1. Great Wall Marathon
Runners taking part in the eighth Great Wall Marathon along the Huang Ya Guan portion of the Great Wall in Kuaihuolin, northeast of Beijing, China. Few other marathons compare to the grueling 3,800 steps up and down China’s most famous symbol. In every marathon, runners talk about “hitting the wall” around the 34-35-kilometer (21 miles) mark. Here, it really happens. The first stretch of climbing the Wall comes just after the start, and the second stretch comes just where it should – near the end (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
2. Venice Marathon
Participants approach the finish after running past St. Mark’s Square in the closing stages of the 23rd edition of the Venice Marathon in northern Italy. In background, St. Mark’s Square belltower. (AP Photo/Luigi Costantini).
3. Dublin City Marathon
Stephen Hill running in costume – INPHO/Morgan Treacy
4. Chicago Marathon
Runners head past the Chicago Theatre during the Chicago Marathon (Nam Y. Huh/AP/Press Association Images).
5. The Last Marathon, Antartica
(via http://2.bp.blogspot.com)
6. The Big Five Marathon, Africa
(via http://www.albatros-travel.com)
7. The Hong Kong Marathon
Centenarian marathon runner Fauja Singh, 101, centre, originally from Beas Pind, in Jalandhar, India but who now lives in London, runs in a 10-kilometer race, part of the annual Hong Kong Marathon, in Hong Kong . (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
8. The Tokyo Marathon, Japan
Participants run past Kabuki Theater, under renovation, during the Tokyo Marathon (Toru Takahashi/AP/Press Association Images)
9. The Dubai Marathon, UAE
About 20,000 runners of different nationalities are about to start the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo)
10. The Santa Marathon race, South Korea
South Koreans wearing Santa Claus costumes exercise before taking part in the Santa Marathon race in Seoul, South Korea (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man).
11. The Taj Mahal Marathon, India
(via running.journeyingjames.com)
12. The Reggae Marathon
(via http://media2.onsugar.com)
13. The Gym
It’s warm, it’s invariably quite close by and you can run the equivalent of a marathon on its machines. Also, did I mention it’s warm? (Rui Vieira/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
