I really love the idea of running a night marathon or half marathon. Running at night is a completely different experience, especially when it is pitch black and you rely solely on your head torch. You some how feel more alive and your senses seem more awake. Picking up on every sound and every little movement. Running feels different.
I have stumbled upon a night race in Benidorm. A half marathon, so a good distance, and given the location a good holiday for a long weekend with the family. The weather in Benidorm in March, when the race is held, averages 18-21C so it will be warm but not too hot, and given the race is at night it would be a little cooler. This is a great climate to run in, and given it is on the south Spanish coast you can almost guarantee the sun will be shining with very little chance of rain.
One of the big appeals to me for the half marathon in Benidorm is that the streets are traffic free. Training runs before the half could be fitted in with ease and I would not have to worry about safety from traffic passing by. The route also promises to be flat, so given the temperature should make for a fast race.
Benidorm also offers a variety of beautiful beaches. The views would be pretty fantastic running on the emblematic beaches of Levante and Poniente and the family could spend the duration of the race playing on the beaches and cheering on the runners too.
As is the case with many running events the whole weekend would have a festival feel to it. Exhibitions and pasta parties, as well as stalls and shops to browse through. The girls loved the last race we did abroad and are asking to do another. Benidorm would certainly appeal to them with the beaches, water parks and amusement parks.
Benidorm half marathon is certainly sounding very appealing, and given it is a relatively short flight would also make for the perfect long weekend break with the family. One I am certainly going to be looking a lot closer at!
This post is written in collaboration with Holidaygems.co.uk
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