Runs Around the World

Countries around the world hold all sorts of runs on an annual basis. Here we dig deeper into a few of these to get a feel for what runners around the world are training for.

Bay to Breakers — San Francisco, CA, USA
The Bay to Breakers race runs through downtown San Francisco from the SF Bay to Ocean Beach, where breakers crash into the sand. It at one point held the Guinness World Record for the largest race, coming in at over 110k participants. The race is well known for its party atmosphere, with some participants even wearing costumes while they run.

City2Surf — Sydney, NSW, Australia

City2Surf is held each year in Sydney, spanning from the Town Hall to Bondi Beach. It actually was inspired by SF’s Bay to Breakers, and staggers start times based on speed, such as one group for fast runners and a “Back of the Pack” group for walkers. While people have come from all over the world to run, and past winners include runners from as far as Tanzania and Finland, Australians have won most of the races and hold the course record.

Pinkathon — India

The Pinkathon, unlike the aforementioned races and many others around the world, actually varies its location year by year. The first race was held in 2012 in Mumbai, but the largest edition of the race, held in 2019, was in Panipat. The Pinkathon is also a purpose-based initiative — it is meant to help women around India adopt healthier lifestyles as well as increase awareness around breast cancer and other women’s health issues.

Kabaka Birthday Run — Kampala, Uganda

The Kabaka Birthday Run celebrates the birthday of the Buganda Kingdom’s King, His Majesty Ronald Muwenda Mutebi. Proceeds from the run go towards fighting HIV/AIDS in Uganda. The race aims to set a new running record within Africa, as well as draw visitors to Kampala, the country’s capital.

Dam tot Damloop — Amsterdam, Netherlands

The Dam tot Damloop, which translates to “Dam to Dam Run” in English, stretches from one dam to the other, Amsterdam to Zaandam, for 10 miles. Unlike the City2Surf, this race is dominated by international runners, the winners most frequently coming from Kenya. The race has continued to grow over the years, from around 10k in 1990 to nearly 40k in 2008.

Image Sources: Bay to Breakers, City2Surf, Pinkathon, Kabaka Birthday Run, Dam tot Damloop

Info Sources: Bay to Breakers, City2Surf, Pinkathon, Kabaka Birthday Run, Dam tot Damloop