‘So, when’s your next marathon?’ quizzed a couple of chuckling friends during a catch-up near the end of October. For context, they had just received my executive summary on the marathon I’d completed three weeks earlier.
‘Well – next weekend,’ I replied. They weren’t expecting that – and they certainly weren’t expecting me to say that it was ‘in Taiwan’.
However, they weren’t the only people to be baffled, both by my insistence to run another marathon so soon after the preceding one (a habit of mine, it seems) and decision to do so in part of the world that is, perhaps, on the periphery of the travel radar among those in the UK.
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But when you receive an invitation to cover 26.2 miles on foot in a country that, admittedly, you may never have thought to venture otherwise, you’d be foolish to turn it down. So, with my place in the 2024 EVA Air Marathon in Taipei confirmed for Sunday 27 October, it was time to strap myself in for almost 17 hours of airborne travel and discover whether all those running (and flying) miles would be worth it.
Different? Yes. Dramatic? By all means. Dehydrating? Quite possibly. Here’s my verdict on the EVA Air Marathon – and whether you should flag Taiwan as your next go-to running destination.
An exceedingly warm welcome
With the 2024 event marking only its sixth edition, the AIMs-certified EVA Air Marathon already has Nike-branded official finisher kit and, as the name suggests, top-rated airline EVA Air as its organising sponsor. As such, it felt particularly special to fly with EVA Air for this long-haul trip – helping to meld the experience of the marathon to the journey there itself.
Departing from London Heathrow on the Thursday night, alongside a small group of runners signed up for the EVA Air Half Marathon, I experienced quite possibly the most comfortable long haul flight of my life to our first stop in Bangkok (NB: there are no direct flights from the UK to Taiwan). We then hopped back onto our refuelled vessel for the second flight to Taipei, which we reached close to midnight on Friday. Even at this time, the air was heavy with humidity and I swiftly removed the now-sweaty hoodie that I’d lived in for the past day.
‘It is hotter and more humid than usual,’ confirmed our friendly tour guide on greeting us at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, having also informed us that another typhoon was due to the hit Taiwan in a week’s time. ‘Maybe not the best for marathon running!’ he added, almost gleefully.
We laughed, warily, as we travelled to our accommodation for the next few days – the Grand Hi-Lai Hotel in Taipei. Zonked by the time shift but eager to explore such a fascinating city, I went to bed feeling physically spent and emotionally energised – and newly convinced that the heat and humidity wouldn’t be that bad for the marathon.
Last-minute acclimatisation
‘That was hard.’
The three words uttered by us all the following morning, having just completed an alarmingly sweaty shakeout run along a riverside park. Featuring outdoor gyms, lush greenery and smooth, flat paths with kilometre markers, this slim but expansive park was a dream for exercisers of every ilk. But the heat and humidity that we’d hoped would disappear was very much an obstacle. In other words, my 6km ‘easy pace’ run felt very difficult indeed – and my kit was soaked with perspiration.
While the EVA Air Marathon was always destined to be an ‘experience’ race rather than my marathon FKT, I still had to seriously reassess my pacing and hydration strategies for this clammy 26.2-mile challenge. After all, not all races can nor should be PB attempts – and as I’ve come to believe, there’s enjoyment to be had in challenging yourself to different race conditions, elevations, surfaces, locations, timings and so on. The EVA Air Marathon was a new endeavour – and while it was my fourteenth 26.2-mile race, it was weirdly refreshing to know that the butterflies were still there, and that I’d have to tackle it in a very novel way.
That afternoon, we collected our race bibs, visited some Taipeian attractions like the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, tried not to sweat and consumed water, electrolytes and carbohydrates on repeat. It was then time to break the circuit on my wired brain and get a very early Saturday night ahead of a very early start.
Rise and shine
The next thing I know, it’s 3am on Sunday morning and, confused, I am taking on my usual pre-race breakfast of plain oats and black coffee – delightful. By 4am, I’m on minibus travelling to the EVA Air Marathon start area on the western side of the city, which is already populated with thousands of runners. It is 25°C with 90% humidity and, unnervingly, I’m feeling a touch too warm in just a cropped race top and shorts. It is, of course, still dark – and the sea of reflective running kit is coming into its own.
Despite the warmth, the worry and the lack of toilets at the start (a particular bugbear), the atmosphere ahead of the race was wonderful. Unlike other marathons I’ve experienced, there was no uncomfortable pushing and shoving near the start line – no insufferable egos nor stepping on toes. It wasn’t even 5am and people were happily limbering up, exchanging words and giving each other enough room to manoeuvre before the run.
