Running in the heart of Reykjavik: the old harbor and Hallgrimskirja
Reykjavik proved to be ideal for running, with a scenic course across the old harbor, the true heart of the city, to which we added climbing the Thufa and the hill where the magnificent Hallgrimskirja church is located.
Running on thin ice: the Frozen Lake Marathon in Norway
Two centuries after Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote "The ice was here, the ice was there, the ice was all around; it cracked and growled, and roared and howled, like noises in a swound", in Norway they reimagine the experience in a much more festive way: running on the frozen Tisleifjorden lake.
In the Golden Horn of Istanbul, along the Bosphorus strait
We ran in Old Istanbul, up and down their narrow cobblestone streets amongst the magnificent wonders of ancient Byzantium and Constantinople, and along the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus strait. We were in Europe, yet we had Asia in sight.
Running with the locals and climbing 300 steps in Dili, Timor Leste
In the remote and legendary country of Timor Leste, we mingled with the local runners, who were many and were fast, from the urban center along sandy beaches, to end up climbing 500 steps to the foot of the Cristo Rei statue in Cap Fatucama.
Running across “a bridge over the Sava river” in Belgrade
An orchestra played classical music in the imposing Ada Bridge while serbian flags were waving. We ran through the historic center, still displaying ruins of the NATO bombings during the 90s, and the new town, with its soviet archicture. Belgrade is a capital that is proud of its past but designs its modernity, in its own way.
When you are part of paradise: running on Koh Samui’s beaches
While running in the golden sand beaches of Koh Samui, the ones that inspired “The beach”, I recalled its famous quote: “Paradise is how you feel for a moment in your life when you are a part of something… and if you find that moment… it lasts forever”.
Track workout in front of the Twin Towers, in Kuala Lumpur
We felt like professionals running on a rubber track in the KLCC park, right in front of the Petronas Twin Towers. We competed with locals on a 1,2 kms loop around magnificent gardens while Kuala Lumpur financial district was waking up.
A jogging track around Bangkok’s airport
We soaked into Bangkok’s “happy and healthy” lifestyle by running in a jogging track next to a bike lap which literally goes around the airport, a good option for stop-overs and lengthy stays alike.
Where roaring waves protect the “temple of the land in the sea”: Tanah Lot in Bali
In Bali, we ran at dawn along the dark and impressive rocky cliffs home to Pura Tanah Lot, “the temple of the land in the sea”, while the sun turned the sky pale pink, and our footsteps were echoed by the roaring of the waves.
Running in the kingdom of sand and oil: the first Riyadh marathon
We ran the first edition of the Riyadh marathon, the capital of a country that lives between the most closed tradition and the desire for modernity. Between poverty and the most extravagant of riches. We ran past Saudi women in black niqabs and sneakers, the air cloudy after a sandstorm, and we came home with more questions than certainties.