The 2024 European Athletics Championships have wrapped up, and it’s time to review which runners won.
This year, the Championships took place in Italy. Athletes converged on Rome to compete in everything from 5000m races to shot put and high jump. Events began on June 7 and wrapped up on June 12.
According to the European Athletics Championships website, “An astonishing 15 championship records fell across the 47 events in Roma 2024.” Italy’s team of athletes took home 24 total medals, breaking the country’s Split 1990 record of 15 medals and Germany’s Berlin 2018 record of 20 total medals.
So, which country’s runners proved victorious this year? Find out in the 2024 European Athletics Championships photo gallery below.
For the Disney-loving runner, it’s the dream vacation: visit Kissimmee, Florida, to run through Disney during an exclusive event with your people — those who are similarly obsessed with Disney and can run long distances. This is what runDisney is all about.
But what do you do after your run? The Kissimmee/Orlando area has lots to offer, but it’s awfully spread out and can be overwhelming. After putting all those miles on your feet, recuperate with these fun activities.
Plus, check out even more post-run recovery options here. You can also find your next destination race with this incredible list of marathons.
Photo by Josh Hallett
runDisney races
Before you unwind, pick a Disney run to join in on. Check out runDisney to see upcoming races, including the new Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon Weekend, September 5-8, 2024; the four-day Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend, October 31-November 3; and the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend, January 8-12, 2025. You’ll find distances ranging from 5Ks up to Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge and the Dopey Challenge, which take you 48.6 miles across all four Walt Disney World theme parks in the Orlando area.
Many runners return again and again to participate in different runDisney events. Shanedra Nowell of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, has run in 16 runDisney races, including her first 10K in 2015 and her first half marathon in 2016. “I credit runDisney with invigorating and re-invigorating my love of running,” she said. Nowell has dealt with “injuries off and on,” but said, “when I’ve thought about giving up on running I’ll sign up for a RunDisney race or challenge … training for a Disney race keeps me engaged in the sport.”
Photo by Teresa Bergen
A wellness retreat hotel
As mentioned before, the Greater Orlando area sprawls. Kissimmee, just south of the bigger city of Orlando, is closer to the major theme parks, so is a better base of operations. On a recent trip, I stayed at the wellness-focused Ette Hotel, just six miles from the Magic Kingdom.
This place is an anomaly — a tranquil high-end hotel amongst wide avenues and big box stores. The staff members are attentive and wear chic outfits. There’s a perfume bar as soon as you come in, a cozy pool area, alibrary, Peleton bikes in the rooms, and a spa for that post-run massage.
Photo by Teresa Bergen
The hotel’s fine dining restaurant, Salt & The Cellar, has an excellent separate menu for us vegans and an amazing array of mocktails. While kids are allowed, it’s more appealing to adults. The Ette seems designed for people who want to enjoy Disney during the day and have a more grown-up spa atmosphere at night.
If you want a big space for you and yours, check out one of Kissimmee’s more than 35,000 vacation homes, ranging from simple abodes to ginormous mansions.
Photo by Teresa Bergen
Take an airboat ride
Relax into the natural side of Florida with a trip to Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures. This 32-acre park features a gator lagoon, butterfly garden, fossil and gem mine (regularly restocked with treasures), and, of course, airboat rides. An aircraft-type propeller drives these flat-bottomed watercraft through Lake Tohopekaliga, where captains like Wayne Corbitt help visitors spot gators, snakes, bald eagles, and migratory birds.
Passengers come from all over the world to see “real Florida,” especially alligators. “They give that natural fear for people,” Corbitt told me. “And deservedly so. They are dangerous animals. But for the most part out here in the wild, they try to get away from you.” For an extra thrill, take a nighttime tour between May and October, when gators are most active.
Photo by Teresa Bergen
Learn about local Native culture
Jororo Village is a separate attraction but on the same land as Boggy Creek. Native American educator Oskwanontona Pia Roya demonstrates life in Florida 450 to 1,200 years ago.
