Distance Running archive BETA 2013

In this issue…

Takes your breath away
Features Turin Marathon by Alessandra Ramella Pairin

In Turin, the capital of Piedmont province, you are sure to be entranced by the unspoilt mountain landscapes surrounding picturesque towns, aristocratic royal residences and futuristic architecture.

Why did the runner cross the harbour? To run back to the other side…
Features adidas Auckland Marathon, October 20 2012 by Scott Newman

Thousands of runners serpentine their way across the picturesque Auckland City landscape: running over the iconic Harbour Bridge; passing through the central business district and the wealthy waterfront suburbs, spectacular harbour views open up. It is an experience, not just a run. The race is undoubtedly New Zealand’s premier road running event.

An Olympic moment available to all
Features TCS Amsterdam Marathon, October 20 2012 by Laurie Villareal

No less than 38,000 runners took to the streets of Amsterdam for the 37th edition of the Marathon and Half Marathon. That was 5000 more than the previous year, with 13,000 of them in the Marathon and and 15,000 coming from 82 countries other than the Netherlands. The race attracts elite and mass marathon runners alike because the course is flat and fast. On the basis of the fastest 10 times recorded it ranks eighth fastest in the world. It also combines both an urban and a rural experience. For those who enjoy a bit of culture and discovery, the TCS Amsterdam Marathon offers a nice dose of history and architecture.

A personal best marathon
Features Maratón Donostia - San Sebastián by Fly Group

San Sebastian is a beautiful tourist destination on the Atlantic coast of the Basque Country. Capital of Guipuzcoa, it offers a wide range of activities throughout the year, attracting thousands of visitors. Walking around the beautiful streets of the town, past historic buildings and sparkling beaches visitors cannot fail to be impressed.

Modern day marathon messengers
Opinion by Malcolm Anderson

Some people collect marathons like others do stamps. Malcolm Anderson thinks he knows why.

Breaking barriers
Opinion by Tim Hutchings

Can the two-hour barrier in the Marathon be broken within our lifetime? It might happen next week…

A well orchestrated event
Running into history Vienna City Marathon by Andreas Maier

Come spring Vienna is the perfect place for a runner to be – particularly this spring

Jackie Mekler
Marathon movers Comrades Marathon by Aubrey Human

Five-time Comrades Marathon winner and for six decades an avid exponent of the distance running cause in South Africa

Read online | Download PDF (19 MB)

In this issue…

In with the new
Features Neujahrsmarathon Zurich, January 20 2013 by Jack Frost

Neujahrsmarathon Zurich is the first official marathon of the year – and half marathon, and 10km race. It starts on the first day of the year at the stroke of midnight – the very first second of the New Year. The winners’ performances head the list of official world best times of the year – at least for a while.

Marathon of choice
Features Maritzburg City Marathon by Norrie Williamson

A race by runners, for runners, it’s South Africa’s most popular qualifier for Comrades and Two Oceans

A landmark event
Features New Taipei City Wan Jin Shi International Marathon, March 20 2013 by Sophia Shih

Taipei is the capital of Chinese Taipei, with a population of three million people. New Taipei City comprises the suburbs which surround it, with four million people living in 29 different districts. Since their unification in 2010 New Taipei City has become the world’s most populous suburb (overtaking Yokohama in Japan).

A capital event
Features Rock ’n’ Roll USA Marathon & CareFirst Rock ’n’ Roll USA 1/2 Marathon by Dan Cruz

The Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Marathon is the only marathon run entirely within the US Capital, Washington DC. For the last two years it has been part of the Competitor Group’s international Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series. The largest field ever came to the US Capital, from all 50 US states and 32 other countries.

Loving a cold climate
Opinion by Inna Chernoblavskaya

Conventional advice is that you should not run at temperatures below –20˚C. In Siberia they think differently…

A marathon of two ages
Running into history Belfast City Marathon by John Glover

When Greg Hannon and Sue Boreham won the inaugural Belfast City Marathon they were pioneering a mass participation event which in 2013 will celebrate 32 years of existence and innovation. But the City was not bereft of the 42.2km challenge before that date. The first Northern Ireland Championship event took place in Belfast in 1938 and continued to be held annually in the city into the 1980s, interrupted only for a three-year period during World War II.

Read online | Download PDF (26 MB)

In this issue…

Free fall marathon
Features Dead Sea Ultramarathon, April 20 2013 by Norrie Williamson

Every marathon event has its own special character. Those claiming to be the toughest, the most beautiful, the most challenging or the most scenic are subject to personal opinion, and most often the opinion of passionately committed race directors. But no one can deny that the polar marathon is the most northern. The Dead Sea Ultramarathon falls into a similarly unequivocal category. It is the race that reaches the lowest point on Earth.