At 5:10am, the ensemble of start guns (there must have been about 10) sounded and, still slightly confused, I set off with the crowd along the moonlit streets of Taipei – my mind still in bed, my body in the UK.
Although Taiwan is always warmer and more humid than the UK in late October, we’d been advised that conditions would be especially hot this year, so there was no point in being silly and taking any chances. As such, I targeted a slower-than-PB pace, made fluid intake a priority and started the run with a bottle of electrolyte-infused water in hand – which is something I wouldn’t do otherwise. I was also running with my partner, which meant that I could experience this unique race with someone else.
Starting in darkness was surreal but sensible, as it reduced our time spent running in the even-hotter sunshine. We smiled for the race photographers, to the runners around us and to ourselves at this mad but memorable experience – but we were still careful to make the most of all the water stations, which were thankfully frequently located along the course. Some of the stations even offered cold water-saturated sponges, which quickly became my new favourite thing. After all, we had already sweaty profusely within the first 6 miles – and we still had more than 20 miles to go.
We were both awestruck and anxious when we clocked sunrise from the 10K mark – it was beautiful to behold, but it did signal the start of more heat.
Sightseeing while sizzling
As anticipated, the first half of the race felt sluggish, with the pumped-up heat and humidity making the limbs feel much more lethargic than usual. That said, we were still hitting our pre-planned pace and exchanging small gestures of encouragement with other runners on the course. Since much of the route heads along Taipei’s overpasses, we could also enjoy a more elevated view of the city and its subtropical surroundings. A particular highlight was spotting Taipei 101 – a 508m postmodernist skyscraper, and formerly the tallest building in the world – stand solid in the near distance against the soft pastel colours of the early morning sky.
However, with 10 miles to go, we finally woke up from our daydream. We had just returned to ground level and entered a section of the riverside park where we’d wilted during the previous morning’s shakeout run.
It was familiar territory in familiar conditions. By now, even at seven-something in the morning, the sun was bright and unapologetic and – as we later discovered – temperatures were reaching 30°C. Our bodies were already hot and bothered from the first 16 miles and, for the first time, I genuinely questioned whether I had it in me to get to the finish line. It was a strange sensation – physiologically, I felt fine and capable of completing the distance. The legs, which were quite well versed in marathon running, had not hit a wall. But physically? I was soaked with sweat on the outside, parched on the inside and, overall, just a bit nauseous.
So, yes, it was testing – and I won’t pretend otherwise. I was now in a below-average mood, I said some words and I may or may not have had a very brief, stroppy sob. For some, the last few miles of a marathon can feel like a trudge through treacle, and here – with just a handful of miles to go – it felt like we were stumbling through a sauna.
But long live the water and sponge stations, which we now realised were offering edible treats, too, from bananas and dried mango to tomatoes, crackers and even chocolate-coated biscuits. Ultramarathon fare, if you like. If I wasn’t feeling quite so iffy, I’d have had a few bites.
The final mile couldn’t pass quickly enough. Effectively cooked, the sun felt aggressive against our skin and our bodies, by this point, were well and truly burdened by the heat. I knew that the finish line was located close to Taipei Songshan Airport (a clever touch by the organising sponsor), so I was inordinately relieved to see big EVA Air planes pass us overhead, barely above ground. We’d almost hit the home stretch – our runway – and landed at our destination.
We completed the 26.2-mile race before 8:30am, which is earlier than most marathons even start. The sense of disbelief and elation on completing the course – somehow as the eighth woman over the finish line – was immense. While my finish time was almost 30 minutes slower than my PB, I still felt like an energy-compromised superhero. If (with the assistance of my partner’s pep talks, which shouldn’t go unacknowledged) I was able to complete that 26.2-mile run in those conditions, then surely I can conquer anything.
That aside, the race volunteers were kind and encouraging, our fellow runners incredibly respectful and the frozen bottles of fruit juice given to us at the finish line? Exceptional.
Happily EVA Airfter?
I’ll reiterate that the 30°C heat and near-100% humidity that we experienced during much of the 2024 race was a shock and a challenge to locals and tourists alike – including those who had raced this marathon in previous years. We are all humans, after all, and need to be careful and controlled when running in tough conditions.
