Christmas and New Year’s give a chance to celebrate, and make wishes for the new year. You can spend it with your beloved ones, or alone. At home or somewhere else. But as a runner, you have several options to run!

Yes, because there are many events organized for the new year you may want to enroll in! It is also a good way to burn some of the extra calories accumulated during the celebrations.

I am limiting the analysis in Europe so far, but there are many options abroad, especially in the USA. Texas, California for example organize running challenges in places where weather conditions might be… merciful!

There are probably other options I have been missing. Please let me know them, and I will be happy to add them.

The races

Starting from the 24th of December, in Frederikssund, Denmark you can participate to a 10K, 21K 0r 42K race with the perfect Christmas atmosphere. Including traditional Christmas warm wine (gløgg), sweets (æbleskiver), presents and a beautiful Christmas medal!

What about a challenge in Suffolk, England, between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, to burn extra fat running not one, not two but three marathons? The Great Barrow Challenge includes a three day event with Marathons, between 28th and 30th of December. It is a challenge, and it is great!

If England seems to warm to you 😀 you can reach the Norwegian fjords near Ålesund, to participate to a 21K or 42K. The Ålesund Nyttarsmaraton will challenge you, with snow and extreme conditions.

In Zurich, the New Years’ Marathon will gather many runners with different challenges (10K, 21K and 42K). The maximum number of starting places for the half marathon is 400, for the quarter marathon 300, while the marathon is not capped.

The Owl head marathon is a little landscape marathon with about 200 participants near Wuppertal in Germany. Familiar and local, it is a non competitive way to run 21K or 42K  in a natural landscape.

In south of Italy, the half marathon of the Siritide is ready to welcome you with weather conditions hopefully not too extreme. For the race day (29th of December), local temperatures of the season are usually above zero celsius.

Other running events, more local and smaller, are organized in Stadthagen, Saxony, Germany and Calderara di Reno, Italy. The websites are only available in local language.


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Photo credit: destressguy

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