The Big 5 – Marathon Races You Must Attend

Running a marathon is a remarkable personal achievement. It requires dedication, proper diet, and endurance training. Some people may stay at home, fill up with junk food, try to get into esports tournaments, or use promotions like the Sportingbet Promotional Code, but marathon runners have a higher calling. The best of the best try to compete in the Big 5.

Boston

Aaron “tango” Tang / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)

The Boston Marathon is a part of the Big 5 for a reason. It is the oldest running marathon, dating back to 1897 and it finishes in Boston. It is held every year on Patriot’s Day and there are very strict traditions and qualifications. While it is possible for many people to run a marathon in general, only the luckiest and most capable 30,000 people can show off their skill here. Despite the tragedy the event experienced in 2013, the Boston Marathon Bombing, the event picked up the very next year. Not only do you have to prove that you can run a marathon in under the designated time for your age and gender, but you must also be faster than other qualifying participants, and the competition is fierce.

New York

The biggest challenge in the New York City Marathon may lie in the first two miles of the race, as you tackle the steep climb over Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. You will run through all the major neighborhoods of New York City, like Queens and the Bronx. What is so special about hits marathon? Well, apart from being able to experience New York like never before, you should know that the city never stops for whatever reason, major sporting events included, so you may be required to navigate through the traffic as you try to take over other racers.

Berlin

The title of the largest marathon in the world goes to the Berlin Marathon.

Dirk Ingo Franke / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

More than 40,000 racers take off and what’s amazing about it that both veterans and novices can attend. Out of all the marathons, this one may be on the softer side, as there are no hills or difficult terrain to worry about.

There is nothing quite like the feeling of finishing the race by passing through the Brandenburg Gate.

Chicago

The Windy City is also tolerant towards novices. It is also about as flat as the Boston Marathon and tens of thousands of people participate in it every year, with the number constantly growing. Since 2007, it has been boasting something called the CEO Marathon Challenge. There is free beer at certain portions of the race to keep the marathon runners and the crowd hydrated and to prepare them for a party that usually lasts well into the night and maybe even early morning.

London

Paul Hudson from United Kingdom / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)

The London Marathon is famous for the fact that there are three different starting points for the runners in order to accommodate the sheer number of participants. In addition to that, many runners, whether they are serious or goofing off, like to dress up in costumes of superheroes and silly characters to provide additional entertainment to the event.

Seeing all of London firsthand is a plus as well.