C o l u m n
THE RUNNING MANN
Top Tips for International Marathons
• Run with a camera and forget the running time . Unless you are getting paid appearance money , leave the PBs for home soil and make the most of the experience . I even found a comfy couch in the Fairlands Valley Challenge Marathon in the UK .
• Embrace the local culture along the route . I have a lot of pics of doing just that !
• Run with South African flag clothing – other runners are more likely to strike up a conversation with you ( and you can do your bit for the South African tourism industry by telling them about our great races ).
• Is a business trip really a business trip without a marathon ? Get creative with your flight routings . You are almost certain to find a marathon within a 1000km radius of wherever you are going .
• Last-minute travel , but marathon entries already closed ? No problem , e-mail the organisers and tell them that you are a South African marathon running enthusiast on a last-minute business trip and would love to run their race , if there ’ s a chance . Other than the really big races like New York , most marathons have a more personal touch and will make a plan for you . For example , I ’ ve entered Amsterdam and Helsinki after their entries were long closed .
• The rand is weak , but the need for beer is strong after a marathon . Look for opportunities to drink free beer .
• Worried about having no supporters on route ? Look for a sign … as I did in the Miami Marathon !
I saw the sign ! Luckily , there was more than one Stuart running the Miami Marathon
PS : as mentioned at the top of the article , I put together these notes for that talk I did at Sunninghill Striders , to help raise funds for the MAD2Run team for children ’ s education . If you enjoyed my ‘ talk ’ as well , please consider making a donation to their cause here .
If entries are closed , try contacting the race organisers for a late entry . That ’ s how I got into the Amsterdam Marathon
Not sure that I qualified to join the Hot Legs Running Club , but I did get a chance to show off my South African flag pants in Little Rock
Embracing the local culture in Little Rock , Copenhagen ( a fart releaser amongst some fart holders ) and at the Surf City Marathon in Los Angeles
Unless you are getting paid appearance money , make the most of your international marathon experience … like a comfy break during the Fairlands Marathon
Beer always wins … unless you are running along the Italian Riviera ( during the Monaco Marathon ), where it ’ s considered better form to sample the local vino
Beer is expensive in foreign lands , so look for options to score free beer along the route
About the Author
The Running Mann has run over 250 marathons and ultras around the world , and his mission is to run every marathon in South Africa . If you ’ d like him to run your race , or talk at your event or club , email therunningmann @ gmail . com . You can follow his adventures on Twitter , Facebook or Instagram , and on his popular blog .
Images : Courtesy Stuart Mann
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