Credit: mikecphoto, via Shutterstock
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When running a marathon, many of us would assume that the first one is simply about getting through the whole thing without tapping out. Sights? Sights? Not exactly important when I’m concentrating on my legs being on fire.
However, once that debut marathon is over, you might catch the bug of wanting to run more, and they might even become easier. Once you’ve found your pace, able to look in front of you, or perform the task of looking from side to side, you may enjoy the scenery as you chase the high of a long-distance runner. And of course, some locations will be easier on the eye to run in than others, which could be the difference in pushing your tired muscles towards the finish line.
Credit: TCS London Marathon
A study by the folks over at sportsshoes.com has ranked the most beautiful marathons across the world, with London’s popular variety coming in the top 20. Ranked at 16th place, the London Marathon scored the same as that of Nice-Cannes in the south of France, and pipped the likes of the Kilimanjaro Marathon (18th place) to the post.
Taking the top spot, however, was California’s Big Sur International Marathon, and with views of the ocean as well as runs through redwood forests, it’s not hard to see why. The UK had four entrants in the top 25, with the bonnie Loch Ness Marathon clinching third place, narrowly below the Great Wall of China Marathon to make up the podium placings. The study used a trusty 300 marathon runners to give each spot an ‘eye-catching score’ out of 100, as well as working out the average amount of time spent ‘looking’ in the marathon.
The top 20 most beautiful marathons in the world
According to the study, the most beautiful marathons around the world are as follows:
1. Big Sur International Marathon (USA)
2. Great Wall Marathon (China)
3. Loch Ness Marathon (UK)
4. Marathon du Mont Blanc (France)
5. Angkor Wat Empire Marathon (Cambodia)
6. Niagara Falls International Marathon (Canada/USA)
7. San Francisco Marathon (USA)
=8. Petra Deser Marathon (Jordan)
=8. The Big Five Marathon (South Africa)
=8. Queenstown Marathon (New Zealand)
=8. Mount Desert Island Marathon (USA)
=12. Barcelona Marathon (Spain)
=12. Edinburgh Marathon (UK)
=12. Lake Tahoe Marathon (USA)
15. Great Ocean Road Marathon (Australia)
=16. London Marathon (UK)
=16. Nice-Cannes Marathon (France)
18. Kilimanjaro Marathon (Tanzania)
19. Victoria Falls Marathon (Zimbabwe/Zambia)
=20.Brighton Marathon (UK)
=20. La Rochelle Marathon (France)
Read the study by sportsshoes.com in full here.