“When they come to visit me, what they’re going to see is authenticity,” Pia Roya said, gesturing at a row of traditional huts that showcase hunting tools and cookery. “You’re going to see different skills that have been passed down from generation to generation.” He showcases the pre-contact world, before Spaniards arrived. “I like to say it’s before Mickey Mouse, Super Walmarts, and Seminole Indians,” he said.
Photo by Teresa Bergen
Spend a day at Discovery Cove
My favorite part of visiting the Kissimmee/Orlando area was spending a day at Discovery Cove. This attraction is kind of like a combination water park/theme park/aquarium/zoo where you’re in the water with the animals. You can snorkel on an artificial reef stocked with tropical fish, float through an aviary on a lazy river, or swim with dolphins. My favorite was the reef, where I floated above immense spotted eagle rays and giant shovelnose rays.
Photo by Teresa Bergen
Meander around Celebration
In the mid-90s, the Walt Disney Company founded a planned community designed to epitomize what’s best about small-town America. Celebration is walkable, has a good mix of businesses, is strikingly clean, and features different styles of homes, from condos to big houses.
My canine guide Benji showed me around Celebration’s trail and boardwalk system. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
Miles of scenic trails meander around lakes. If you have enough energy left in your legs after your runDisney race, you can rent a bike and cruise around town. While it may seem too perfect to believe, the small gators in the lake are real. After your bike tour, stop for a Cuban lunch at the Celebration outpost of Florida’s famous Columbia restaurants.
Lunch at Columbia. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
Find good deals on Disney souvenirs
Need Disney souvenirs to commemorate your trip? An incredible number of gift shops sell knick-knacks at cheaper prices than you’ll find inside the park. My favorite was the shop with a huge mermaid sprouting out of the façade, followed by the shops featuring wizards.
Photo by Teresa Bergen
Refuel at top Kissimmee restaurants
Running takes it out of you! Fortunately, the Kissimmee area has lots of good food. I especially like Twenty Pho Hour, a punny pho restaurant that claims to be “America’s first 2D noodle bar.” The whole interior is covered in black and white line drawings made to look like you’re eating in a 2D world.
Twenty Pho Hour’s 2D interior. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
If you like to combine nightlife with dinner, Estefan Kitchen Orlando offers fun and loud entertainment while you eat Cuban-inspired food. After eating enough black beans and plantains, you’ll be fueled up and ready to register for your next runDisney race.
Disclaimer: While this article was not sponsored, Outdoors Wire did visit Kissimmee during a press trip withExperience Kissimmee and its partners. As always, Outdoors Wire operates independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
South Carolina’s 8th annual Mountains to Main Street Festival has officially come to a close. The event spanned two weekends of athletic fun, including a triathlon in Seneca, South Carolina, on April 28 and a half marathon and 5K on May 18 in Greenville. The events benefited Sabar Charities, a local nonprofit that promotes a healthy, active lifestyle.
I visited this much-lauded small town to take part in the half marathon. Greenville lived up to the hype, and so did the race. If you want to participate, put the 9th annual Mountains to Main Street Half on your calendar for May 17, 2025.
These falls are the centerpiece of downtown Greenville. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
Mountains to Main Street course
First, a little geography lesson. Greenville is in the northwest corner of South Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains — hence the Mountains to Main Street name. Greenville is within a 10-county area of South Carolina known as the Upcountry, or Upstate.
Mountains to Main Street uses a one-way course. People drove or Ubered to the town of Traveler’s Rest, about 10 miles from Greenville, to the course’s starting point at Chico Bolin Athletic Complex. There, we milled around a track, waiting for the 7 a.m. start time. Meanwhile, the 5K runners started at 7 a.m. at the popular Swamp Rabbit Café, just a few miles from downtown Greenville. That way, we all wound up at the same finish line, though the 5K athletes arrived much sooner.
