Fishermen villages, colonial churches and boats in Sâo Tomé
In Sâo Tomé, an island which closely resembles paradise, we woke up with the sun to run along the coast, passing by fishermen villages with their Portuguese colonial architecture while the boats were coming back to shore.
Echoing the wild waves of Côte Sauvage in Pointe Noire, Congo
A couple of unusual runs through a monumental abandoned railway station which spoke of other times, and along a wild coastline in Pointe Noire: an unforgettable run on a beach of wild beauty while the waves roared.
Run along the flooded shore of Lake Tanganika in Burundi
Right after sunrise we ran along the teeming shore of the epic Lake Tanganyika while local youths fished in the flooded “Avenue du plage” in Bujumbura, Burundi, before heading to the legendary source of the Nile!
An adventure in the Pearl of Africa: the Uganda Marathon
We enjoyed the “adventure like no other” which is the Uganda Marathon, running up and down hills through red earth paths with lush vegetation and across the vibrant streets of Masaka while students sang.
Sunset and Sunrise in Djibouti: Lake Abbe and Tadjourah
A couple of very opposite but equally fascinating runs: one at sunset in the wild nature, amongst the chimneys in Lake Abbe, and the other at sunrise in the maritime front of bustling Tadjourah.
Running around rock-hewn churches in Ethiopia
A couple of very difficult runs in Lalibela due to the steep hills and the altitude, but worth it for the opportunity to run amongst the vibrant local life, with smiles everywhere and... seeing the locals praying in front of the amazing Lalibela churches!
Conquering history in Malta in La Valetta Marathon
Races for everyone and a scenic course through robust walls built by the ancient cavaliers of the Malta Order. After my surgery and months of recovery and no running at all, I loved being back! My first 5k without pain and… under 28m!
Chaos, folklore and a “park run”: Tirana Marathon
We ran in Tirana a good course around the Artificial lake and the Great Park. In the streets girls were performing folkloric dances. Could have been a great race but the organization was not up to the standard, with chaos at the starting line.
Running somewhere in la Mancha, in a place I do care to remember
On a cold morning of December we ran in Campo de Criptana, amongst the windmills that inspired the famous episode in Don Quixote: "they are giants", said Don Quixote, "and if you’re afraid, get away from here and start praying while I go into fierce and unequal battle with them"
Running around the tallest building on Earth, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai
In a land of luxury, high tech and unapologetic ostentation, we recovered after a marathon. We ran 5 kilometers around the tallest building in the world. In Dubai, where every bit of land has been reclaimed from the harsh Arabian desert.