Your Favourite Worldwide Races - Rest-Of-The World

Antarctica

Antarctic Marathon, February
Race website

"The Antarctic Marathon has to be among the greatest. There, the crowds watching us run were one or two million penguins, seals, whales and dolphins. That was special." —Osy

Australia

City to Surf, Sydney, August
Race website

"Held every August, this is a 14K from the centre of Sydney to Bondi Beach. It takes in breathtaking views of Sydney’s eastern suburbs. There are many climbs, the most infamous called 'Heartbreak Hill'. The last kilometre is run along the promenade of Bondi Beach. It is one of the best-organised races I have ever taken part in. It caters for all levels and abilities – elite, wheelchair, runners, walkers, pushchairs – and they host 65,000 people over four starts." —helbelle

Cambodia

Angkor Wat International Half-Marathon, December
Race website

"This race is a well-established part of the road racing scene in South-East Asia. It attracts a good field of expatriates and locals, who run round a pancake-flat course amid the incredible architecture of one of the region's most-visited tourist attractions. Until recently, the Angkor Wat temple complex was a 'no go' area as a result of landmines left from the bitter war years in Cambodia. All proceeds from the race go to helping some of the many landmine victims throughout the country, the number of which sadly grow with each passing day. The 2004 race was also special for me as I was able to meet one of my running heroes, Ron Hill, who, by running in the accompanying 10K, was adding another country to his own impressive list of foreign races." —Stuart McLay

China

Les Fouleés de la Soie, August

Les Fouleés de la Soie ('The Silk Road Race'), August
Race website

"I’ve been on Fouleés de la Soie twice – in 2001 as a walker, while I was still walking only with the help of sticks, and again in 2004 as a runner.

It's definitely my ideal foreign race. It takes its running seriously – the competition at the sharp end seemed sharp to me – and at the same time they were tolerant of those of us at the back. We were required to get ourselves into teams of five – which threatened initially to be stressful (yep, the playground days when one is the last to be chosen!) but in fact turned out to be a good way of making sure those who had come not knowing anybody had a team of friends from the very start.

Aside from the fact (due to my very low standard of running) that it is one of very few overseas races that I would have the nerve to enter, it is the cultural aspect of these trips which make them outstanding, and unlike any other advertised. Jean-Claude, who runs these races, goes to great extents to involve the local people in every race, recruiting local runners to join in the race and non runners to meet us. Thus on arrival in Zhongwei, the entire city assembled in the main square to welcome us with dancing and music. Running through rural areas near Xining, in spite of pouring rain, the roads were lined with local people the entire 18K or so that we ran, children offering us bouquets, and shouting "jia you" (literally "add petrol" – step on the accelerator). I had learned a scant smattering of Chinese before my first visit, and returned home resolved on continuing my studies, with the result that on the return visit I was better able to talk with the Chinese runners who at every stage were running with us.

Such opportunities for contact with local people, even more than the impressive visits to scenic, historic and cultural landmarks, are the factors which make this particular trip so exciting for me. I think it is a winning formula." —Stickless

Kenya

Safaricom Marathon, July
Race website

"The Safaricom marathon – in the Lewa Downs game reserve in Kenya – is an incredible experience. You run along dirt trails, 6000ft above sea level, in 33°C average temperatures with spotter planes buzzing giraffe from the course. The human side of the race was no less awe-inspiring, with many locals turning up to run on the day, in jeans, having already literally run a marathon to get there by 6am." —Andrew Cooney
Andrew also wrote about the Chicago Marathon

India

Himalayan 100-Mile Stage Race, October
Race website

"This was my first stage event, and the prospect of doing long-distance runs, including a marathon, and then getting up and running again the next day (and the next, and the next) was quite daunting. As was travelling to the other side of the world, a remote region where I would have to integrate with a whole bunch of new people. As it turned out, it was awe-inspiring, I coped reasonably well with the running, finishing mid-table, but best of all made some new friends who will be close for the rest of my life. And what do we do? Arrange every so often to meet up at events, or organise our own trips – which include lots of running and lots of laughs… and a few drinks. But those sorts of friendships seem to always crop up through running." —Ian Meade

Mauritius

Le Grand Raid de la Réunion, La Réunion, October
Race website

"I want to tell you about a really great race: 'Le Grand Raid de la Réunion'. It takes place on La Réunion, a volcanic island in the Indian Ocean, next to Mauritius and belonging to France.

It covers 142K with around 25,000ft of ascent, and it’s off road, leading through rain forests, over volcanic rubble etc. The event is non-stop, with a time limit of 60 hours, but the leaders cover the course in about 20 hours. It’s quite an experience: the landscape is breathtaking and the whole island falls into 'grand raid' fever – people apply months in advance to be allowed to do some marshalling and help supporting the runners.