Photo by Teresa Bergen
After we stood quietly for a recorded version of the national anthem, the race started promptly at 7 a.m. with a lap around the track. I’d expected the course to be mostly flat, with a slight downhill grade. The bulk of it was, once we hit the Swamp Rabbit Trail. But before that, we had to run a few miles around Traveler’s Rest to make the course a full 13.1 miles. Those were some hilly miles as we looped through an upscale residential neighborhood. I wasn’t the only one surprised by the hills — I heard a loud cuss word at one point from an athlete using a hand-powered wheelchair.
Runners on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
Once we reached the trail, it was all an easy descent. Okay, not that easy — it was 13.1 miles after all — but about as easy as you could expect for a half marathon. The Swamp Rabbit Trail is a 28-mile multi-use greenway. Since opening in 2009, this Rails to Trails project has revitalized the community, connecting different parts of the county and motivating locals to go for a walk or ride their bikes. It’s clean and green and runs along the Reedy River. About 10 miles of the half marathon followed this even, paved trail through tunnels of trees. Every two miles, volunteers thrust cups of Gatorade and water at us. There was also a Porta-potty available.
Running in a tunnel of green. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
The race finished with an afterparty in downtown Greenville beside the Reedy River. Huge throngs of people drifted around, photographing each other’s medals and chowing down on food. Shuttle buses drove people back to Traveler’s Rest to retrieve their cars.
Race results
This year, 1,074 people participated in the half marathon and 400 people in the 5K. Nick LaVigne, 44, of Greenwood, South Carolina, won the half marathon with a time of 1:20:31:13. The top female, Jennifer Davis, 36, finished in 16th place with a time of 1:30:23:26. For the 5K, 22-year-old Andrew Malek of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, took top honors with a blazing time of 17:54:86. The fastest female, Shelby Adair, 26, of Spartanburg, South Carolina, came in third at 18:14:96.
Much needed encouragement along the route. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
As for me, I broke the three-hour barrier, which I consider a success. As former Olympian runner Jeff Galloway puts it, the goal for a first-time half marathoner is “to finish in the upright position, with a smile on your face, wanting to do it again.” I’ve taken on that advice for every half marathon, not just my first.
After party activities. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
Visiting Greenville, South Carolina
If you’re visiting Greenville for the Mountains to Main Street Half Marathon, leave some time to explore. Even though my feet were really tired, I couldn’t resist checking out the Upcountry History Museum and the many downtown boutiques full of over-the-top romantic Southern lady clothes.
Greenville also has a big coffee scene (my favorite was the oat milk cappuccino at Modal Hostel and Coffee) and excellent places to eat. Southern Pressed Juicery fulfills all your acai bowl and superfood smoothie needs, while Pomegranate on Main serves hearty Persian Fesenjan stew made with ground walnuts and pomegranate.
Topped with chocolate kale granola! / Photo by Teresa Bergen
These are just some of the reasons why Greenville came in fourth on Conde Nast Traveler’s top 10 list of America’s best small cities last year. This is the seventh consecutive year Greenville has made the list.
Disclaimer: While this article was not sponsored, Visit Greenville SC hosted the writer during her visit to South Carolina. As always, Outdoors Wire operates independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Some runs are for fun. Others are to prove you can do it. The Atacama Crossing falls into the latter category. If you want to run 250 kilometers (about 155 miles) through the driest place on Earth, this race is for you. There’s also spectacular scenery of Chilean sand dunes, salt lakes, and volcanoes — a landscape that’s been compared to Mars. But no guarantee you’ll fully enjoy this grueling experience.
What makes this race so hard? Obviously, the distance. But also an altitude averaging 8,000 feet throughout the race. And did we mention how dry it is?
The race starts at an elevation of 10,500 feet in Chile’s beautiful Rainbow Valley, named for its colorful rocks. The route has ups and downs as it drops to lower elevations, sometimes following narrow valleys that ancient Inca traders used. Runners will traverse a slot canyon and spend a night camping beside a flamingo-filled lake. The race ends in the touristy town of San Pedro de Atacama.