Beyond this major caveat, though, I thought that the EVA Air Marathon was both friendly and flamboyant (just look at the artwork on the race website) – and that it offered an excellent insight into the booming running culture in Taiwan. In 2024, there were over 2,300 finishers in the marathon, while the half marathon and 10K events – which were held on the same morning as the marathon, and which shared parts of the same course – had over 6,600 and almost 6,300 finishers respectively. The event also offers a shorter 3km race, which is ideal for new runners and youngsters.
With the 2025 event already scheduled for Sunday 26 October, the EVA Air Marathon has no intention of fading away anytime soon. Rather, it aspires to grow into one of the most popular and sought-after races in Asia – if not the world. Boasting a largely flat route on smooth, runnable roads and pathways, with only a handful of switchbacks and small climbs to break up your rhythm, this marathon could even be the venue for a very quick time on a cooler, fresher day.
What’s more, the EVA Air Marathon is now a headline act in a full calendar of races that take place in Taiwan throughout the year, from family funs runs to all-in ultramarathons. There’s even the New Taipei City Railway Relay, covering 51km in total, and the Taipei Backyard Ultra – and, in 2023, Taipei even hosted the 24-Hour World Championships.
Tips for running in Taipei
Prepare for the heat and humidity
At the end of October in the UK, you are growing accustomed to colder, darker, wetter and often windier days – in other words, autumn. So, when you then travel to Taiwan, where it is naturally warmer even when there isn’t an extreme weather situation, you will feel it. As such, if you’re preparing to run the EVA Air Marathon, try to build some heat acclimation into your training – this could involve running at the warmest part of the day, or inside on a treadmill. You could even use a sauna or heat chamber to help you become more familiar with higher temperatures.
On race day, remember to wear sunscreen and appropriate clothing, as well as sunglasses and a running cap for when the sun pops up to do its work. It is also essential that you drink plenty of water before, during and after the race and add electrolytes to the mix, quite literally, to help you stay hydrated and reduce the risk of cramping. That said, just a day after the almighty heat of the 2024 race, we were met with a warm but unrelenting wall of pre-typhoon rain – so remember to bring a waterproof running jacket, too, to be on the safe side.
If it works, remember the perks
Running is about so much more than a finish time, or where you place in an event. However, if you are motivated to aim for a top place in a race, you may be interested to know that the EVA Air Marathon generously offers prizes to the first ten women and men, as well as a handful of awards for age group winners and visually impaired runners. And don’t forget – if the full marathon feels like too much of a stretch, you can still opt for the half marathon or 10K, or even the 3km fun run.
Make it Taiwan to remember
Signed up for the EVA Air Marathon? Make a trip of it and stick around beyond the race weekend. A culturally rich island nation that blends big-city modernity with exquisite tradition and stunning natural landscapes, not to mention some top-tier local cuisine, Taiwan offers more than just running routes – so plan to stay here for the longer haul. A stay lasting a week or more, in my opinion, would satisfy your tourist needs.
Here are some tried-and-tested recommendations for places to visit, all of which are situated within an hour-and-a-bit’s drive of Taipei’s city centre.
Taipei 101
- You saw it from afar during the EVA Air Marathon, so why not see it from the inside? The tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010, Taipei 101’s observatory offers unparalleled views of the city and green spaces beyond.
Raohe Street Night Market
- An absolute must-visit post-marathon, you’ll forget that you got up at 3am and want to stay out all night for this – especially if you are a foodie. Founded in 1753, this iconic night market offers a vast selection of street food and gifts and is a true feast for the senses. If you’re braver than I was, you could even try the local ‘delicacy’ of stinky tofu – the name says it all, I believe.
Wulai
- Travel south of Taipei and you’ll find yourself in the mountainous district of Wulai, nestled on the Nanshi River. Here, you’ll find hot springs, welcoming local vendors and Wulai Waterfall, which is accessible via a very twee train ride through the forest.
Yilan
- In addition to beautiful beaches, fabulous food and the Kavalan Whisky Distillery, Yilan accommodates the National Center for Traditional Arts, where you can purchase local crafts and watch traditional Taiwanese opera (it’s quite something).
Fly with EVA Air
On the topic of travel, book your return trip to Taipei with EVA Air – one of Taiwan’s major airlines. As mentioned, you won’t find a direct commercial flight from the UK to Taiwan, so EVA Air will offer you a comfortable and convenient two-flight option. A popular route is London Heathrow to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport via Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand.
The 2025 EVA Air Marathon will take place on Sunday 26 October – you can find out more about the event here.
