Run Away from Winter

For an East Coast runner, the post-marathon season looks pretty bleak. Darkness, cold and ice loom on the horizon and hats and gloves become the uniform for the long month ahead. Even the park, a hub for moving legs, becomes silent and lonely. For a long distance runner, this is a tough period, when having a goal to train toward really helps the focus.  Having a target that involves sun, and sand sounds blissful. And is a surefire way to get you out of the door… into the cold!

Perk up your winter by booking a winter getaway race this winter. Better yet take a group of friends and make it more than a race. A rewarding holiday really breaks up the winter season and will help you write out a meaningful schedule that will ensure you don’t pack on the pounds over the holidays.

First Choice: Puerto Rico is close and cheap. The world’s best 10K, on March 1, is flat, fast and fun. Race Director Raffi Accosta won the highly acclaimed race director’s race of the year award for this event. “The whole of San Juan seemingly comes out to watch this one,” says Hector Riveira of Urban Athletics, “and with a finishers medal you’ll be a true hero in every bar you celebrate in!”
Bonus: Paula Radcliffe set the world record for the 10K here so it is definitely a PR in Puerto Rico for you. www.worldbest10k.com

Second Choice: Bermuda race weekend. The long weekend January 16-18 offers running events from the mile to the marathon making this an ideal family vacation. “It’s on the water, along the harbor, the whole island gets behind this event,” says Upper East Sider Mary Darling. “But be warned it is a challenging marathon.”
Bonus: Enter quickly as only 4,000 people can enter, because the event is part of the quad centennial celebrations of the island. Did I mention the island has pink sand? www.bermudaraceweekend.com

Third Choice is a Charm: Miami Marathon. January 25, 2009. It’s a surreal feeling in January to leave New York one cold evening and wake up the next morning to race in shorts. Watch the sun come up with palm trees dotting along the horizon on wide Miami roads in this big race with a small town feeling. Moshe Turk of Team Lifelife, Manhattan says, “You can come down here for a week, run this superb race, and go home feeling so relaxed, totally worth it.”
Bonus: Great hotel deals to be found in the party capital of Florida. Ancillary Half Marathon and 5K. www.ingmiamimarathon.com

Glorious Fourth Choice: Honolulu Marathon. December 14, 2008. An excuse to go to Hawaii, coffee on the beach swinging in your hammock for breakfast after a jog on the beach? The only reason this does not get the first choice rating is that the winds on race day can be extreme. “What a change from Manhattan to run with that clean ocean breeze,” says New Yorker Andrey Baranov.
Bonus: A sublime pre race pasta dinner with true Hawaiian entertainment; make sure to pack the ukulele. www.honolulumarathon.org

Last but Not Least: Gasparilla Distance Classic 15Km. February 28, 2009. Once the classic 15K of the world,  this Tampa race has lost its elite athletes but not its charm and allure. “I got a $100 flight,” says New York Road Runner member Camille Wiener, “and I soooo needed it by January!”
Bonus: A four-leg marathon relay makes it perfect for your Spring break partners to fooled into working off their gut as only they go the full distance. www.tampabayrun.com