Exotic Destination

Loch Ness Marathon and Festival of Running, U.K.

One of the strange aspects of running a point-to-point marathon is the bus ride out to the start. Both of the most famous marathons in the world, Boston and New York, require a nervous bus trip, and neither are terribly scenic. By contrast, Scotland’s Loch Ness Marathon begins with a full tour of the western side of the famous body of water from which the race gets its name. The narrow, twisty A82 highway tightly follows the Loch, which is close to marathon distance at just over 36 kilometres in length. The loch’s water is inky black due to the high peat levels and its depth (230 m), and about halfway to the start, Urquhart Castle sits on the side of the water. Its ruins date back to the 13th century, when the castle was fought over several times, beginning with the first Scottish War of Independence (think Braveheart). All of this in just the first 15 minutes, and you haven’t even started running yet.

After making it around the southern tip of the race, thousands of runners are deposited in one of the most jaw-dropping and bizarre locations for the start of a marathon anywhere in the world, atop the Scottish Highlands, in a barren field of scrub and marsh. Below you can see the distance of the Loch you’re about to follow all the way back to the city of Inverness. The finisher rate of this race must be high, as the course follows the waterway tightly on one side, and, for the most part, forest on the other, giving runners not many options to drop out. But you’re not going to want to miss a step of this impressive course.

The Loch Ness Marathon, now going into its second decade of existence, is a well-oiled machine. The nearly 5,000 marathoners are welcomed to the start with music on the loudspeakers, dozens of porta-potties and even hot tea and coffee – essential in 2017 because it rained and the wind howled (luckily, it generally provides a tailwind for runners). The course itself is simple and spectacular: runners descend (at first steeply) from the Highland start, down to the Loch and then follow a quiet (and closed) country road all the way back to Inverness, the host city for the race. The organization is top-notch, with plentiful aid stations and a surprising number of locals who emerge from the edge of their farmland to cheer you on. Oh, and there are lots of confused sheep.

To the left, the views of the Loch are more or less constant and breathtaking. Of course, the body of water has become

globally famous because of the fictitious monster, supposedly first spotted in 1933. But it’s a shame that Nessie has become the focus, as the loch itself is alluring enough to warrant exploration. And what better way to take it in than running its entire length.

The marathon’s last 5k meander around the edge of Inverness, the only city of any size in the immediate area. The finishing mile fittingly crosses the river, which runs from the northern tip of the Loch Ness, and then follows along the riverbank into a large park. This homestretch features a constant view of Inverness Castle, and is lined with what must be pretty much every local, out to support this impressive and uniquely stunning marathon.