The world’s most beautiful marathons, ranked

When you first take up running, you only expect it to be a small hobby to help you keep fit. But no one can beat the itch, and before you know it you’re being gifted trainers for Christmas and spending your days wondering how to beat your Park Run PB.

It’s easy to get obsessed with running because there’s always a next step (no pun intended): a longer race, a faster time, or, if you’re really looking for a new challenge, new places you can discover on foot. In order to curate the perfect runners’ bucket list, you might want to have a look at brand new data from Sportsshoes.com, which has created a list of the most beautiful marathons in the world.

In order to determine the most scenic marathons in the world, the shoe company enlisted hundreds of people, and showed them images of different routes. Then, they used eye-tracking software to see which places held people’s attention for the longest (the logic was the longer the stare, the better the view). Once the times were collated and averages calculated, each destination was given an ‘eye-catching’ score out of 100.

In first place, with a near-perfect score of 99, was the Big Sur International marathon in California, which takes runners along Highway 1 through redwood forests, along the Pacific coast, and stunning mountain paths. It is an absolutely stunning route, however it’s a pretty exclusive race; only 4500 racers are allowed each year, and you have to pay $295 to enter. Plus, if you take more than 6 hours to run it, you’re automatically disqualified and taken to the end in a car.

In second place with 91 points was the Great Wall marathon – no points for guessing where this one is based. Running along one of the most famous landmarks on Earth may sound appealing, but this course is hard, requiring you to climb more than 5000 stairs over the 26.2 miles. If you do complete it, though, you get major bragging rights for the rest of your life.

The Loch Ness marathon, also based around an iconic landmark, came in third with a score of 88. This run obviously offers great views of the highlands, and if you’re lucky you might even catch a glimpse of the mysterious Nessie lurking somewhere within the depths.

The 11 most beautiful marathons in the world

From international landmarks to runs through the desert, here are the world’s most scenic marathons to add to your running bucket list.

1. Big Sur International marathon, USA
2. Great Wall marathon, China
3. Loch Ness marathon, Scotland
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 Desert marathon, Jordan
   = The Big Five marathon, South Africa
   = Queenstown marathon, New Zealand
   = Mount Desert Island Marathon, USA

You can read the full study on SportsShoes’ website here.

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