Runners seem to have a natural sense of adventure. It’s what lures us to seek out new challenges, to test ourselves and discover what we’re capable of. It makes sense then, that once we’ve reached a certain point and achieved a particular goal, we have the urge to find another one.
That’s where the idea of running a race overseas usually comes in to play. Today, there is hardly a country in the world where you can’t pitch up, pin a number on and take part in some sort of event. From jungle marathons in the Amazon to famous road runs through some of the planet’s most iconic cities, you can seek out and conquer just about any sort of event that takes your fancy.
There is a lot more to consider when planning a race abroad than your usual preparations, as you might expect. MR has come up with 10 tips to make sure you don’t end up wishing you’d stayed at home.
1. PASSPORT
You’ll get as far as the check-in desk and no further without it, obviously, but even if you do remember it you’ll need to make sure it’s valid.
2. TRAVEL INSURANCE
This is as vital for an overseas running trip as it was when you went looking for skirt in Tenerife as a teenager. Then, you probably needed it in case you required your stomach pumped or developed an itch down there. Now, you’ll need it in case you pick up a nasty injury or suffer in unusual conditions. Don’t leave home without it, although that, technically, applies to the whole of this list.
3. LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
Not the sort of information which means you can navigate your way to the nearest gentleman’s establishment in your destination town, but find out about the place you’re going to and whether you need to make any specific plans. The foreign and commonwealth office is a mine of useful travel advice on foreign destinations.
4. DOCUMENT COPIES
We’re starting to sound like your mum, admittedly, but having duplicates of the photo page in your passport and other travel documents that you can store in electronic format somewhere on the internet is a good idea.
5. TIME IT RIGHT
Depending on how far away your race is, you need to allow for time to get the journey out of your legs and become familiar with the route from your accommodation to the start and, if possible, reccie part of the route.
6. ASK THE EXPERTS
Booking your race with a reputable travel operator takes a lot of the stress out of running overseas. We’re all for the spirit of adventure at MR Towers and you could, of course, plan and book everything yourself, but there are plenty of good companies out there who will do the spade work for you.
7. GET THE NEEDLE
If you’re going somewhere that requires inoculations, book yourself in to the quack and get your jabs in plenty of time, especially if they’re going to jab you in the arse. No one wantsto sit on a long flight with a rear end like a bruised banana.
8. FEEL THE POWER
Whether it’s your phone, flipcam or GPS watch, something will need charging before race day, and if you haven’t got the right plug for the sockets they use where you’re going, each of those gadgets will be as useful to you as a one-legged man in an arse-kicking contest.
9. LEARN THE LINGO
This obviously only applies to places where they don’t speak English and will be more important if you are travelling independently. The most useful pre-race phrase to learn will probably be: “Can you tell me where the toilets are, please.”
10. WRITE A LIST
Probably with all these points on it. And write it long before you leave. In fact, when you decide you want to run in an overseas race, making this list should be the first thing you do so you leave nothing to chance.
