Running is one of the easiest activities to practice, in terms of having the necessary equipment. From a pair of running shoes to clothes to cover your body, not much is needed to run other than willpower. 

Sports like horse racing, for example, are a bit more extreme, the workouts and the races. They do, however, attract punters, who make use of online promotions and offers like this Ladbrokes Cheltenham 2021 offer to make the best of their online betting.

But, running can also be taken to the extreme. Marathons, while common nowadays, still require a lot of effort and preparation, not to mention willpower. Most people who practice regularly can finish a marathon, but the question is how quickly?

2021 is a new year, and after the global shutdown that was 2020, marathons will be a welcome sight to see and experience. Here are the ones to look forward to.

Boston Marathon

The Boston Marathon is one of those races which have a long tradition. Its first edition was in 1897, a year after the first Olympic Games and their marathon race. With such a long history, one can only expect the best in terms of organization and quality.

The race is located in the greater Boston area in the city of Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston race was supposed to be in April, as it always is, yet due to the global pandemic still having an effect on our population, the marathon was moved to October 2021. Unlike some marathons like the Tokyo one, it will be a real race and not a virtual one.

ArnoldReinhold, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons – cropped

Rome Marathon

Moving over to Europe, the capital of Italy, Rome, has hosted marathon races since 1982. This is not that long of a tradition compared to some other popular marathons around the world, but it is a race to look forward to.

It is to be held in September of 2021, again, moved from its usual months which are between January and April. Italy had its fair share of problems during the pandemic but it has since recovered enough to hold a marathon in their capital city.

Berlin Marathon

Similar to the Roman marathon, the Berlin marathon is a race with a relatively short tradition, dating back to 1974. It is notable, however, for other reasons. The last 7 world records have been set in Berlin, consecutively. The current record is held by Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, at 2:01:39, set in 2018.

This marathon will be held in September, as it usually is. This is one of the rare marathons which date was not changed, even though the 2020 edition was not held. 

Chicago Marathon

Another marathon which is part of the World Marathon Majors, the Chicago marathon is similar to the Berlin one in terms of age, dating back to 1977. Just like the Berlin marathon, it will be held in the latter half of the year, in October.

This is the marathon’s regular date, and not in spring, like most marathons are. Due to the pandemic, the marathon will be organized a bit differently, to make every runner’s experience as safe as possible.

Organizing a marathon during a global pandemic is really difficult and every marathon which is not virtual poses a certain risk.

Yet, these are the 2021 marathons to look forward to, real races with real people, running towards the same goal.