounds like a good time!
(Photo Credit: Telegraph: Travel)
The downside? The windchill factor can reach -20C (or -68F)!
Oh yeah, and the registration fee is 10,000 euro or $12,654. Justifying that price for a race could be just as challenging as the course itself!
2. Big 5 Marathon
In my running bucket list post I wrote all about the Big 5 Marathon in South Africa.
(Photo Credit: Big 5 Marathon Facebook Page)
In this race you get to run along side the five most famous African game: elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard!
I dare you to tell me this doesn’t sound like an incredible experience!
3. Hardrock 100
Okay, I’m NEVER going to run the Hardrock 100. I doubt I’ll ever run a 100-miler period, let alone on the toughest course in the US!
The Hardrock course has over 67,000 feet of elevation change and a deceptively generous cut off time of 48 hours because it’s so tough!
BUT if a genie wanted to grant me a wish, I’d ask to finish the Hardrock 100 within the time limit and to have Scott Jurek as my pacer.
Scott won the race and set a new course record in 2007, and then in 2013 he paced Seb Chaigneau to a new course record and victory! You know those two guys are my running idols and I want to be just like them.
4. Paris to Versailles 10-Miler
(Photo Credit: ME! This picture is from our trip last month!)
While the Hardrock 100 is just a dream, I am most definitely going to make this Paris to Versailles 10-miler happen!
Runners start at the base of the Eiffel Tower, run along the Seine and race to Versailles.
I really wish Adam and I had time to visit Versailles during our trip last month, but now that I know about this race I have a good excuse to return to France!
5. London Marathon
(Photo Credit: ME!!! Another one from our trip last month!)
Similar to the Paris to Versailles race, the London Marathon WILL happen.
I cannot tell you how much I really loved London and I only saw a fraction of it! The next time I am in that beautiful city I will explore 26.2 miles of it by foot!
6. Patagonia International Marathon
I’ve been hearing little things here and there about the Patagonia marathon since it’s inception in 2012 as a few of my favorite ultra runners have raced it. The views along the course look just spectacular!
….. A GLACIER!!!!!
I want to run past a glacier!!
(Photo Credit: Official Race Website)
I know I complained an awful lot about the elevation change in Portland which was practically nothing compared to many of the courses on this list… but this girl from a flat and hot part of the world is super intrigued by mountains and cold weather!
Can you believe the Antarctica race costs $12,000 USD?!
Have you ever raced internationally? Best place you’ve raced so far?
So many cool places on your list. Um $12,000 to run a marathon??? That is crazy!!
Lisa @ Running Out Of Wine recently posted…Thinking Out Loud # 22 (Finally Thursday)
Seriously! Although I guess you are paying for a once in a lifetime experience…. because I highly doubt you’d sign up to ever do it again! It sounds incredible but also really, really, really hard!
I like your take on 6 places! They all look beautiful. The coolest place I have ever run was on the Dipsea Trail in California. To give you a reference, it’s about an hour north of San Fran. It goes from Stinson Beach to Muir Woods. I did not run the whole thing because Paul was laying on the beach waiting for me, but I did do about a 20 minute out and back, On the way back, I had a huge view of the Pacific Ocean! I know I probably take it for granted, but I have run a lot of the Appalachian Trail in PA and it is also very, very pretty. I am just used to it. OMG and I can’t forget running next to the Flatirons in Boulder, CO!!!! Nevermind, maybe that was the prettiest!!!
Megan @ Meg Go Run recently posted…First World Running Problems
Dipsea looks/sounds incredible! I really, really want to run on it! I bet running in Boulder was the best. I keep putting CO on our vacation list, but I just don’t get enough time off work to go everywhere I want (another one of those first world problems!!!)!
lol so true! CO is a runner’s dream though. Maybe you could find a cool race to do there and do a long weekend. HOWEVER there is the elevation factor, which as you know, kicked my ass!
Megan @ Meg Go Run recently posted…My Post Race Workouts
Oh my, I want to do ALL of these (well maybe not the hardrock 100!). Versailles is so lovely, that’s why you NEED to do the Paris marathon – perfect excuse!
http://www.nessruns.com
Nessa @ Ness Runs recently posted…Cha Cha Changes
Yes yes yes! Completely agree! I can’t wait to see Versailles in person!
I don’t think I am going to be racing in Antarctica anytime soon!! I would love to run the Great Wall and the Athens Classic Marathon. Some day…they may actually happen!!!
Staci @ Hoosier Running Mom recently posted…First run and a busy day
I cannot even imagine running the Great Wall! Lou from Running Through China ran the Great Wall Half a couple of years ago and I think she finished first place female – she’s incredible! You should check out her race recap here: http://runningthroughchina.weebly.com/blog/never-again-until-the-next-time!
$12k???? Yikes!! There are some amazing views during those races. We are still newbies when it comes to running so we have only ran in AZ. so I’d like to venture to some other states before I go international lol.
running schlub recently posted…Saturday Long Run & The Color
Haha, I hear ya! Come do one of the runDisney races in FL! You can make it a fun vacation for the whole family!
Oh man, if I a genie granted me a wish it would totally be to run the Antarctica marathon. The genie would have to pay the entrance fees for me, lol, but I’ve got the rest covered! Patagonia would be pretty cool too.
Lizzy recently posted…racer madness
The genie would have to pay the entry fee for me and also make my legs suited for running through snow (I bet some of that snow is soft), but I think the views along the way would be so worth it!