Photo by Teresa Bergen
Atacama Crossing is one of the annual 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series. The other three races are the Gobi March in Mongolia, the Namib Race in Namibia, and The Last Desert in Antarctica. Runners can enter just one or sign up for all four. Talk about bragging rights!
Runner Ash Mokhtari has run the Atacama Crossing eight times! In an interview for the Marathon Handbook, he talked about how he prepares for the race. He starts training six months ahead of time. Since he lives in Canada — not an ideal prepping ground for a hot, dry race — he spends 30 minutes in the sauna after training runs.
San Pedro’s main tourist street. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
“Ideally if you don’t live in a hot place, you want to spend two weeks in the desert to allow your body to acclimatize to the heat,” Mokhtari said. “The Atacama is a high altitude desert so the body needs three weeks to acclimatize to the altitude as well.” He acknowledged that this isn’t possible for most people unless they’re retired or pro ultra runners. He recommends cross-training and practicing running with a backpack.
Photo by Teresa Bergen
The Atacama Desert’s uneven, shoe-chewing terrain “will bring even the most seasoned ultra runner to an eventual walking pace,” Mokhtari said. “At places the salt flats alternate between hard-packed salt sheets, razor sharp crystals growing out of the ground or frozen-cauliflower heads that might crumble into a hole with your foot in it.”
The next Atacama Crossing goes from March 30 to April 5, 2025. Competitors need to arrive by March 28 — or sooner if they can, to acclimatize. Plan to stay afterward to relax and enjoy the Atacama Desert at a more leisurely pace. For a real treat, you can book a luxury stay at Explora Atacama, which offers multiple saunas, pools, and Jacuzzis to ease your sore legs.
Stay and relax after the race. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
Disclaimer: While this article was not sponsored, Explora Atacama hosted the writer during her visit to Chile. As always, Outdoors Wire operates independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Boulder, Colorado, is known for its outdoors scene. It boasts 300 days of sunshine per year and collects accolades such as the Happiest City in America, according to National Geographic.
The annual Boulderthon race series has appeared on lists of the most beautiful courses in the world. Since its launch in 2021, the race has doubled in size every year. Want to join in? Start planning now for the September 29, 2024 race. You can choose from a full or half marathon, 10K, 5K, or a kids’ run.
Outdoors Wire talked to race founder Phil Dumontet about why Boulderthon — and this part of Colorado — are special. Here’s what he had to say.
Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Photo courtesy of Boulderthon
Outdoors Wire: Why did you found Boulderthon?
Dumontet: My favorite days of the year have always been marathon days – whether I am running, volunteering, or cheering. I’ve been fortunate enough to run 17 marathons and all 6 Abbott World Marathon Majors, and experience races big and small. I have been an avid runner since 11 years old, and have been fortunate to be able to invest in my training and personal development to bring my marathon time down from about 4 hours to 2:42 over the course of 10+ years.
I see marathons as one of the greatest theaters of human inspiration – tens of thousands of runners all having their unique reasons to run, causes to celebrate, challenges to overcome that create positive ripple effects into other areas of life.
When I moved to Boulder in 2017, I was surprised that there was no signature marathon for the city. One of the first things I do, and one of the best ways to immerse yourself in a new city, is to engage with the city’s marathon. I moved here and thought, “Where is the marathon? Why doesn’t this exist?”
Outdoors Wire: Tell us about the process of starting a marathon in a city that didn’t have one.
Dumontet: I quickly found out why — there were unsuccessful attempts. There is no question that persistence, community engagement, and a long-term vision were the most important factors for me successfully creating and launching Boulderthon. I started working on the concept for Boulderthon as early as 2017. I acquired the Boulder Backroads race as a way to bring Boulderthon to life — this allowed me to upgrade an existing race,and not add a new impact to the community’s event calendar. After revamping the course and receiving approval for the first-ever downtown finish, plus successfully navigating through two postponements during Covid, Boulderthon, serving as the city’s signature Boulder Marathon, launched in 2021.
