Author: Leo

If you’re looking for the ideal combination of athletic challenge and a nice weekend of sight-seeing, the Rome Marathon is the place to go. The marathon is held annually in March and this year, it’ll be held on March 21st. Very popular with both Italian and foreign athletes, it attracts more and more runners each year. Last year’s race saw more than 11,000 runners compete.

As a participant in the Rome Marathon, you get to enjoy the city’s historic atmosphere right from the beginning. The start line is placed in front of the 2,000 year old Colosseum, and from here the course is a veritable festival of magnificent sights such Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps. The course is surprisingly flat for a city built on seven hills, but the uneven cobblestone streets may add a few extra minutes to your finish time.

According to tradition, 15 minutes after the marathoners are sent on their way, the non-competitive Stracittadina Fun Run starts. This 5km run is open to everyone and proudly proclaims itself to be “the most participated sporting event in Italy”. Get more information about the race at the Rome Marathon website.

You can figure out what you’re going to run through by watching a magnificient RAI feature, a 2-hour documentary (in Italian) which details the history of the 42,195 metres.

Share the Rome Marathon course with your friends!

With RunThere you can:

• View the Rome Marathon route
• Print out the Rome Marathon route
• Embed the Rome Marathon route in your blog or website

The inaugural Los Angeles Marathon was in 1986, born from the euphoria after the successful 1984 Olympics held in L.A. It had more than 10,000 entrants, making it the largest inaugural marathon in the world.

This year’s Los Angeles Marathon will be held on March 21st, 2010. The course has changed a few times in the 24-year history of the race. The 2010 course is brand new and is nicknamed “Stadium to the Sea”. The course takes runners from downtown Los Angeles to the Santa Monica coastline.

Each course in the history of Los Angeles Marathon has had a tradition for encouraging entertainment along the way. Music, dancing and other sorts of entertainment keep spirits up, spectators clapping, and runners going. A total of 1,000,000 spectators usually line the course and celebrate the 26,000 runners at the finish area. Get more information at the Los Angeles Marathon website.

Share the Los Angeles Marathon course with your friends!

With RunThere you can:

• View the Los Angeles Marathon route
• Print out the Los Angeles Marathon route
• Embed the Los Angeles Marathon route in your blog or website

Barcelona Marathon started as the Catalunya Marathon in 1978, and was renamed in 2005. The event will be held on March 7th, 2010.

The route, which changes every year, leads runners past many of the city’s historical landmarks. This magnificent Mediterranean city has a history that goes back to the Roman Empire and was home to the world-famous architect, Antoni Gaudi. Gaudi is the originator of numerous spectacular buildings in his native city. The marathon course leads runners past several of his works such as La Pedrera and Familia Sagrada church. The marathon starts and finishes below the green hills of Montjuïc Park.

The course is advertised to be flat, but it contains some long inclines. The hilly parts are mostly situated in the beginning of the route, but the scenery makes up for the relative toughness of this part of the course.

The number of entrants is increasing rapidly each year. Usually, almost half of the marathoners are visitors from abroad. For more information about the race and how to register, check the Barcelona marathon website.

Share the Barcelona Marathon course with your friends!

With RunThere you can:

• View the Barcelona Marathon route
• Print out the Barcelona Marathon route
• Embed the Barcelona Marathon route in your blog or website

This year’s Napa Valley Marathon is going to be held on March 7th. It has an excellent course for beginning marathoners. The course begins in Calistoga and runs the length of the famed Napa Valley wine-growing region. The first 6 miles are rolling hills and the course is relatively flat thereafter.

Dedicated to fostering and promoting quality road racing, the Napa Valley Marathon is known as the “Biggest Little Marathon in the West”. In its January ’02 issue, Runner’s World Magazine named the marathon one of the Top 20 Marathons in the United States. Also Competitor Magazine, named it the Best Rural Marathon in America, in its January ’05 issue.

The race is limited to 2300 people and each participant assists important local causes. Also, the first male and female finishers win their weight in wine! All proceeds from the Napa Valley Marathon (a non-profit organization) are donated to local charities and schools in the Napa Valley region. For further information, check out the Napa Valley Marathon website.

Share the Napa Valley Marathon course with your friends!

With RunThere you can:

• View the Napa Valley Marathon route
• Print out the Napa Valley Marathon route
• Embed the Napa Valley Marathon route in your blog or website