Top 5 Toughest Marathons in the World

Posted on 20 April 2016. Tags: Marathons, Toughest, World

It is the year 2016, and every sports fan knows that means one thing, Olympic Season preparations are underway.
One particular event that has always been associated with the Olympics, especially with the inauguration ceremony, is the marathon.

The story behind the marathon is quite interesting, too. Long ago the ancient Greeks needed assistance during one of their campaigns, so they sent a messenger, a man named Pheidippides, from Marathon to Athens to deliver news of the Greeks’ victory over the Persians, after he had run all the way to Sparta to request their
aid. And thus, the modern day marathon was born. As demonstrated above, marathons are no walk in the park; they are possibly the most grueling physical events an athlete can undergo. So without further ado, let’s take a look at the 5 most difficult ones a runner could tackle.

San Francisco Marathon:
This event is usually held in the months of June, July or August in San Francisco, California. The Wall Street Journal called it “the race all marathoners fear.” Although the route runs at a total of 26.2 miles, the biggest challenge will be the gargantuan hills that are a prominent feature of ‘Frisco’s topography.
The sudden elevation changes mean that the times will be a lot slower as the runners struggle through the steep course.
On the bright side, beyond the 6-mile marker, one can take in the marvelous views of the city as they run towards one end of the Golden Gate Bridge and double back again. Also provided the runners have any breath left, the views from the hills can be breathtaking.

Marathon des Sables:
The Marathon de Sables is a six-day, 251 km run through the dreaded Sahara desert in southern Morocco. If the length of the course doesn’t intimidate you, the fact that it’s a 251 km run through a scorching desert, that will. It is officially classified as an ultra marathon.
What makes this course such a challenge it that the sand is so fine that runners’ feet literally sink into the ground, which seriousl hampers progress, while on the hardpan surface the one thing to worry about is the soaring temperature, so there is virtually no part of the marathon that goes easy on the competitors.

North Pole Marathon:
If you thought running in the blistering heat was mad enough, this marathon takes it to a whole new level of crazy. Running in subzero temperatures requires a LOT of stamina and a strong heart.
The runners do 10 laps around the North Pole in a 2.6-mile radius before crossing the finish line close to the base camp.
If that is not dangerous enough, the other thing they need to be careful about is falling afoul of the local wildlife, namely polar bears which can easily outrun a human, but fortunately the organizers come armed in case of such an occurrence.

Great Wall Marathon:
China’s entry as one of the Seven Wonders of the World also offers a unique way of traversing its majestic walls, a marathon. Celebrated runners John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield ranked it as one of the 5 most difficult marathons in the world.
Although temperatures reach around 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit, conditions get warmer especially with the sun beating down on the competitors.
This race is so physically strenuous that even the race organizers advise participants to jog or even walk during the races since there are sections of the wall that run down steeply and sections that climb hillsides.

Inca Trail Marathon:
According to runner Jenny Hadfield, it is not just the countless number of stone steps that the marathoners have to contend with, it is also the several changing ecosystem that they pass through right from desert-like condition to dense jungle to rainforests to mountains.
There is also an elevation gain of 10000 feet!

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