A selection of marathons
Written by Val Metcalf, an experienced marathon runner and member of the Serpentine Running Club
I go out of my way to run fast, flat, easy marathons because I'd rather
have a PB than a challenge. Wimp, I know, but that's how it is. This
is what I've found:
London (April)
Enough said. It can be heaven, it can be hell, it can
even be better than sex (allegedly).
Rotterdam (April)
A flat, fast course. It has been the site of the
marathon world record a few times in the past. The scenery isn't the
most exciting but if you're going for time the watch face is going to
look the same wherever you are. The wind can be a factor. There are
seeded starts for faster qualifying times but even without that
congestion is not a problem.
Boston (April)
The mother of all marathons, definitely worth doing for
the history and the experience. The hills are brutal but the course is
downhill overall and lots of people do manage fast times. The start
pens allocated by qualifying time, coupled with their new "two start" innovation, mean that everyone gets across the line fairly efficiently.
There is very enthusiastic crowd support the whole way. It's probably
worth including plenty of hilly long runs in preparation.
Prague (May)
Flat, and billed as fast but actually not really so
because of the cobbles — a lengthy stretch at both the start and at the
end. The organisation has been appalling in the past — literally the
worst race of any distance in any country I have ever done — but it has
apparently improved since. I do think the race is grossly over-hyped by
its organisers and doesn't deliver on any of its promises.
Stockholm (June)
A lovely marathon, in my opinion perfect in every
way. The course is almost dead flat, the organisation is beyond
compare, the atmosphere is wonderful (supportive and enthusiastic but
not as manic as London) and the scenery is undeniably beautiful. The
heat can be a factor but the 14:00 start does mean that it gets cooler
as the race progresses. The post-race refreshments are almost as good
as the race itself.
Reykjavik (August)
Great city, great race. It's tiny — usually around
400 — but very well organised. The route largely follows the coast so
is scenic in Iceland's unique way. It can feel a little lonely at times
because there are areas without many spectators. There are hills and
the wind is almost a certainty so probably never going to be a fast
course.
Berlin (September)
Along with Chicago and London officially the
world's fastest course. It's just a big city marathon, probably worth
doing for a good time (running, I mean) but didn't, to me, have any
major attractions beyond that. It's a huge field — around 40 000 — so
even with Berlin's famed broad streets it can feel a little crowded.
Lausanne (October)
Another beautiful route, out along the shores of
Lake Geneva and back. It's a small marathon — usually around 2000 in
the marathon — so there isn't a problem with congestion. Organisation
is flawless. The route isn't quite flat, but definitely closer to
rolling than to undulating. |
