Sport in Luxembourg: races, trails & climbing

Tokyo · Japan

Distance

42.195 km

Month

Early March

since

since 2007

An Abbott World Marathon Major and the only one held in Asia, run on a fast, largely flat course through central Tokyo from the Metropolitan Government Building toward Tokyo Station.

Hopkinton → Boston · United States

Distance

42.195 km

Month

Mid-April

since

since 1897

The world's oldest annual marathon, first run in 1897 and held point-to-point from Hopkinton to Boston on Patriots' Day; most runners get in only by meeting age-graded qualifying times.

London · United Kingdom

Distance

42.195 km

Month

Late April

since

since 1981

A World Marathon Major run past the Tower of London, Cutty Sark and Buckingham Palace, and one of the largest marathons in the world by number of finishers.

Berlin · Germany

Distance

42.195 km

Month

Late September

since

since 1974

A flat, fast World Marathon Major on which the marathon world record has fallen more often than on any other course, including Eliud Kipchoge's 2:01:09 in 2022.

Chicago · United States

Distance

42.195 km

Month

Mid-October

since

since 1977

An Abbott World Marathon Major on a flat loop starting and finishing in Grant Park, host to multiple marathon world records and awarded the World Athletics Heritage Plaque in 2024.

New York City · United States

Distance

42.195 km

Month

Early November

since

since 1970

A World Marathon Major whose course crosses all five boroughs of New York City, and one of the largest marathons in the world.

Olympic Valley · United States

Distance

161 km (100 mi)

D+

↑ ~5,510 m

Month

Late June

since

since 1974

The oldest 100-mile trail race, run on the last full weekend of June from Olympic Valley to Auburn, California, and traced to Gordy Ainsleigh running the Tevis Cup horse route on foot in 1974.

Silverton, Colorado · United States

Distance

165 km (102.5 mi)

D+

↑ ~10,193 m

Month

Mid-July

since

since 1992

A loop through Colorado's San Juan Mountains via Telluride and Ouray, averaging about 3,410 m of altitude with some 10,193 m of climbing, where finishers kiss the painted ram's-head 'Hardrock' instead of crossing a line.

Chamonix · France

Distance

~171 km

D+

↑ ~10,000 m

Month

Late August

since

since 2003

A single-stage loop of the Tour du Mont Blanc through France, Italy and Switzerland with about 10,000 m of climbing, the flagship finals race of the UTMB World Series.

Courmayeur, Aosta Valley · Italy

Distance

~330 km

D+

↑ ~24,000 m

Month

Mid-September

since

since 2010

A single-stage, non-stop loop of about 330 km around the Aosta Valley with roughly 24,000 m of ascent and a 150-hour cutoff, run continuously with no scheduled sleep.

Durban / Pietermaritzburg · South Africa

Distance

~88 km

Month

Mid-June

since

since 1921

First run in 1921, the world's oldest and largest ultramarathon: a roughly 88 km road race between Durban and Pietermaritzburg whose direction alternates each year between an 'up' and a 'down' run.

Athens → Sparta · Greece

Distance

~246 km

Month

Late September

since

since 1983

It retraces the route the messenger Pheidippides is said to have run from Athens to Sparta in 490 BC: about 246 km that runners must cover within a strict 36-hour limit past checkpoints with individual cutoffs.

Sahara · Morocco

Distance

~250 km

Month

Early April

since

since 1986

A self-sufficient six-stage foot race of roughly 250 km across the Moroccan Sahara, first held in 1986, in which competitors carry all their own food and gear.

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii · United States

Distance

3.86 + 180.2 + 42.2 km

Month

Early October

since

since 1978

The culminating world championship of the global Ironman qualifying series, contested over a 3.86 km swim, 180.2 km bike and 42.195 km marathon on Hawaii's Big Island.