Runner’s World UK – September 2019

RUNNER’S WORLD 29

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WORLD’S BEST RACES

TWO OCEANS

A challenging route
with spectacular
views of both the
Indian and Atlantic
Oceans plus some
wildly enthusiastic
crowd support, this
race around the Cape
Peninsula in South
Africa has it all.
Choose from the
56km or 21km options
and ditch your
negative-split dreams
in favour of some
serious hill work in
the second half. With
more than 16,000
participants, the half
marathon is South
Africa’s biggest.
Shorter events take
place the day before.
April 11, 2020,
twooceansmarathon.org.za

ESCAPE FROM THE

JUNGLE MARATHON

The organisers of the

Jungle Marathon have

a new challenge on

offer. After six days of

intensive survival

training with Special

Forces instructors,

you will be dropped

into the jungle in Belize,

Central America, with

a compass, map,

your kit and a well-

developed sense of

survival. From there,

you’ll have six days to

cover 200km through

swamps and dense

forest teeming with

predators. For safety,

each team will be

followed by a highly

trained instructor.

March 2-7, 2020,

junglemarathon.uk

ATHENS MARATHON

Once you’ve ticked

off the six Marathon

Majors, try the

original marathon.

The story goes that in

490BC Pheidippides

died after sprinting

this hilly route from

Marathon to Athens.

But you need not

worry (he had

apparently run 150

miles in the previous

two days); instead,

you will feel like a

champion when you

reach the finish in the

Panathenaic Stadium,

which hosted the

opening and closing

ceremonies of the

first modern Olympics

in 1896.

November 10,

athensauthenticmarathon.gr

SQUAMISH 50

This 50-mile race is

a tough but deeply

rewarding trail

experience in a setting

that will make you feel

like you’re running

through the set of

Romancing the Stone

(millennials, ask your

parents). The town of

Squamish is a mere

45 minutes north of

Vancouver, Canada,

and the race features

90 per cent single-

track running and

more than 3,500m

of elevation, and is

topped off with some

truly awe-inspiring

snowy peaks that

are guaranteed to set

your soul on fire.

August 17-18,

squamish50.com