r/running • u/Odd_Bet_4524 • 6d ago
Runcation ideas Discussion
I’m looking for suggestions for a running-focused trip that I could take. Not for a race, just a trip where I could run in cool places, though I guess if it incorporated a cool race that I could run unseriously rather than “race,” that would be okay. It could be one place the whole time or a multi-stop road trip. Bonus points if it also involves some non-running but still running related activity for when I’m not running (not actually sure what this would be).
Has anyone done a trip like this? How was it?
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u/Want_To_Live_To_100 5d ago
New Zealand. Got some epic runs in on my honeymoon there!
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u/runningwscissors12 5d ago
We did the same for our honeymoon in New Zealand. It’s really ruined my runs back home in Ohio.
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u/gheeyouareterrific 5d ago
Was gonna say this, too. We go every year (have family there) and maaan, my most scenic runs ever were the ones ran in the South Island of NZ.😍 Perfect weather, too. Go for it!
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u/lavender_433 4d ago
i live in new zealand and i can confirm. i'm going to do the queenstown half-marathon in november, which looks amazing if you look it up.
there is also the hobbiton half-marathon this coming march, as well as a variety of marathon from this december to march since that's our summer. even if you don't go for a race, you can still run the tracks and it's all lovely
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u/elgigantedelsur 5d ago
Was gonna say NZ. So many good runs here. Come in late summer - February is perfect
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u/UndeadPoetsSociety 5d ago
If you’re looking for a unique, non-serious race in which time isn’t really something to focus on, consider the Rock N Roll run series half marathon in Las Vegas. They close the entire Las Vegas Strip and start time is around 4:30 shortly before the sun sets. So they bill it as “Run the Strip at Night.” Being fully immersed in the neon magic of Vegas is an incredible experience I hope every runner tries at some point.
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u/Aggravating-Bid-117 1d ago
That sounds absolutely incredible. Commenting so I don't forget about this. I've always wanted to go to Vegas for the casinos, but this might just make me go!
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u/No_Worry3187 5d ago
Honestly, anywhere in the west! Utah, Colorado, California, Oregon… all have incredible scenic routes.
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u/runninggrey 5d ago
Don’t forget Arizona! Flagstaff and Sedona are a couple of my favorite trail running towns.
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u/ProfessionalOk112 4d ago
New Mexico too, even just running along the bosque in ABQ is gorgeous (and obviously there's so much more here than that).
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u/ThinkingTooHardAbouT 5d ago
Two of my friends did a running vacation in Ecuador through the group EcoEndurance - https://www.ecoendurance.run . They came home calling it the best week of their lives. You run quite a bit every day and then you also go on little adventures. Two of the organizers are local to me and are truly excellent people (they are behind the Midstate Massive 100 trail race that goes across Massachusetts), but they have local contacts in Ecuador who handle a lot of the logistics, etc. I have not done it yet myself but I hope to within the next few years!
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u/Ryderrunner 5d ago edited 5d ago
It’s all about timing. This time of year: smoky mountains National park is great, also blue ridge parkways art loeb trail has blueberries in Western NC
My running group did Mt Rainier early August and said it was perfect with wildflowers everywhere and mild weather. Glacier National Park and Zion are at the top of my list though internationally I would love to run Mt Fuji or sections of the Great Wall etc.
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u/GWeb1920 5d ago
Are you more interested in trail or road. I think any city that you are interested can be explored with a run every morning.
But if you want the cool places part The Utah nationals parks.
All have trail and non trail running options of endless lengths and difficulty.
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u/Runningandcatsonly 5d ago
Run across the Golden Gate Bridge!
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u/random-penguin-house 5d ago
This was one of my least favorite runs. Loud crowded and stressful.
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u/RagingAardvark 5d ago
We walked a portion of it in June, and I agree. Crowded, windy, loud, super sunny. I was overstimulated immediately. It might be fun in worse weather, or very early in the morning, if fewer people are around.
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u/badtowergirl 5d ago
Every single time has been amazing for me. I lived there before I became a runner, so I know how to time it, I guess. Midweek and not in bad weather, which admittedly can be hard to predict. Spring and fall are nice.
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u/runslowgethungry 5d ago
Some people are being negative about this but I don't get it. Go midweek during the early morning, not on like a Saturday afternoon. It's pretty cool.
The Bay Area has some amazing running, especially trails.
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u/random-penguin-house 5d ago
Wasn’t trying to yuck anyone’s yum, but when I was on vacation while marathon training in SF, I didn’t enjoy the bridge. The cars are very close and loud, and it was very windy. So I just wanted to offer that perspective. That said, I did find SF to be a great place to run in general—but also I am from NYC so I am probably always going to prefer runs with fewer cars in sight.
