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These Destination Races Are Runner-Favorites for Extending Into a Vacation

Follow in the footsteps of other runners and make a vacation out of your next race.

By
Runner
D-Keine//Getty Images

Training for a marathon is a lot of work. And traveling for a race can be a whirlwind of flying or driving, fueling, sleeping, and then the race. But after you put in all those miles, don’t you want to allow yourself the chance to enjoy the city you chose for your big destination race? After all, you probably picked that location for a reason.

We asked readers via Instagram post what races they are turning into a runcation this year. Here are some of the most popular race vacation destinations to inspire your own running getaways.

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Big Sur

big sur marathon
Sharon Garber

“Cadbury marathon in Tasmania and Big Sur marathon in California. Lucky me.”—optiklena

“Big Sur Marathon!”—ericalk830

“Big Sur Marathon in April!”—laguna.sol

“Big Sur!”—scratchyvoice

“Big Sur Marathon!”—oc.nanda

[Get Faster and More Mindful at These Bucket List Running Retreats]

Berlin

Overview of runners at the Berlin Marathon
Getty Images

Berlin Marathon and then turning it into our honeymoon.”—hmp2890

“Paris in March, Berlin in September.”nyc.running

“Berlin, Germany, The Berlin Marathon!!”—mccorral

“Looking to turn the Berlin Marathon into my first visit to Germany!”—transcape5

mcnaught.ryan and I are traveling from Australia for the Boston Marathon and Berlin Marathon!”—tracybritten

Heading to Berlin in the fall. Going to be combined with a work trip, so I can get there early and deal with jet lag.”usaf_amy_runs

[The Record-Breaking History of the Berlin Marathon]

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Tokyo

Tokyo Marathon 2019
Anadolu Agency//Getty Images

Tokyo Marathon!”—clamatsui

“Tokyo for 5/6 World Majors completed!”—runlindzrun

“I’m running the Tokyo Marathon on March 1 and can’t wait to travel around Japan!”—jblo1980

“Tokyo for the marathon.”—henri_laitervo

[7 Best Travel Tips for Runners]

Yosemite

Yosemite National Park river reflection. California. USA
Eloi_Omella//Getty Images

“Ironman 70.3 Blue Ridge, Yosemite Half Marathon as a runcation with some friends, and a few others around D.C. area.”—run_fit_boymom

“We are taking a month long road trip to California to run the Yosemite Half Marathon in May!!”—marinara_15

“Yosemite Half Marathon!”—megroswick

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Reykjavik, Iceland

best half marathons
Ólafur Þórisson

“Midnight Sun Half Marathon in Reykjavik!”—mterrill84

“I’m traveling to Banff, Canada (half marathon) and Tromso, Norway (half ultra) Midnight Sun Marathon.”—guinevereallen

“Midnight Sun Half Marathon in Norway on the solstice, for my birthday!”—melissively

[Why You Should Run Whenever Traveling (and How to Do It)]

Las Vegas

USA, Nevada, Las Vegas, Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada Sign
Elena Pueyo//Getty Images

Las Vegas 2020 Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon.”—laurrhidvary

“My wife and I usually wrap a trip to Vegas with the Blood Sweat and Beers trail races. Great crowd and beautiful trails. It will be our fifth year coming from Dallas to the races.”—chip.jackson1

“Rock ’n’ Roll Las Vegas Half!”—annika907

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Chicago

MARATHON-US-CHICAGO
KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI//Getty Images

“I am traveling back home to IL to run #chimarathon2020.”—lost_illinoisian

“Chicago Marathon.”—fartlekfanatic

Chicago—staying with family and taking the kids to see museums.”—mphavran

“Chicago Marathon and Honolulu (most likely).”—yhempler

“Chicago!! @bllawrence @gypspri.iii.”—kaitguss

“Vienna and Chicago Marathons.”—aniamendrek

“Chicago Marathon! Let’s get windy.”—apurs6

Walt Disney World

Light, Architecture, Night, Lighting, Sky, Metropolitan area, Tree, Tourist attraction, World, Leisure,
Robert James Reese

“Disney Star Wars Rival Run Weekend! All three races!”—fit_jackieb

“Disney!! Coming up in six days. Doing the Disney half and spending five days there with the kids and husband then going on Disney Cruise.”—lynne9502

“The Disney Princess Half Marathon with rebeccagatlin.”—bekahwoodard92

“Flying from Austria to Florida for the runDisney Fairytale challenge in six weeks.”—halfinayear

“Running my first marathon at Walt Disney World in nine days!”—thepowerauer

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Boston

new year's resolution boston
Kevin Morris

Boston in April and London six days later. Then Chicago and maybe NYC.”—nikkirosee_runner

“My first Boston!!! We’re going to be doing all the history walking tours.”—kristin_mcphie

[Here’s How Fast You Had to Be to Get Into the 2020 Boston Marathon]

Monthy Racing

Low Section Of People Running On Street In Marathon
Bob Kelly / EyeEm//Getty Images

“My friends and I are running all 50 states, so we make every race weekend a vacation! Our goal is to run 12 half marathons this year, one for each month, each one a different state!”—lynne__ann

“One marathon trip each month. You can’t get enough of it...”—roverunwander

[How to Train for a Marathon]

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World Traveling for More Miles

Road running in Scottish highlands near Glencoe
Luca Sage//Getty Images

“Pffft all of them!! Costa Rica, Vienna, North Carolina, Connecticut, Rhode island, and maybe New York, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire. This year will be a beast!”—andyrunstheworld

“Bryce Canyon 50 Miler!! Hoodoos Hoodoos Hoodoos.”—ryry_lee_

“Costa Rica Coastal Challenge. 6 days 235K, 10,000 meters gain.”—thatrunnerjodig

“Run Rabbit Run 100 miler in Steamboat Springs Colorado and quite a few others in the build up.”—cara_marrs_wellness

“Stranda Fjords 48K race.”—klysenko

[What I Learned Running 200 Miles for the First Time]

Headshot of Jordan Smith
Jordan Smith
Digital Editor
Jordan Smith is a writer and editor with over 5 years of experience reporting on health and fitness news and trends. She is a published author, studying for her personal trainer certification, and over the past year became an unintentional Coronavirus expert. She has previously worked at Health, Inc., and 605 Magazine and was the editor-in-chief of her collegiate newspaper. Her love of all things outdoors came from growing up in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
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