Boulderthon was born out of this passion for running and my mission to grow and strengthen the running community. However, passion and mission could only get me so far. Ultimately, I had to switch gears to community engagement, outreach, lobbying, and partnership if I were to bring this race to life and garner the critical support to test my thesis that there was sufficient demand for a signature city marathon in Downtown Boulder. Most importantly, I was able to launch Boulderthon as this signature city marathon — the Boulder Marathon — because the community and key stakeholders were supportive of my goal to bring a world-class marathon to one of the country’s great running meccas. I could not have done it without this critical support, and I am extremely grateful for it.
Photo courtesy of Boulderthon
Outdoors Wire: How has community response been?
Dumontet: The first year was very well-received and our team was praised for our organization, execution, and broader engagement to make it a true community event that brought people together around the power of running and movement. Setting the bar and standards high from the first edition was important, as we had the first edition to prove ourselves. I committed to myself that I would invest the necessary time, personal capital, and resources to create an absolutely exceptional, world-class runner experience. “Whatever it takes,” I thought. Long-term, it will be worth it. This bet paid off — we have had a tremendous outpouring of support both locally and nationally and have doubled every year since our first edition, growing from 1,600 in our first year, to 3,300 in year two, to 6,700 in year three.
Outdoors Wire: What makes Boulderthon special?
Dumontet: The magic behind Boulderthon truly lies in the community. We have asked this question to thousands of people in surveys and the common theme throughout is clear: It’s the beauty of the people and place that creates such a magical, high-energy and spectacular backdrop for the race. We have an absolutely stunning course nestled at the foothills of the Rockies, and the community of Boulder shows up to support our event in full force. When we started in 2021, there was arguably nowhere else with such a strong health and wellness community that did not have a signature marathon experience to rally around, so it felt like we unlocked and unleashed something really special — it was only a matter of time for someone to do it. The community was ready. Ultimately, Boulderthon is a celebration of this wonderful community, and all that it has to offer. It is a reflection of the stunning, vibrant, and diverse community that is Boulder.
When we look at what makes Boulderthon unique, it all comes down to the runner experience. Every decision we make is oriented around how we build the best running experience, a boutique marathon with big-city amenities, nestled in the foothills of the Rockies.
Photo courtesy of Boulderthon
Outdoors Wire: How many people do you expect this year, and where will they be coming from?
Dumontet: We expect over 10,000 runners, and in the past the race has drawn runners from all 50 states and 18 countries.
Outdoors Wire: How has this race managed to grow so fast?
Dumontet: The success of any marathon starts with its location. It’s no surprise that London, New York, and Tokyo are some of the largest and most successful marathons in the world, but you look at races like Flying Pig, Mesa Marathon, and Grandma’s and the same holds true. Marathons are both experiences and destinations.
I always think about how important it is to remember that marathons are reflections of the cities in which they are held. For us, Boulder is a stunning running destination, a beautiful, diverse vibrant community that serves as a world-class destination. Bringing together community — both runners and non-runners alike — from businesses to volunteer groups and charities — brings our marathon to life and has helped us grow quickly. Knowing what makes our location unique, and doubling down on that in our marketing, has fueled our growth. When someone asks me what they should market, I respond with a question – why do runners run your race? What’s unique about it? Follow that answer to develop a marketing strategy.
I think of a great location as a key element of our “product,” and a prerequisite to success. I could be the best marketer in the world, but if what I’m marketing isn’t appealing and authentic to the race, then I won’t be successful. Thinking of our location/course as our product has been helpful.
The second critical component is our execution of the runner experience. I could be the best marketer, but if I fail to deliver an exceptional experience to our runners, we won’t be successful long-term. Ultimately, our ability to execute well determines our participant retention year after year (making retained participants a key driver of growth). Our goal is to create beautiful lifelong memories here — we are in the business of making memories. We need to nail the fundamentals, and then provide that Boulderthon magic that keeps runners coming back.
