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Keith Chan

There are many reasons fitness-minded travellers like to go for a run during a holiday. They may want to stay in shape on the road, burn off extra calories, explore new places, or simply maintain their fitness routines. But a “runcation” is more than just squeezing a run into your itinerary; it’s to plan for a holiday around a race or experience.
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You don’t need to be a devoted athlete or running enthusiast to enjoy the benefits of a runcation either, as the average runners can also enjoy the sights and sounds of a city and the fun of running together with thousands of other runners. These experiences will certainly make your holiday memorable.

When it comes to a runcation, most runners prefer to join a major running event, such as a marathon, instead of exploring new places on their own. Today, most major cities around the world have their own marathon. Called big city marathons, these races are usually better organised and attract thousands of participants. As these events usually take place in the city centre, there is also an opportunity to explore the different parts of the city with cheering spectators lining the course.
Runners from Hong Kong can be found at virtually all major marathons across the world, particularly the “Big Six” (The six World Marathon Majors of Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York and Tokyo), which are high on the bucket list of most runners. Osaka, Tokyo, Taipei, Singapore, Sydney and Bangkok are among the most popular city marathons in the Asia-Pacific. The Osaka Marathon in December has remained the most popular event for Hongkongers, attracting around 1,500 runners from the city each year.

Planning a runcation is vastly different than any other holiday. You should start early because registration for a marathon usually closes a few months before the race. For most marathons, you can apply on the official website during the registration period. Entries are usually allocated on first-come-first-served or ballot basis. For marathons such as Boston and New York, runners also need to meet various qualifying times. You also need to book accommodation as early as possible because hotel rooms near the starting point of a big race usually fill up quickly, sometimes as soon as the date is announced. You also need to arrive the destination at least a day before the race to collect your race package.
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If these sound like too much of a hassle to you, you can consider joining one of the marathon tours organised by travel agencies. These tours usually include airfare, accommodation, race entry and sightseeing before and after the event. There are also packages that include only race entry and accommodation.
In Hong Kong, most large travel agencies offer marathon tours or packages to various parts of the world as part of their sports programmes, including Morning Star Travel, Wing On Travel, EGL Tours and Flight Centre. There are also travel agencies specialising in marathon programmes such as MWbase Travel and GLO Travel. With the popularity of marathons in Japan, Japanese travel agencies in Hong Kong such as Kintetsu International and JTB have joined the market with a selection of marathon packages. Apart from marathons and road races, there are also tours and packages for trail running and triathlon.

According to Man Kit, founder of MWbase Travel, Japan and Taiwan are the top runcation destinations for Hongkongers. “These two are popular travel destinations for the general public, and because there are so many marathons in these two destinations throughout the year, it’s easy for the customers to find a race that can suit their schedules,” he said.
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Man said timing and duration are the most important consideration for most customers in choosing a runcation package because they need to make sure that they can take annual leave on those days. Therefore, the company allows clients lots of flexibility in customising their itineraries and activities.
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The six majors – Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York and Tokyo – as well as other races around the world provide the opportunity for a ‘runcation’ – a holiday planned around a race
