With marathon season in full swing, we wanted to take a step back from all the serious personal-best chat and up the ante in true lululemon fashion. Here is what we would consider some of the world’s most unique runs, that is, those that focus on the fun factor first.
top 5 cool runs
round rarotonga road race
September 22-29th 2011
Rarotonga, Cook islands
The Round Rarotonga Road Race is part of a week long running festival that attracts serious run enthusiasts, casual joggers and everyone in between. The white sand beaches and aqua blue lagoons are just icing on the cake when it comes to the main event which is as a 32KM race around the island.
the great gorilla run
Saturday September 28th 2011
London, England
The only thing better than a costume party is a costume run! Grab your best Gorilla suit and join thousands of people during The Great Gorilla Run. It’s a 7K fun run that passing famous London sights such as Tower Bridge and The Tate Modern. No need to worry about a personal best or winning form in this totally bananas effort to help save an endangered species.
disney wine & dine half marathon
Saturday October 1st, 2011
Florida, USA
If you’re looking to shave a few minutes off your time, one of the best places to try to do this is the place where their claim to fame is making dreams come true. Just imagine, Disney world, at night, with a route lined with your favourite characters cheering you on, while a complimentary glass of wine awaits you at the finish line. If the Disney wine and dine half knows how to do one thing right, its giving participants a happily ever after.
reggae marathon
Saturday December 3rd, 2011
Negril, Jamaica
When it comes to the Reggae Marathon, Bob Marley says it best, “One good thing about music, when it hits- you feel no pain.” From the minute the gun fires, this marathon bursts with excitement while the beat of loud reggae music echoes throughout. Veterans of the course agree it’s the perfect race to get lost in the drumming and that the atmosphere is like no other. The biggest draw is its location. Think Marathon, then vacation. That’s definitely a combo we could get used to!
the great wall marathon
Saturday May 19th 2012
China
In the court of fun runs, the jury is out for this one. Just in case a marathon isn’t enough of a challenge, how do you feel about 5164 steps along the way? Okay, The Great Wall Marathon might teeter on the fine line of fun for some people but it was just too cool to leave out. We can only hope that the breathtaking views of Tianjin can distract your mind enough to forget that you are, in fact, running a marathon while climbing stairs. Not to worry though, this one isn’t until May 2012, which should give you plenty of time to train; The CN Tower might be a great place to start!
Now that we’ve got wine drinking, reggae listening gorillas running stair-a-thons around an island, on our mind, we’re thinking it’s about time to start booking those destination races for fall! What other fun runs are on your radar for the upcoming season?
want more?
- what to pack: your destination marathon checklist
- more races to tickle your fancy: destination marathons
- Looking to break in some running gear before the race? See our latest offerings for men and women.