If the genie was cheap, I’d settle for Patagonia 🙂
I ran a half marathon on the west coast of Ireland last month and it was incredible! I love traveling for races, I think the Patagonia Marathon would be so cool.
Lily @ Lily Runs the World recently posted…Back To It
Wow, I bet running through Ireland was incredible! I’m heading over to your blog now to search for the race recap! 🙂
Portland is the only race I’ve really traveled for, and I really enjoyed getting to see another city during a race! I definitely want to do a lot more race-cationing in the future! 🙂
Well, when you come to visit me in Colorado, I can take you to the Hard Rock course, OK? Then you can walk on in for a bit and knock some senses into yourself 🙂 $12K is just a bit too much for me to enter a race with.
Amy recently posted…Denver Rock ‘N Roll Half Marathon
Haha exactly! I am sure just 1/2 mile walking the Hardrock course would kill me, but it’s a fun dream right?!
$12K is rough… $9K would be so much more reasonable, you know, single digits! haha
I better get the best medal and t-shirt EVAR for a $12,000 entry fee! Obviously the majority of that is travel expenses but still! Maybe you get to take a penguin home….
I loved loved loved running in the Muir Woods! We ran the Dipsea trail backwards which may have been much easier than doing it the right way.
Hahaha! Aww I’d have problems if I took a penguin home. Cecil has a little stuffed penguin toy that he takes all his aggression out on! For some reason he hates that thing and bites and kicks the heck out of it!
Dipsea looks and sounds incredible, it’s on my to-do list for sure!!
I don’t think I would fork out 12K for a race…I think I want to make the Paris to Versailles 10 Miler a goal of mine too! I have run in MO,MS, MA, ME, NH, VT, RI, FL, AL…but none of the races were “glamorous” races. I like some of the trail races here in NH–beautiful New England, but I don’t think they are destination races.
I will live vicariously through you!
cheryl recently posted…7/28/84 to10/26/14. Marathon dreams…
Wow, you’ve run in a lot of states! That’s awesome!
I didn’t realize that Paris and Versailles were so close together. For some reason I thought it took an hour to get there from Paris by car/train!
If the Antarctic marathon were warmer…lol
I want to run the Loch Ness marathon SO BADLY IT HURTS!
Ali @ Hit the Ground Running recently posted…Rocktoberfest 10 Miler
I just looked up the Loch Ness marathon and now I really want to do it too!! The course is gorgeous!!! I love their saying too, “the road will give you blisters, the mountains will give you goosebumps!”
I love this challenge! I’m totally going to borrow this!!!!!!
LeAnne recently posted…Red skies in the morning….
Do it! I can’t wait to read your posts!
Umm…just the thought of running the Antarctic marathon is making me cold!!!
I think that you should definitely do the 10 mile race in Paris!
Kim recently posted…Fun Friday!!
Hahah me too! I think I fantasize about cold weather races just because it’s always so hot here!
It’s on the list and I’m going to recruit as many other run bloggers as I can to come do it with me! Blogger Field Trip!!!
Okay now I want to do the Antarctic marathon, i just don’t have that kind of loot laying around!!! Wow, 12k! I would love the penguins though. 🙂
Heather @ GirlGoesRunning recently posted…Oh What Do You Know, I DIDN’T Disappear! 😉
Okay, I will start playing the lottery and as soon as I win I will buy everyone’s entry into the Antarctic marathon so that we can all see the penguins!!
I want to run with a Penguin… $12K + eeekssss! I’ve never heard of the Paris to Versailles 10M, good to know!! I am going to make it to Paris one day.
Jennifer recently posted…Friday Five – Reasons to Run a Half Marathon
This 10-miler gives you a perfect excuse to go sooner rather than later 😀
I would LOVE that Patagonia marathon. Running next to glaciers? Yes, please. I have never done an organized run internationally, but would definitely consider it. Unless I won the lottery I could never spend 12K for a marathon… unless it included travel, lodging, food, etc. I would love to run the Inca Trail Marathon, which finishes at Machu Picchu, and the Reggae Marathon in Jamaica!
Kristen @ Glitter and Dust recently posted…Life In Recovery Mode
I love the sound of the Reggae Marathon in Jamaica, but last time I went running in Jamaica I was shocked at how hot and humid it was! It was somehow worse than here, and I’m used to running in 90 degrees + 80% humidity during the summer!
Running into penguins would be amazing! Expencive, but probably worth it! I would love to do that some day, if only I can get used to cold weather (lol i should be used to cold weather, snow and ice, living in Norway and everything, but I just can’t hahah).
I wanna race all over the world! Or at least run everywhere (so far I’ve checked off Norway *duh*, France, Germany, Italy and New York from my “run all over the world” list):) My first half marathon was in Germany 🙂
Marie Alessandra recently posted…Run-walk-hike
Those places look amazing! I’ve never raced outside of California 🙁 Paris would be AMAZING. It’s one of my favorite places in the whole world.
Woke up early to take pics of my friends starting their first 50K and thought of you and your 50 miler! Can’t wait to see pics of you one day at the start of a your ultra! 🙂
Bae recently posted…Encinitas Surfing Madonna 10K: Hypes & Gripes
Wow, those races look completely amazing!!!! I really hope you race one of these and blog all about it.
Great trip photos!! I like the race list 🙂
Karen recently posted…Growth
Wow, the prices are a way to high even for such exotic marathons