--- title: 5 Tourist-Friendly Marathons Worth Traveling To description: Need a new running scene? From New Zealand to Tanzania to China, here are the best marathons across the world to get your runner's high canonical: https://time.com/4053060/world-marathons/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-10-02T16:21:07.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:57:39.119Z article:section: Health og:title: 5 Tourist-Friendly Marathons Worth Traveling To og:description: Need a new running scene? From New Zealand to Tanzania to China, here are the best marathons across the world to get your runner's high og:url: https://time.com/4053060/world-marathons/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd414b8073a61a707/698865e6f887dc007ae929b7/great-wall-marathon-china.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4256 og:image:height: 2394 og:image:alt: Runners compete in the Great Wall marathon at Huangyaguan (Yellow Cliff Pass) Great Wall in Tianjin, China on May 19, 2012. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 5 Tourist-Friendly Marathons Worth Traveling To twitter:description: Need a new running scene? From New Zealand to Tanzania to China, here are the best marathons across the world to get your runner's high twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd414b8073a61a707/698865e6f887dc007ae929b7/great-wall-marathon-china.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 5 Tourist-Friendly Marathons Worth Traveling To > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Health Matters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Health Matters is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The latest health news and expert advice on living well. Health Matters makes the fast-moving world of health more useful, surprising and human, from the latest science and medical breakthroughs to practical ideas for living better. 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Frazier / Health.com Contributor Oct 2, 2015 4:21 PM UTC  Runners compete in the Great Wall marathon at Huangyaguan (Yellow Cliff Pass) Great Wall in Tianjin, China on May 19, 2012. Runners compete in the Great Wall marathon at Huangyaguan (Yellow Cliff Pass) Great Wall in Tianjin, China on May 19, 2012. STR/AFP/Getty Images by [Rozalynn S. Frazier / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Rozalynn S. Frazier / Health.com Contributor Oct 2, 2015 4:21 PM UTC The best way to see a city is to run through it, and these races give you plenty for your peepers. So pack your favorite running kicks and jump on the next flight out of town. The best part, the marathon gives you the chance to work off all of those local desserts that piqued your interest. Ready? Set. Run! [**Queenstown International Marathon**](http://www.queenstown-marathon.co.nz/index.php)**, New Zealand**November 21, 2015 For the majority of your miles you’ll cruise along smooth, hard-packed trails against the backdrop of this region’s most breathtaking sights, including Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown Gardens and Twins River Trail. [**Kilamanjaro Premium Lager Marathon**](http://www.kilimanjaromarathon.com/)**, Tanzania** February 28, 2016 Set in the town of Moshi, this out and back course runs along the foothills of the famed and mighty Mt. Kilamanjaro, where you’ll make your way through villages, farms, forests and banana and coffee plantations. [**Virginia Money London Marathon**](https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/)**, England** April 24, 2016 Run this city and you’ll be treated to views of the River Thames, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and plenty of other uniquely-London sights. Plus you’ll get to check one of the World Major marathons off your list. [**Great Wall Marathon**](http://great-wall-marathon.com/)**, China** May 21, 2016 If you are looking to PR, steer clear of this 26.2-mile journey; the route is paved with arduous accents and descents and even 5164 steps! On the upside, you get to run the Great Wall twice, which is nothing less than amazing. [**Maratano Caixa Da Cuidad do Rio De Janeiro**](http://www.maratonadorio.com.br/en)**, Brasil** May 29, 2016 This foot race is sandwiched between the Serra do Mar mountains and Rio’s shoreline, and blessed with picturesque views which make the task at hand much more manageable. Bonus: You’ll make your way through iconic neighborhoods like Ipanema, Copacabana and Flamengo. [_This article originally appeared on Health.com_](http://news.health.com/2015/09/15/5-tourist-friendly-marathons-worth-traveling-to/?xid=time) _More from Health.com:_ * [How to Stop Motion Sickness](http://news.health.com/2015/08/10/how-to-stop-motion-sickness/?xid=time) * [8 Essentials for Healthy Travel](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20686611,00.html?xid=time) * [6 Genius Beauty Tricks for Traveling](http://news.health.com/2014/12/17/6-genius-beauty-tricks-for-traveling/?xid=time) ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] You know, you're constantly presented with these obstacles and these challenges, and, you know, you have to find a way through that. Adversity breeds transformation, and that's really what ultramarathoning is all about. [ MUSIC ] I'm Scott Jurik \ s, I've been running ultra marathons for over 20 years. An ultra marathon is basically anything longer then the marathon distance. They typically start at 50 kilometers going up to 50 miles, 100 miles and even beyond that. Initially I used to hate running, you know running was not something. I really enjoyed. I just did it to stay in shape for cross country skiing. A good buddy of mine told me one year that he was gonna run this 50 miler. And I thought, you know, gosh that's crazy. But the next year I was roped into it, ran my first marathon, and a month later ran my first 50 miler, and things kind of just took off. And I went onto win the Western States 100 seven straight times from 1999 to 2005. I went on to win the Badwater 135 twice. The Spartathlon, which is a 153 mile race in Greece. I won that three consecutive times. [ MUSIC ] In 2010, I won a Tour de France and ran the 24 hour world championship. championships, and basically it's a one miles loop that you run for twenty- four house straight and I set an American record of a hundred and sixty- five miles in twenty- four hours. That's equivalent of running essentially six and a half marathons and, you know, that type of an event was probably the hardest race I had ever done in my life. You know, physically it's extremely challenging. I mean, you have the, the fatigue in the muscles the constant balance of hydration, dehydration. But more than that it's really mentally you're stretched like the, the ultimate brink of what, you know, one comprehends as like something, you know, sane and something that you should do. And so. The bad event there were points where I just thought to myself, there's no way I'm gonna ever get through this. And there's that, you know, mental fatigue of never having a finish line. You have to prepare the mind as much as the body, you know? What it's gonna encounter. That's what I love about this sport. It's always pushing me to adapt. 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