Thirdly, our ability to build and market our brand creatively and effectively drives new participants. This helps us differentiate our race and draw new participants from all 50 states and 18 countries. Some marketing works better than others. Trial and error is our friend, and I have learned what is most effective in our industry and continue to test and improve as quickly.
Photo courtesy of Boulderthon
Outdoors Wire: Tell us about the Boulder running community.
Dumontet: In short: it is alive, well, and growing. The Boulder runner community is one of the most active in the country, serving as a hub for leisure runners, trail runners, and Olympians in training. There is a run club and group for everyone; sometimes, it’s almost overwhelming to choose who and where to go. It’s easy to meet people and make friends via the running community, since there are so many events and community hubs like Fleet Feet with open weekly runs and meet-ups.
Outdoors Wire: What should out-of-towners do in Boulder after the race?
Dumontet: Boulder is an outdoor paradise, spanning well beyond the race. We’re a small slice of it and just a taste of how magnificent this area is.
There is no shortage of hikes, trails, and beautiful places to explore. Hike Sanitas or Green Mountain, then enjoy our amazing restaurants (Bobby Stuckey sets the standard). Visit Chautauqua Park and see the Flatirons glow in the sunshine while you breathe in crisp mountain air. Grab a drink at the top of Avanti or Corrida and soak in the gorgeous views. Walk Downtown on Pearl Street (where you crossed the finish line at Boulderthon) and visit our majority-locally owned shops. Soak it all in and enjoy the beauty of Boulder!
Runners often look for the magic tools that will ease muscle soreness and heal running injuries — or better yet, prevent them. With so many on the market, it’s hard to know which are money well spent. Massage guns are one of these popular tools, and they cost considerably more than a lacrosse ball or foam roller. Before you buy one, you’ll want to know what they can help with and which models are worth buying. Read on for insights into how massage guns operate and how well they work for runners.
Massage guns are handheld gadgets that use percussive force to stimulate your muscles and tissues. Model shapes range. Some massage guns look like mini jackhammers, while others opt for a triangular design. Most have several settings, and even the lowest setting can be intense. You can also get attachments for your massage gun, kind of like a vacuum cleaner. Attachment packages like this one from AiRelax allow you to target different body parts and muscle groups. Perfect if you want to spend all day with your massage gun. Just make sure to check which attachments are best suited to your massage gun and the areas you’re looking to treat.
Massage gun benefits
So, why would someone shell out all this money for a massage gun? The list of purported benefits is long but mostly anecdotal. A study published in 2023 in the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology systematically reviewed 281 available records, deeming only 11 worthy of inclusion. The study concluded that massage guns could effectively reduce stiffness after exercising and improve muscle flexibility and range of motion. However, they didn’t see any data to suggest that massage guns enhance performance.
The conclusion? “Massage guns can help to improve short-term range of motion, flexibility and recovery-related outcomes, but their use in strength, balance, acceleration, agility and explosive activities is not recommended.”
Many physical therapists use massage guns with their patients. Arizona-based physical therapist Jeffrey Peterson lists improved circulation, pain relief, and facilitating lactic acid release as a few benefits of massage guns.
Shopping for the best massage gun
If you shop for a massage gun, you’ll quickly notice a wide range of prices. Some are under $18, while a Theragun Pro can cost up to $600.
Some options on Amazon can cost over $1,000. Before buying, check the reviews and warranties. Some low-priced massage guns have surprisingly good reviews. But online forums are full of complaints about massage guns breaking after a few weeks or months. My household’s Theragun Mini ($200) has been going strong for almost two years.
Pre-run massage
Most massage gun tips focus on recovery, but some runners use them for movement prep. The idea is to warm up the muscles and get blood flowing by percussing the bottoms of the feet, the anterior tibialis (alongside your shin bone), the calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. Aim for about 30 seconds in each area. You can follow your pre-run massage with some dynamic stretches. All runners will want to prioritize proper running form, too.
