Today I’m going to break down my event bucket list. Originally this started off with purely running events, however one day I would love to complete an Ironman, as well as certain obstacle course races.
Let’s start by taking a look at purely running events:
Marathons:
London Marathon – completed 22.4.18
This one is pretty self-explanatory and is on the bucket list of the majority of runners and non-runners a like. I always watch this on the television and dreamed of being able to run it, so to be able to complete it as my first marathon was an amazing experience
Tokyo Marathon
I have always wanted to visit Japan, so to tick that off my bucket list whilst completing the Tokyo marathon would be amazing. This is also one of the seven Abbott World Marathon Majors, and I would love to complete them all.
New York Marathon
A trip to America is another thing I would like to experience; I really need to get more comfortable with flying! In my opinion, this is the second biggest marathon in America, following Boston and is another one on the Abbott Majors list.
Chicago Marathon
This one is purely down to it being on the Abbott Major list and probably wouldn’t make the cut otherwise as if I could only pick one marathon in America it would most likely be the Las Vegas Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon.
Berlin Marathon
This is probably the European marathon that I am most looking forward to hopefully completing one day, and yes, it is another of the Abbott Majors (spotting the pattern yet?). The finish line for this race is epic, running through Brandenburg Gate which looks stunning. This is another event that I love watching each year on the television and the atmosphere just seems amazing.
Boston Marathon
Ahh, Boston… the infamous Marathon. The final piece of the Abbott Majors. This is probably one of the most elite marathons, mainly being due to the fact that unless you are extremely lucky in getting one of the few charity places, you must run a qualifying time in order to gain entry.
For 2018, the qualifying times were:
| Age Group | Men | Women |
| 18-34 | 3:05:00 | 3:35:00 |
| 35-39 | 3:10:00 | 3:40:00 |
| 40-44 | 3:15:00 | 3:45:00 |
| 45-49 | 3:25:00 | 3:55:00 |
| 50-54 | 3:30:00 | 4:00:00 |
| 55-59 | 3:40:00 | 4:10:00 |
| 60-64 | 3:55:00 | 4:25:00 |
| 65-69 | 4:10:00 | 4:40:00 |
| 70-74 | 4:25:00 | 4:55:00 |
| 74-79 | 4:40:00 | 5:10:00 |
| 80 and over | 4:55:00 | 5:25:00 |
It’s fair to say that this one is going to take a lot of training and may be out of the question, but it gives me something to aim for!
Amsterdam Marathon
I spent five years living in The Netherlands, so it would be great to visit again and also complete one of the flattest marathons in the world! I love The Netherlands: the scenery, culture, people, language… it’s a beautiful country and the people are welcoming so I know I would enjoy my return, plus it would give me a chance to brush up on my Dutch.
Paris Marathon
This one is down to the scenery, plus getting a weekend away abroad is always a bonus! The thing that disappoints me about this race? The medal design… the last few years have been very uninspiring to say the least, but it still makes the list.
Walt Disney Marathon
I’m not really a Disney fan, but this still makes the list as a once in a lifetime kind of way. It’s something I’d like to do to say that I had done it, plus there’s a lot of bling and the medal designs are pretty unique. Definitely not a cheap venture though!
Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas / Liverpool
Out of the two, the preferable venue would be Las Vegas, however both events look amazing and have a lot of different medals to earn over the event weekend. The music and support apparently makes for an amazing event.
Athens Marathon
This is supposedly set out to cover the same route that Phiedippides ran when he brought news of victory from the battlefield of Marathon around 2500 years ago. This would be an interesting marathon for me, with a lot of history behind it. The finish line is in the Olympic Stadium, which in itself would be a great sight-seeing opportunity.
Patagonian International Marathon
This one makes the list due to the amazing scenery and the fact that it’s not your typical road race. I would like to participate in more train events and eventually maybe an ultra-marathon or two! Bonus points for the location as I have never been to Chile or anywhere in South America, so this would be another new culture to experience.
Great Wall Marathon
The Great Wall is something that I would love to see one day, so why not kill two birds with one stone? This isn’t a marathon for the feint hearted as it consists of 5,164 steps along the route. Definitely a challenge for the future.
Midnight Sun Marathon
Something a little different – an arctic marathon in Tromso, Norway. This makes the list for its uniqueness and scenery, plus I have never visited a Scandinavian country before.
Portsmouth Coastal Marathon
Back a bit closer to home for this. It has been voted in the Top 10 UK Marathon list by Running Fitness readers and the finishers t-shirt alone makes this worth doing! This is another multi-terrain event to break up the monotony of the Abbott Majors road race list.
Half Marathons:
The Great North Run
This is probably the biggest half marathon in the UK and another event that I love watching on the television. I’d love to run this to run over the Tyne Bridge and see the Red Arrows fly over as they do each year.
Race the Train
Available in different distances up to 14 miles, this is a quirky event where runners try to get to the finish line before a steam train arrives. Definitely an event to try at least once, and the medal design is pretty cool too!
London Landmarks Half Marathon
What better way to see the popular tourist attractions in London? The medal design is also pretty cool as it opens up. Definitely a scenic half marathon, and not TOO far to travel.
As part of my running journey, I participated in the Inflatable 5k course, which was actually quite fun and challenged my upper body strength and fear of heights! As such, I would love to complete more intense obstacle course races.
Obstacle Course Races:
Wolf Run Series
WOLF stands for Woods, Obstacles, Lakes and Forests; these runs consist of natural and man-made obstacles and there is one for every season, so four per year. Completing all four events in one year earns you the title of “Alpha Wolf” and you get a medal. The one downside to these events is that you do not get a medal per event, just an event t-shirt. This series or more strenuous than the Inflatable 5k, but not as gruelling as the Spartan or Tough Mudder events.
Spartan Trifecta
Spartan events are essentially a tougher version of the Wolf Run series. There are three categories: Sprint (3+ miles and 20-23 obstacles), Super (8+ miles and 25+ obstacles) and Beast (12+ miles and 30+ obstacles). Completing all three event types in one year earns you the Trifecta medal.
My ultimate fitness goal is to complete a half and full Ironman event. This is definitely another year or two (or three or four!) away, but it gives me something to work towards.
Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire
This would be my first venture into Ironman territory so starting at the 70.3 mark and at a venue which isn’t too far to travel seems like the safest bet! A 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride and a half marathon of 13.1 miles, all in one day!
Ironman Wales
The ultimate challenge… the full 140.6 mile distance. A 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and then a full marathon of 26.2 miles to top it off. Wales was voted the best Ironman venue in 2017 and is supposed to be a really scenic event with great crowd support.
