It’s never been about the destination, it’s about the journey. This sentiment rings true for fun runs, many of which are a day for people to have fun while raising money for a cause. I’d rather leave the marathons to the elite and sign up for runs where I’m being chased by zombies, clambering iconic buildings and even races that require entrants to eat their way throughout the race(a personal favourite of mine!) are you with me?
Runyon 5k, New York
So everyone is familiar with the Empire State Run-up, running up the 86 levels of one of New York’s most iconic buildings. But did you know that you can participate in a race that is held in the House that Ruth Built? Every year the Yankee Stadium in New York opens its gates and invites people to race between the stands and even around the field itself. This one seems a little too fit for me (all those stands!) but to raise money for cancer research and to run through an iconic sport venue is definitely a run for any sports fans.
Run for Your Lives
So the world didn’t go belly up as the Mayans predicted but if you’d like to stay prepared for the ‘rise of the undead’ then the Run For your Lives is for you. It’s interesting to note that as you battle through natural and man-made obstacles that you cannot hit, slap, or ( my personal favourite) roundhouse kick zombies that approach you as they try to take your red flags from you, which are representative of your life as a human.
Should you be stripped of all three flags by the end of the course you my friend have become a zombie.
The Chocolate Race
This race is completely counterproductive to the concept of running! But when you’re running for charity and the pit stops include chocolate truffles, strawberry dipped in chocolate and chocolate fudge – it must be a good thing right?
The Colour Run
The happiest 5k ever! You start out pristine in your best whites and by the end of it you’re guaranteed to look like a 5 year old has scribbled all over you. Those are the actual rules of the run
1. Wear white
2. Finish plastered in colour!
The Color Run has become such a phenomenon that it is held in several locations around the world. The money raised is donated to local charities in each city. It is a guaranteed 5km of smiles as you bombard each other in packets of coloured powder all of which ends in a mini festival at the end of the course.
Written by: Kenn Ross
Travel writer for InsureandGo travel insurance, much of his adventures involve trying new food, speaking and meeting locals and aimlessly wandering allowing the place to open up and reveal itself to him.
To date one of my favourite moments on any trip that I’ve done was hiking part of the Otter trail in South Africa. The coastline was stunning and at the end being able to relax under a waterfall by a tannin coloured lake was simply refreshing.