If you have ever run a Marathon you know that racing is not only about training and nutrition, but also about your gear. Wearing the wrong outfit, getting blisters from the wrong shoes or chafing can not only ruin your Marathon goals but also take all the fun away. So I have compiled this list of the most important Marathon gear essentials. Proven in more than 20 Marathons that I ran, including the 12 Marathons that I did in 2018.
You probably have never heard of the Ras al Khaimah aka RAK Half Marathon. Which is a shame, because the RAK Half Marathon is one of the fastest Half Marathons in the world. It currently (2019) is the course of the European Record, set by Swiss runner Julien Wanders in February 2019..
The RAK Half Marathon is very fast and flat, but unfortunately also a bit boring, because it is located in a quite remote area. But you will definitely not miss your friends and family on the sidelines, and the weather will also very like be fantastic. One more cool thing: the official RAK Half Marathon race pictures are free for everyone afterwards.
Munich Marathon will always be a special Marathon for me. I ran my first 10k race, my first Half Marathon and my first Marathon there. This year I spontaneously decided to run Marathon no 11 of my 12 Marathon fundraising project there, as a lot of my friends were running as well and the weather looked really nice. And I did not regret it at all.
Iceland has always been on my travel bucket list. When I heard there was a Marathon in Reykjavik happening in August, I absolutely had to go for my 12 Marathons in 12 months charity project. And I have to say that Reykjavik Marathon did not disappoint. The people were incredibly friendly, the scenery was fantastic and it was organized perfectly. There is not only the Reykjavik Marathon, but also a Half Marathon, a 10km and several fun runs. So even if you are not into running the full 42.2 km distance, it is a good reason to travel to Iceland. And the best thing: later that day the famous Cultural Night is happening, with concerts and art installations taking place all over town, finishing with giant fireworks.
You might have never heard of the German town Füssen. But you’ve probably heard of Neuschwanstein castle, the famous castle of King Ludwig of Bavaria, which is located nearby. The Königsschlösser Romantik Marathon is a small local race that covers exactly this area and runs past the pretty castles and lakes of the Füssen area. They offer a Half Marathon and 10km race on Saturday, as well as a Marathon on Sunday. I ran it as marathon no. 8 of my 12 Marathons in 12 months project, and really enjoyed the castle view (after Disney castle, Prague castle and Liechtenstein Vaduz castle).