Who run the world? Beyoncé was right.
Before the race, I had the opportunity to chat with marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe, who trained through two pregnancies. "It's great that you can run through pregnancy and you shouldn't be scared to," she told me. Indeed, I wasn't. Those 13.1-miles were my daughter's first race. It felt like a magical moment in a magical place—Paris and Disney— sharing my passion with my newest love. I like to think we bonded that day.
Spain: Bring a Cheerleader
The 2019 Barcelona Half Marathon broke its own participation records. Among the 19,000 registrants, 6,000 women and 8,500 foreign runners from 103 countries set all-time highs for the event. I was one of them. But the race was a highlight for me, too; it was the first time I brought my daughter to an international race. At two years old, she braved the red-eye flight and jet lag to cheer on runners. She shouted, clapped, and saw Mommy run the streets of a foreign city. Now she grabs her sneakers and says, “I need my bib!” Her race bib, of course.
Bermuda: Run On Vacation
More than ever, runners are traveling to other countries to race, according to RunRepeat. And women, it seems, love a good runcation. At the Bermuda Marathon Weekend, 57 percent of runners are women, many coming from abroad. The race’s signature color is pink, a nod to the island’s famous blush beaches. But don’t expect a sea of pink tutus and sparkle skirts. When the event held a pirate-themed costume contest in 2015, my husband and I were the only two people dressed for the occasion. We heard cheers islandwide over the course of the three-day Bermuda Triangle Challenge: “Arrrgh! It’s the pirates!” #WorthIt
Peru: Blend In… or Stand Out
When I showed up at the start of the Maraton RPP in Lima, Peru, I thought someone might notice my blue shirt, blue star arm sleeves, and stars-and-stripes socks. But I had no idea just how much I’d stand out. Every other runner—women and men included—wore the race-issued red shirt. There was an air of solidarity among them, storming the streets of Lima in uniform. Women, men, young, old, fast, slow all dressed and running as one. I suddenly wished I was “one” with them. But I got cheers of “Estados Unidos!” the entire race and was interviewed at the finish for television. Who was this crazy woman in stars and stripes? And why was she running in Lima? My answer was simple: “Why not?”
Israel: Show Up and Show Off
At the Jerusalem Marathon in Israel, I felt completely surrounded by men. It was the first thing I noticed as I entered the start corral. Women accounted for just 20 percent of marathon and half-marathon runners combined in 2014. Eventually, I spotted a number of women like me—in shorts or cropped tights—and also Orthodox women in long skirts with heads covered. I eyed them with admiration.
In 2019, the proportion of women rose to nearly 27 percent in the half and full marathon, and 40 percent overall including the 5K and 10K races. Meanwhile, ultra-Orthodox runner Beatie Deutsch was the top Israeli woman at the Jerusalem Marathon in 2018 and won the Israeli marathon national championships in 2019, long skirt and all.
Norway: It's All Relative
Norwegians are a speedy bunch. They’re the fifth fastest marathoners in the world, according to RunRepeat—a phenomenon I experienced first hand. At the Great Fjord Run near Bergen, the average American woman’s half-marathon time (2:34 according to RunningUSA) will land you at the back of the pack. I finished in 2:20:55 on the undulating, windy, and scenic course that crossed three fjords. That put me in the bottom 10 percent of finishers. (Pssst: An Open Letter to Runners Who Think They’re “Too Slow”) It’s no wonder that Grete Waitz, one of the greatest marathoners of all time, was Norwegian. But locals stuck around to spur me on just the same with a throaty cheer that sounded like, “Hi-Ya, Hi-Ya, Hi-Ya!” Translation: “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” Front, middle, or back of the pack—I’ve been in all three—I’ll keep going, indeed.
