Run to Vacation OR Vacation to Run?

Are you someone who plans your vacation around the races you want to run? Or are you someone who is looking for races to run while you are on vacation?


I will admit that over the past several years, we've both picked out races based on their locations.

Here are just a few of the "Racecations" We've been on in the past few years.

*Las Vegas

*Disney World in Florida

*Disneyland in California

*Baltimore, Maryland

*Atlantic City, New Jersey

*Virginia Beach,

*New York City

*Hershey, Pennsylvania

*Runner's World Headquarters in PA

*Honolulu, Hawaii

*Las Angeles, California

*Dallas, Texas

*Big Sur, California,

*Chicago

*Boston

Posts from all the above races can be found HERE.


What we've found from this, is that when we travel strictly for a race, it makes our time there exhausting! We leave there wanting to go back and visit that area again sans race.  Which I guess isn't exactly a bad thing. However, it can be difficult to visit places multiple times when you live on the opposite side of the country. Someday I will get back to Disneyland!

I don't have a lot of experience finding races while just on a family vacation. I suppose if I did, it would have to be a fairly small race that wouldn't monopolize a lot of my time and where logistics would be easy.  I would love to do the Castaway 5K while vacationing on a Disney Cruise!  Maybe someday I can get my whole family on board.


I have to admit that while on family vacations I don't even do a whole lot of running. If I'm on vacation, that's usually my time to relax. Of course if I'm traveling for leisure with a runner friend (like I did with Heather), we will find a way to get a fun run in.

 We took our first run around Disney, and our second run around the the island of Coco Cay.


 I also did a run with my sister in Niagara Falls because who can resist that beauty!  Other than that, I can't remember really "running" while on a true vacation. I definitely get in enough activity though even without running!   -M

Have you ran any races from our list above? Any that you'd like to run? What are your non running vacations like?


We will be linking up with the gals from TOTR.

22 comments:

  1. I've only traveled for one race--Big Sur--but there have been plenty of races run while on vacation.

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  2. If I have to travel (fly) for a race, I plan the vacation around the race. But I have learned that those races should just be races run for FUN, otherwise I am too stressed out on vacation because I am worried about my race goals! If it's just racing for "fun" then I am not stressed.

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    1. I can understand that. When vacations come first, if there happens to be a run there it is usually for fun! Heck, most of my races are just for fun these days anyway!

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  3. Because our racecations are truly vacations -- that is, most of the time we take a whole week, I don't feel that way about them. Mr. Judy actually isn't as active as me (ever) so that just naturally reigns me in a little. :) Plus he's not a morning person & I am, so it's relatively easy to get my runs in (and I get to see more, too).

    I've done Vegas. I've run in VA, HI, and many other states -- just run, not raced. Yet. :)

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    1. I'm going to try to run more places when I visit. It's a great way to see things!

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  4. True vacations are for me to relax too. I'll pack running gear to have just in case, but I won't plan days around a run. If I have time, and the weather is nice, I'll head out for a quick run, but nothing big. I'm usually busy enough on vacation.

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    1. That is true! We are usually busy as well. We rack a lot of walking miles on vacation!

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  5. I've definitely done both. I've planned vacations around Vegas and Disney based on races. But I've also just had relaxing vacations in a beautiful area, sometimes running and sometimes now.

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    1. When you vacation in a beautiful area with great places to run it makes it even better!

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  6. Proof I'm not a REAL runner. When I'm on vacation, I'm on vacation - which means forget working out - & food has no calories ;)

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    1. Haha, Do you walk? I love just walking around on vacation too versus taking transportation.

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  7. Back in 2009 we had a family trip to WDW already planned when I learned that the Tower of Terror 13K was taking place on our final night there. I registered for the race and had a blast running it without it interfering with any of our other plans. But that was back before Disney races sold out at the drop of a hat. Other than that I have run while on a few vacations if it was a beautiful place to run and I could squeeze it into our itinerary, such as on Martha's Vineyard, in Denmark, and on the deck of a cruise ship.

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    1. Those sound like lovely places to run!

      How fun that you got to sign up for a Disney race while you were already there on vacation! I too remember those days when you could sign up at the last minute. I'd love for Disney to bring back some other distance like the 13K. I ran it when it was the 10 Miler.

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  8. I kind of go both ways. I always ALWAYS run on vacation (I get it out of the way early) and if I travel for a race, I like to sightsee and do other things as well. This was especially true when I raced in Dublin and Berlin. That's way too far to travel and not enjoy vacay as well.

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  9. Yes, definitely enjoy making a vacation out of the race. That's especially what I did for Fort Lauderdale.
    I'd love to do Hersey or Runner's World HQ ones if they were easier to get to

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  10. I don't usually plan a trip around a race (though that certainly was all about RnR Vegas). I do try to find races if we're going some place...I like finding little local races in obscure places.

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  11. I specifically plan my vacations around races. Usually I will stay a few extra days, especially if my boyfriend or family is with me so we can explore the area. When I did Pittsburgh I was pretty exhausted and would have loved more time to visit the city/see more. But when I was in Atlanta for Peachtree we did get a chance to go out to several spots in the city and see lots of different things so that was nice!

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  12. I don't usually plan vacations around races, though I did plan a vacation around the Paris Marathon a couple of years ago which was awesome! I haven't been to any of the places you've racecationed to, but I am running the Chicago Marathon this year. Normally I plan vacations around sightseeing and some kind of outdoor activity (I especially like scuba diving locations and winter sports!)

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  13. A good bit of our vacations have been planned around races for the past several years. And if I happen to be visiting family out of town, I usually try to find a local 5K or something to run. Fun times!

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  14. Vegas RnR was one of my favorite runs ever! It is fun to run in new cities and a great way to explore

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  15. I also find myself picking races based on their locations as well, lol

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