Adventure Races

THE GREAT WALL MARATHON

TIANJIN, CHINA

EVENT

One of the most challanging races in the world, this 26.2 mile (or 42 kilometer) race actually runs on one of the seven ancient wonders of the world: The Great Wall of China. The race is held in May, and the only requirement is that runners be at least 18 years old on race-day. The climate is hot and humid, as temperatures reach into the mid-eighties.  The race is mostly run on asphalt, with small sections of stone, concrete, brick, gravel and dirt road surfaces.

COURSE

Starting at the Yin and Yang square in the Huangyaguan fortress, runners are let out onto the Jinwei Highway for the first kilometer before turning onto the road that leads to the wall (Changcheng Highway). There runners make 4 km trek uphill to the wall’s entrance, to run the next 3 km on the wall.

Around the fortress walls, runners overlook the incredibleTaiping Mountains, yellow cliffs, river, village and farmland. Built on mountain ridge, the Huangyaguan section features steep, onerous and taxing ascents and descents. Each peak of the pass rises higher than the last. This portion is comprised of areas of rock and concrete ramp, and 5,164 stone and brick steps, varying in height and width. 

At the 7 km mark, the route descends on the steep, renowned “Goat Track” to bring runners back to the Yin and Yang Square, completing the first 8 kilometers.

Next the route takes runners south along and over the river, east through and beside villages, fields and farmland, passing through Duanzhuang village, Xiaying, and Dongjiafen. The course heads northward through Qingshanling village to reach the 26 kilometer mark. The Chedaoyu village holds a steep climb as runners head back in to Duanzhyang village.

The route heads back toward the Yin and Yang Square for the 34 km mark, and heads east to cross toward the “Goat Track”. Runners make the sharp 700 meter ascent to run one of the seven ancient wonders of the world for a second time, now running west to east. Runners exit on Changcheng and (back to) Jinwei Highways for the final 5 km down hill to the Yin and Square finish line.

MARABANA MARATHON

HAVANA, CUBA

EVENT

Ninety miles south of the Florida coast, el Marathon Habana or Marabana [Marathon] is held every November in the beautiful and historic Havana, Cuba. November marks the end of the hurricane season, when temperatures and humidity drop to “milder” conditions. That being said, it is hot and humid year round: temperatures average 28°C (82°F) in November, making this race no easy feat. The race hosts a field of 5,000 runners (maximum) between the full and half marathon.

The only requirement for entry is that runners be able to complete the marathon within a five hour time limit (at least an hour less than most marathon cut off times). Something to keep in mind (or seriously train for) if you run a 4+ hour marathon in normal conditions (usually around 50 degrees and humidity is less a factor). The time limit is strictly enforced for safety as temperatures rise and road closures. Many marathoners drop out after the first loop, turncating their race to the half marathon due to the heat and humidity.

THE ALLURE OF HAVANA

While the Marabana Marathon course may not boast one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the mystique of Cuba, and the iconic Havana City, is undeniable. Once host to a rich and vibrant nightlife, it was regarded as the Las Vegas of the Caribbean with gambling, drinking, cigars, dancing, and beautiful weather. Direct flights and ferries from Miami allowed Americans to take day trips to Havana. Since the US trade and travel embargo against Cuba in 1963, however, the distance between the coasts of Florida and Cuba have lengthened beyond the mere 90 miles of Atlantic that separate them. Cuba and the city of Havana in particular, has become known as the place that time forgot. American cars of the 1940s and 50s have been kept running and on the roads, and preserved is the architecture that reflects 500 years of history. Havana is an eclectic city where Spanish colonial buildings, French and Romantic influence, and neoclassical and renaissance-era elements blend with the pastel colors of the tropics.

While it has not technically been illegal for US Citizens to travel to Cuba, it has been to spend money there. Americans have had to find round about ways, flying to Nassau or Mexico if they wanted to purchase direct flights and travel to Cuba. That’s a lot of running around just to run around if you’re a US runners interested in the Marabana. Luckily, in February of this year, after more than 50 years of the blockade, it was announced that direct commercial flights between Cuba and the US would resume.

The allure of Havana is probably somewhat different for Americans, or at least for me, than I would imagine it is for tourists from other countries. Cuba has been shrouded in such mystery throughout my lifetime. There is uncharted wonder in the unchanged and forbidden Cuba. There has always been something magnetic and captivating about Havana to me—it’s the iconic images of vintage cars, historic architecture, Guayabera shirts and hand-rolled cigars, the rich Afro-Latin influences, the cha-cha and reggaeton, the hot temperatures, and the Malecon Waterfront. I can’t think of a more beautiful experience and backdrop for a run. Definitely an adventure I want to have!

COURSE

The Marabana Marathon is an AIMS/IAAF certified looping courses. The loop measures 13.1-miles (21km) from start to finish (half marathon course) and completes two laps to measure a distance of 26.2 miles (42km).

The course begins Paseo del Prado, the street dividing Centro Havana and Old Havana, in front of (east of) the Capitolo, the former Capitol building modeled after the one in Washington, D.C., Runners head north to take marathoners in a counter-clockwise tour of the five municipalities of Havana City.

The route leads runners past the Museum of the Revolution and Castillo de San Salvador, to run along the iconic Malecon Waterfront.The Malecon is a pier or a broad seafront pathway, roadway, and seawall that begins at the mouth of the Havana Harbor and stretches 4 miles along the coast (north of Centro Havana) to terminate in the neighborhood of Vedado.

Along this stretch, runners can view the beautiful Havana bay, thrashing-waves against the seawall, historic colonial buildings colonial buildings, neoclassical architecture, Mediterranean villas, and other famous landmarks and monuments such as the Cabana fortress at the harbor entrance, Tres Reyes del Morro Castle (fortress), the Hotel Nacional, La Chorrera Tower, and the Calixto García Monument.

After a flat cruise for the first half of the loop, the course has rolling hills as runners enter Central Havana, passing the Sports City and Revolution Square. The entire course is filled with spectacular stone and concrete, stately buildings with pastels, manners, and parks to the national library, and Jose Marti Monument, until runners reach the Revolution Square and the Capitolo. And for the marathoners, if the heat hasn’t done them in, the course repeats. 14. Claims will be personally handled following the requisites established in the regulations of the AIMS and the IAAF.