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RUNNER’S WORLD 23WORLD’S BEST RACESTAHITI-MOOREA
Palm-lined beaches
and cerulean-blue
seas surrounded
by impossibly green
mountains, and aid
stations loaded
with tropical fruits,
make this marathon
something of a
beautiful secret – just
40 of the 678 finishers
last year came from
abroad. Be prepared
for the ferocious
Polynesian sun (run on
the spot in the gym
sauna to acclimatise?),
but you will soon
recover – perhaps
in a hammock slung
between palm trees,
rocking gently in the
warm breeze.
March 2020, (date tbc),
mooreamarathon.comINTERNATIONAL
MARATHON DE
MARRAKECH
With its bustling
souks, long stretches
of delightfully flat
roads, overhanging
olive trees, temperate
climate, occasional
camel sightings and
the glorious Atlas
Mountains in the
distance, Marrakech
in Morocco is an
electrifying place to
run a marathon. Watch
out for the mopeds
that occasionally find
their way onto the
course. Marrakech
can be fantastically
hot, but the average
January temperature
is a manageable 19C.
January 26, 2020,
marathon-marrakech.comBRASOV
INTERNATIONAL
MARATHON
The handsome, lively
Transylvanian city of
Brasov, two hours
from Bucharest, is well
worth a visit, which
adds to the appeal of
this marathon. The
route takes in Saxon
walls and bastions,
the Gothic Black
Church and plenty
of brooding medieval
architecture, all
beneath the shadow
of the Carpathian
Mountains. After the
race, treat yourself to
a meal in one of the
city’s fine restaurants
and make the most of
its bohemian nightlife.
April 2020 (date tbc),
brasovmarathon.roROVANIEMI ARCTIC
WINTER RACES
Representing what
must surely be close
to the pinnacle of
human endurance,
this race takes those
fit – and bonkers –
enough into the
Arctic Circle around
Lapland’s main city,
Rovaniemi. There
you’ll complete either
66km, 150km or
300km in sub-zero
temperatures across
frozen lakes, icy roads
and through forests,
carrying all your kit on
your back. Expect
thigh-high snow drifts,
occasional whiteouts
and the experience
of a lifetime.
February 14-19, 2020,
rovaniemi150.com