Post-run recovery
You can use a massage gun on most muscles and tendons in your body. Just avoid your bony bits. Start with the lowest setting and find a tolerable pressure. Popular places to use the gun post-run include glutes, hamstrings, soles of the feet, and the IT band. Massage guns also work well after a weight workout on lats, triceps, and other sore body parts.
People devise different protocols, such as using the gun a designated number of times per week with certain speeds, pressures, and attachments. Specific studies on these protocols are still pretty thin, so you might as well experiment for yourself or with the guidance of your physical therapist.
On Monday, May 20, runners across Denmark joined in on the Royal Run races. Royals like Queen Mary and Crown Prince Christian were spotted taking part in the runs.
What is the Royal Run? As Visit Copenhagen explains, Royal Run is an event in cities across Denmark where communities can participate in 1.6, 5, and 10-kilometer races with the Crown Prince’s family.
“Royal Run is for everyone, regardless of fitness and age, who wants to be part of the fun community around the yearly tradition. Crown Prince Frederik and the informal meeting between the royal family and the public are the main attraction and core objectives of the run,” the Visit Copenhagen website says.
See some of the royals who showed up to this year’s Royal Run in the photo gallery below. Check out even more cool runs and marathons here.
China’s Great Wall Marathon is one of the world’s most breathtaking destination marathons. This year, the race returned for the first time since COVID-19 lockdowns. Let’s take a look at what happened at the Great Wall Marathon 2024.
Races began with over 800 runners on Saturday, May 18, in the Jizhou District of Tianjin, China. As you have probably guessed, the race course traverses the Great Wall of China. This unique location challenges runners to scale 5,164 steps during a marathon, half marathon, or fun run.
“It was awesome, such an amazing experience,” Brandon Posneer, a runner from the United States, said in a video from Reuters. “Definitely the hardest physical thing I have ever done. But going up to that Wall after 35 kilometers was brutal, but it was a blast. It was a lot of fun. Now it’s a lot of fun but looking back at it —” Posneer laughed.
The Great Wall Marathon 2019. / Photo courtesy of Albatros Adventure Marathons
Great Wall Marathon 2024 winners
Ready to meet the Great Wall Marathon 2024 winners? For the full marathon, French runner Nadege Person ranked first among the women with a time of 4:36:26. Among the men, British runner Mark Dickson won with a time of 3:43:32.
The women’s half-marathon winner was Guatemalan runner Ana Isabel Garcia Rodas with a time of 1:52:38. Spanish runner Roman Diez Gea won the men’s half-marathon with a time of 1:58:20.
According to Albatros Adventure Marathons, the organization that hosts the event, the race welcomed “838 runners and spectators from 59 countries, bringing their energy and excitement to tackle this incredibly demanding track.”
Want to join in on the 2025 Great Wall Marathon? Find more information here. Plus, see some incredible photos from the 2024 Great Wall Marathon in this highlights post from Albatros Adventure Marathons.
Following blood doping investigations, The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has banned Kenyan long-distance runner Rodgers Kwemoi for six years. The AIU’s decision cites 18 instances of blood doping between July 18, 2016, and September 27, 2022.
Kwemoi, known for his 10,000-meter runs, is now disqualified from participating in the Olympics. According to the AIU, Kwemoi must also forfeit “any titles, awards, medals, points, prizes, and prize and appearance money” gained since July 18, 2016. This includes Kwemoi’s 2016 world junior title and his 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medal, according to AP News. Kwemoi’s suspension will end on August 7, 2029.
“The Athlete engaged in a deliberate, systematic, and sophisticated doping regime. Such actions would not have been possible without deliberate intent and the assistance of experts,” the AIU’s decision states.
The AIU has banned Rodgers Kwemoi (Kenya) for 6 years, from 8 August 2023, for the Use of a Prohibited Substance/Method (ABP). DQ results from 18 July 2016 until 8 August 2023.
Route 66 is often called the Mother of All Roads, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, is its capital. This iconic road opened on November 11, 1926, stretching 2,448 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica. Twenty-eight of those miles are in Tulsa.