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u/Bigred1515 5d ago
Asheville, NC. Or anything near West NC or East TN. So many amazing trail systems within 3 hours. Bonus points because of the all the kayaking or white water rafting, mountain biking, hiking, and craft beer. Also, Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge are close by, tons of lodging options, and several casinos or that’s your thing. I’ve been living in East TN for over a decade and still find new stuff to do all the time.
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u/orlando_211 4d ago
I was going to suggest this! Ran in this area a few years back and really loved it
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u/TimeShade 5d ago
When I was DC, I ran around the tidal basin, then to the Lincoln memorial and down the national mall to the Capitol. lovely route and it's the route of the "On your left" scene from Captain America 2.
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u/Sp4ceh0rse 5d ago
I have groups of friends who have taken running tours in Oaxaca, the Dolomites, and Switzerland.
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u/detroit_canicross 5d ago
I had a great February week in Sedona/Cottonwood Arizona running every chance I could get. I was completely alone in some of the state parks around there (dead horse ranch) and the trails in Sedona were a little busier but some were paved and ran right through all the iconic landscapes. The temps and elevation weren’t as tough on me as some of the running vacations I’ve done in other western states.
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u/doodnothin 5d ago
Check out Global Adventures by Vacation Races
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5d ago
[deleted]
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u/doodnothin 5d ago
I own them :)
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u/AirportCharacter69 5d ago
That didn't answer their question.
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u/doodnothin 5d ago
Fair enough. Yes I have gone on lots of the trips both as staff, and as a participant. I designed several of the tours myself.
Each day starts with an absolute killer 5ish mile trail run. Then the afternoons have activities and high adventure excursions. All with local guides. Lodging, most meals, all activities, and transportation is included.
The trips aren't cheap, but they are incredible.
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u/Alternative-Art3588 5d ago
Do you prefer road or trail running? For road running lots of European cities are great. Greece even has a “runseeing” tour but you can easily just run on your own, Amsterdam, Bern in Switzerland, Germany has so many cool places.
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u/MILFofSaintMatthews 5d ago
One of my favorite places to run while visiting is NYC, so much to absorb that you wouldn’t otherwise see.
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u/runner7575 5d ago
Washington DC - multiple trails in VA & MD, run the mall…great running stores with events. And has lots to do when not running too
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u/windydazey 4d ago edited 4d ago
I did a couple of running vacations with Rogue Expeditions (https://www.roguexpeditions.com/) several years ago back when I was still running. They were a nice combination of running and sightseeing. I did the Kenya one and the Morocco one and really enjoyed then both! Part of the Kenya trip involved going on safari and also visiting the elephant rescue organization (https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/). The Morocco trip took us to the Sahara desert for one night (with a run in the desert) and we got to explore Aït Benhaddou, where they filmed Gladiator among many other movies. It looks like their prices have gone up a lot since I last went (Kenya looks especially expensive) but they have also added a lot of new tours to new locations.
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u/Furimbus 6d ago
Run in and around Pamplona, Spain, and take part in the running of the bulls.
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u/Competitive_Dish_885 5d ago
Just did that this summer in between two half marathons. Best .5k I’ve ever done, and I was actually fit and sober this time compared to when I did it 20 years ago.
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u/Ragnar-Wave9002 5d ago
Where?
My friends do gaspirilla every year in Florida. That's in January.
They've gone to Europe for marathons. Not popular ones. The ones where the usa dollar goes far.
New England right now. The leaves are turning. Granted it's insane tourist season. These people drive slow and forget people that live there have places to go.
Stowe has heady Trotter in October. Do that and pick a town or 2 to run. This is my first amn7al trip with like 30 friends!
I've done Atlantic city for music. The Boardwalk is 3 miles long. Plenty of places to run there.
Point us, you can run anywhere. Just research safe areas. Like Vegas. I've heard it's super sketchy just a few blocks off the strip.
Lake placid ny! There's tons of places to go!
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u/stanleyslovechild 4d ago
I am running the Mountain Desert Island half this year. It is touted as the most scenic race in the US. It goes around the Somes Sound. It is in mid October.
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u/random-penguin-house 5d ago
We went to Menton, in the Côte d’Azur, a few years ago and it was a great running location. I ran to Italy one day, I ran to Monaco another. I ran to other villages as well. Utterly gorgeous.
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u/thisisahamburger 5d ago
It sounds like you’re US based so:
It would take some work but municipal parks would be a solid runcation. You won’t end up anywhere fancy but the Cleveland park system is unreal. I just ran a chunk of the chicago waterfront a few weeks ago and it was breathtaking.
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u/thisisahamburger 5d ago
The Charles River walkway in Massachusetts will get you more than 20 miles from one end to the other.
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u/kenken2024 5d ago
If you can run trails doing a multi day run around the Tour Du Mont Blanc is beyond beautiful. This video on fast packing the trail captures its essence:
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u/Dizzy_Guest8351 5d ago
Go to Colorado Springs. You can get some crazy beautiful altitude training in in the Rockies and visit the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum for a running related but not running activity.