The perfect running party
Features Maraton de Santiago, April 20 2013 by Fernando Jamarne

Chile, the lone star flag of South America, has added another attraction to its great diversity of natural landscapes. The country stretches from the Atacama Desert in the north to the glacier-fed fjords of Patagonia in the south, with the famous vineyards of the Central Valley and the exuberant rain forests of the Lakes Region lying in between.

Flat, but trending upwards
Features 33rd Three Hearts Marathon, May 20 2013 by Milan Verdev

Who would have thought that, 33 years after the original vision, a modest sporting event in the small Slovenian town of Radenska would have grown to be so vibrant, so energetic, and so hearty?

Vince Regan 1944–2013
Lives remembered

Founder of Pony Marathon and AIMS press officer

Jack Fitzgerald 1923–2013
Lives remembered

Boston – running strong
Opinion Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America by Guy Morse

It has been two months since that horrific day in April when the marathon, our city and our sport was changed forever. I can still see the images and hear the sounds of that fateful day, which began as “Marathon Monday” always does, full of excitement, tension and celebration.

Thinking of the children
Opinion

Lenguyana Tairo-Urasa, organiser of three AIMS Children’s Series races in Tanzania, looks back over the past three years

A marathon hotspot: The Reykjavík Marathon celebrates its 30th anniversary
Running into history Islandsbanki Reykjavik Marathon by Eygló Svala Arnarsdóttir

From humble beginnings 30 years ago, the Reykjavík Marathon has grown to become a major harvest festival for runners in Iceland and a hotspot for athletes from abroad. It started out as a bit of a tourism stunt. “At the travel agency Úrval, where I was working at the time, we were looking for ways to attract foreign tourists to the country,” reveals Knútur Óskarsson, one of the founders of the Reykjavík Marathon. “Originally I tried to establish a Nordic ski marathon called Lava Loppet in 1981–82 but those plans went up in the air.”

Fast and spectacular
Race previews Venice Marathon, October 20 2013

If you are looking for a fast and spectacular race, Venice Marathon is what you need!

Run between two continents
Race previews Vodafone 35th İstanbul Marathon, November 20 2013

The Intercontinental İstanbul Eurasia Marathon is the only one in the world run between two different continents.

Scenic landscapes
Race previews Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore, December 20 2013

Route meanders through the country’s most scenic landscapes

Philadelphia Marathon’s 20th Anniversary
Race previews Gore-Tex Philadelphia Marathon

What enjoys the colors red and black, grows bigger each year and arrives every November to the delight of nearly 100,000 people?

A personal best marathon
Race previews Maratón Donostia - San Sebastián

Enjoy one of the fastest marathons in a practically flat course at sea level.

Read online | Download PDF (33 MB)

In this issue…

Amandla!
Features Mandela Day Marathon by Norrie Williamson

Few people change lives, even fewer manage to change countries and a handful change the world. Madiba, as Nelson Mandela is fondly referred to in South Africa, is one of those world icons. At the age of 95, the father of the nation was spending his 78th day in the Medihelp hospital in Pretoria as over 4000 runners lined up in the Mandela Day Marathon to remember, commemorate and celebrate his 67 years’ service to South Africa. The marathon links two key landmarks in his fight to free South Africa from the bondage of apartheid.

A runner’s reward
Features Hvar Half Marathon by Veronika Jurisic

The Croatian island of Hvar is one of the most popular vacation places on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Located off the Dalmatian coast, Hvar is renowned for its special climate with more hours of sunshine than anywhere else in the region. Its hillsides are covered in pine forests, with vineyards and olive groves, fruit orchards and lavender fields. A maze of beautiful biking, hiking and running routes make it an ideal vacation spot for runners.

Economic strength through marathon stamina
Features Running Festival of the Economic Forum by Grzegorz Rogowski and Ilona Berezowska

In early September every year, for the last 23 years, a small health resort in Malopolska has been a meeting point for many of the world’s most important politicians, economists, businessmen, scientists and journalists. During debates about the contemporary world, they search for methods of overcoming its problems. The Economic Forum in Krynica-Zdroj, has also been of interest for runners over the last four years. Why?

An Olympic homage
Features Maratón de la Ciudad de México, August 20 2013 by Katya Lopez

The Maratón de la Ciudad de México, which celebrated its 30th edition last year, has been re-cast as a tribute to the Olympic movement. Mexico City hosted the XIX Olympic Games 45 years ago. In 2013 the Marathon route was remodeled to revisit the original sites along the Olympic route. The most significant of all was undoubtedly the entry to the University Olympic Stadium.

Connecting continents
Running into history İstanbul Marathon by Alpaslan Baki Ertekin

The Vodafone Istanbul Eurasia Marathon will be held for the 35th time on Sunday 17 November 2013. It has been organized by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality since 1979. It is the only course in the world where the marathon straddles two continents, Asia and Europe.

Read online | Download PDF (28 MB)