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 in Santa’s home: the Artic Marathon in Finland
Running on snowy paths through coniferous forests, above the Arctic Circle, at minus ten below zero… with elves at the aid stations and Santa Claus hanging the medal on you. This is the Rovaniemi Arctic Marathon.
Around Serra de Prades: Poblet and Siurana
The area around Prades, in Catalunya, is a nature paradise with a cozy mediterranean air, where you can run in trails which zigzag between vineyards and olive fields.
It is also home to ancient monasteries and some of the best wineries of Catalunya.
Running next to waterfalls and planes landing in Canaima, Venezuela
During our stay in Canaima National Park, we ran from La Laguna to Ucaima Falls, and extended our run to reach 8 kilometres by running right next to the airport’s airstrip while planes were landing just a few meters away!
Up Hverfjall volcano, enjoying spectacular Iceland
We ran Iceland’s volcano marathon near Lake Mývatn: a challenging but stunning course that takes you up Hverfjall volcano and around its rim, with its spectacular volcanic background of pseudo-craters, capricious lava rocks and steaming mud pits.
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.
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.
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”.
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 on the ice cap: the Polar Circle Marathon in Greenland
The Polar circle marathon in Greenland is about extremes: extreme weather, extreme running conditions and extreme beauty. From running on the ice cap to experience the magnificient view of glaciers and windy solitaire paths, this is not for the faint hearted.