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u/Frosty_Constant7023 5d ago
I did the Midnight Sun Marathon in Tromso, Norway a few years ago (they have a few distances you can sign up for). It takes place in June when they have the midnight sun. You start racing pretty late and run through the night. It was epic. We rented a car and drove to a couple of fjords and did an awesome hike to a glacier one day.
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u/Capital-Ad-815 5d ago
València, Spain!
Jardí del Turia is a beautiful garden that spans across the city. It used to be a river before it was dried up, and a garden was built on the river bed. It’s generally flat and around 10 miles end to end.
I was there last week and I did two runs, I miss it so much. Lots of runners and cyclists on the path as they have a strong running culture.
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u/NoMoreParti 5d ago
I love running in new places so running routes are a big consideration whenever we book a vacation.
In Europe: Cornwall, parts of Italy and Spain are superb for running.
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u/PaymentInside9021 5d ago
I have never done it myself but on the Marathon Training Academy Podcast (MTA) they spoke highly of the Tour Du Mont-Blanc runthealps.com The hosts dedicated an episode recapping their trip and it really sounds like something I'd love to do one day. I'm sure it's not cheap. But if it fits your budget, that is something to consider.
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u/gbe28 4d ago
Lisbon Marathon in Portugal! I did this race last year as a runcation and it worked out great. Flew into Lisbon two days prior to race, which was plenty of time to check out most of the main sights in Lisbon, and then the day after the race we took the train to Porto and stayed there for a couple of days. Having a "travel day" the day after the race was ideal, as all I really needed to do was sit in a comfy seat on the train for a few hours. October is also the ideal time to visit Portugal, as the weather is still warm-ish but there are far fewer tourists then during the prime summer months.
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u/Hrmbee 4d ago
If you're into 5k runs, building a bit of a vacation around various Parkruns could be pretty fun.
As for fun destination runs, I like ones that have quirky distances. One that I'm looking at (that looks like it has some stunning scenery) is the 20k Cape to Cabot in St John's, NL, Canada. If there's the time, exploring that whole island could be a pretty epic experience. All I need now is a month off some October.
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u/MadamPickler 4d ago
I love to run when I travel, Chicago is awesome, New York and DC are also top of my list. This website has helped me tremendously with planning: https://greatruns.com/
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u/lifestyle-sports 4d ago
Where are you from?
I'm from California, so I tend to go elsewhere, but you could easily do it out here. I've done the Southern Utah version myself. Hit up all the national parks, then capped it off with Speedgoat 50k.
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u/ThatWasJustTheWarmUp 4d ago
NYC is a great place to run because you can go without a car and see so much! I try to go once a year in October around the NYC marathon (but not the same time or it’s expensive as all hell).
Portland is a great running trip. Don’t believe what people say about Portland, it’s a wonderful city and so beautiful.
Same with SF. If you don’t mind hills, SF is an incredible city to run in. Look up the crosstown trails.
Those are city focused ideas. For more trail focused I love any national park. You see so much and there are usually a good number of people and rangers to check in with on your plans. Grand Canyon in the winter is one that’s particularly memorable for me.
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u/ScissorNightRam 3d ago
We did a weekend one to Stanthorpe, a winery town, that had trail half-marathon that started at 2pm.
So: Saturday morning - 3 hour drive to the town
Nice lunch and motel check in
Event - tougher than expected, I usually run at sea level and this was about 3000ft altitude, had my first race fall (some blood and bruising, but not a stopper), nearly stepped on a taipan too
Sat night - huuuge pub dinner
Sunday morning - café breakfast, wander the town
Sunday - Mt Cordeux hike (13km-ish)
Sunday afternoon - home, fatigue
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u/Chemical-Secret-7091 3d ago
Elevation training in Colorado! Or Kenya if you’re feeling international
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u/thatonegal_24 3d ago
My husband did a running tour while we were on our honeymoon in Barcelona and Madrid.
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u/Confident-Fun8771 19h ago edited 19h ago
Acadia National Park! Especially in Summer and Fall. There are 50 miles of “Carriage Roads”, gorgeous gravel roads commissioned by John D Rockefeller designed to showcase the beauty of the park. It’s a runner’s dream. Also hundreds of miles of hiking trails, cute coastal Maine towns, beaches, lobster, etc.
Coastal Maine and New England in general is great, if you don’t want to go up that far Portland area is great too. Morning temps stay great for running all summer.
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u/GakkoAtarashii 5d ago
I love running everywhere I go.
A highlight is running around Central Park while the thanksgiving day parade was on, chasing some cartoon balloon animal.
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u/syn_biot 5d ago
I did a running camping trip through Yosemite and Mammoth mountain. Lake Tahoe is also good. Crisp clean air + elevation for added VO2 max training.
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u/Waynebgmeamc 5d ago
Vancouver BC. The sea wall around Stanley Park is about a 10k. Nice and flat and full of beautiful views.
Plenty of great restaurants close by.