You turn up at four o’clock in the morning at some checkpoint and you’ll be made to feel special and looked after and loved. It’s a tough one – but if you train properly for it you should be okay. The training nearly killed me but I was absolutely fine in the race. It took me 35 hours and I really enjoyed it." —Ulla Korenjak

South Africa

Comrades Marathon, June
Race website

"Among South Africans, you are not a 'proper' long-distance runner unless you have completed the 89.5K Comrades Marathon. The training for this is immense, and camaraderie is built up before and during the event. The course itself goes from Durban to Pietermaritzburg one year and the other way round the next; I have done both ways, and they feel completely different.

People line the route most of the way. You run through beautiful countryside, including the valley of a thousand hills, and the little children in the villages get very excited. I can remember thinking at the halfway mark that if this was the end of a marathon, I would think that this was the worst marathon I had ever run – and I still had another one to do! I experienced an amazing feeling of achievement completing these two races." —Maddy Sams

"The camaraderie which becomes so apparent the further you get into the race is astounding; the challenge of the never-ending hills whether running 'up' to 'Maritzburg or 'down' to Durban is huge; the crowds shouting constant encouragement and the music blaring hip hop tunes in competition with the radio and TV commentators giving updates of who's in the lead is brilliant. I challenge anyone to run one Comrades and not feel the need to run another. The experience is awesome." —Leslie Andrew

"It's known as the greatest marathon in the world. I've run many races in the UK (and quite a few in South Africa), and nothing comes close to the camaraderie among the runners and the spirit of the spectators here. What sets this race apart from any other race in the world is the interaction of the spectators with the runners. Barbeques are set up early in the morning all along the route and spectators not only support their own family and friends, but anyone else in the 15,000 strong field to whom they can offer a banana, energy drink, potato or even beer. The dramatic cut-off time of 12 hours (extended from the previous 11-hour mark) is marked by the firing of a gun, and any runners short of the line – be it a metre or 10K – are refused a medal and there is no record of them completing the race. And yet many continue to complete the distance into the early hours of the evening." —Warren Douglas

"I have completed this event 10 times and therefore obtained my 'permanent number'. The race is televised, and coverage lasts for the entire 12 hours. The crowd support is fantastic, and with fields in excess of 15,000 runners, Comrades is the largest 'ultra' in the world. This is a must for any serious runner, who wants to prove that they can run two marathons back to back plus six kilometres extra added onto the end." —Lynn Cocksedge

"Dubbed appropriately by the organisers as "The Ultimate Human Race", Comrades witnesses unparalleled displays of camaraderie and gutsiness by the average runner." —Paul Whitmill

"This is without a doubt my favourite race. It has superb organisation and support, a stunning, hilly course, national TV coverage; it's an amazing event that was worth every minute of the pain! It's very good value for money and there's an outstanding welcome and hospitality for international runners." —Wendy-Jane Walton

Two Oceans Marathon, April
Race website

"They bill Two Oceans as the world’s most beautiful marathon, and it was stunning. The views of the ocean as I ran up and over Chapman's Peak Road on the edge of the cliff, with the ocean crashing down below and the rockfalls held back by large protective cages, will stay with me for ever. The organisation was excellent, with the local community out in force with smiles, encouragement and entertainment at every feeding table.

At about 30 miles in Constantia I was greeted by a group of dancing girls, and there were other surreal moments too: on a quiet stretch of the climb up to Chapman's Peak a woman was playing some beautiful jigs and reels on the fiddle; real soul food. The camaraderie was great also from the fellow runners willing you on. At the end overseas runners got access to a special hospitality area, with excellent free food and drink (served by waiters and waitresses at your table) in a marquee alongside the finish area, just after the free massage." —Paul Mee

Taiwan

Taroko Gorge Marathon, Hualien County, November
Race website

"My favourite race is the Taroko Gorge Marathon in Hualien County. I usually run the half-marathon, so there is some climbing but it is not too tough. The race starts in a town where a lot of aboriginal Taiwanese live and they come out to cheer everyone on. You go into the town first and then loop back through a natural stone arch and along an amazing marble gorge.

The runners are dwarfed by massive cliffs. A river rushes below, and you wind your way through tunnels and natural caves and overhanging rock formations. The finish line is at the visitor centre where young aboriginal kids give performances dressed in their traditional clothes. The awards ceremony is also there in the midst of towering mountains, blue skies and lush vegetation.

Half the fun is going the day before to pick up the race package. Runners are given discounts throughout the town of Hualien for three days so you see lots of people walking around town with a "runner's pass" around their necks, buying local specialties such as mochi. Runners are also given discounts at the hotels, including one right in the gorge with balconies facing the river.

On the train back to Taipei, all the runners chat and about race results and congratulate each other. I plan to go back next year." —Joanne Schmidt

United Arab Emirates

Dubai Marathon, January

Dubai Marathon and 10K and 3K Run, January
Race website

"Take your pick from the three options and run in rather pleasant conditions for a Middle Eastern country – about 25°C max daytime. There’s good prize money if you’re in that league, and a great route around some of the sights of modern, dynamic Dubai. Accommodation and flights can be reasonably priced if you book early." —Alex Bambridge