The road was one of the U.S. Numbered Highway System’s first highways. While motoring down Route 66 is the classic way to travel, Tulsa’s Route 66 Marathon traces a section of the route on foot. This year’s event takes place November 23-24. And 2026 will be really special as Tulsa will be buzzing with Route 66 centennial events.
See what this race has in store with our guide to the Route 66 Marathon.
Photo by Teresa Bergen
Route 66 Marathon map and courses
The Route 66 Marathon started in 2006. Executive director Destiny Green began working with the race the following year. I met with her at a café in the Tulsa Arts District, which she has also been very involved with developing. Green explained how the route follows the best parts of Route 66 while avoiding more industrial areas.
“Predominantly it’s a scenic tour of Tulsa with as much Route 66 as we can get,” Green said. Runners curious to tour the race course can find Route 66 Marathon maps here. There’s even a videotour showing off the 2022 marathon route.
The race offers the full marathon, half marathon, marathon relay, 5K, fun run, and a mascot dash. “On Saturday, that’s our 5K and fun run day,” Green said. “We try to get kids really engaged. So we ask a bunch of the local mascots to come out. They do basically a 30-yard dash in their costumes. It’s very fun. We have a big dance party afterwards and the kids love it.”
People can participate in both days’ events by doing a double. That’s running the 5K on Saturday and the marathon or half marathon on Sunday. Double finishers receive a special double challenge coin in addition to finishers’ medals and other swag.
Photo courtesy of Route 66 Marathon
The world’s shortest ultramarathon
The Route 66 Marathon also offers a chance for runners to complete the world’s shortest ultramarathon. “An ultra is anything bigger than a marathon,” Green explained. So 26.5 miles counts. At about mile 25, course signage indicates the optional detour. The ultra takes runners through the Center of the Universe, an acoustical anomaly involving an echo you only hear while straddling a crack in a bridge.
“You do three-tenths of a mile and you get a cool Center of the Universe detour coin,” Green said. “And a beer. You cross back over and you finish your race. If you’re going to PR or you’re really running for your time, you’re obviously not going to do it. But all the fun people do.”
Photo courtesy of Route 66 Marathon
A marathon that likes to party
The kitschy atmosphere of Route 66 draws many people who may be more excited about being there than about running. Green calls it a 26.2-mile block party.
“Runner’s World Magazine once was quoted saying we have more liquor on our course than any other race in North America,” she said. “Tulsa likes to party.” The course support is also phenomenal, as people who live along the route cheer on runners. “They’ll bring their couches out and their liquor. They make drinks for runners.”
The traditional drinks are mimosas, Fireball whiskey, and Jello shots. “We have approximately 8,000 Jello shots on the course,” Green said. People love the atmosphere and often return to run the marathon in subsequent years.
Photo courtesy of Route 66 Marathon
Route 66 Marathon swag
Green works hard to ensure the medal designs appeal to Route 66 aficionados. Recent years have featured some of Tulsa’s best buildings along the Mother Road. Finishers also get more than a T-shirt to wear. “Usually something like a full zip or quarter zip jacket,” Green said. “Our swag is legit.”
Photo courtesy of Route 66 Marathon
A welcoming race
The race welcomes locals as well as visitors. “People come from all 50 states and at least 10 countries every year,” Green said. Seven thousand people participated in last year’s Route 66 Marathon. The event is still building back to its pre-COVID peak of 13,000.
Visitors include Route 66 fans who aren’t necessarily runners. “The course is open for six and a half hours. So if you keep up a 16.5 minute per mile pace, you can finish,” Green said. “If you don’t stop and partake of the block party shenanigans.”
The marathon also encourages local kids to embrace the sport by setting up running clubs. Green loves running with these kids. “We go into local Title I schools,” she said. “We coach and mentor them. They run a free 5K that we pay for. We put them in a brand-new pair of shoes at the end. Which is the best part of my job.”
