2025 Running & Travelling Plans
Hello people, welcome to my 2nd edition of my blog. Here to help you better understand the world of running and travelling.
Today’s blog I thought I would share my running and travelling plans for 2025:
What events across the globe I am running in
Why I decided to choose these ones
2024 was a big year for travelling and running. I ran two marathons and one ultra marathon all in the space of 6 months and managed to covered 4 countries (one of them being a small holiday getaway to Italy, I needed a break from all the running). I learned a lot from all of those races from missing out on my sub 3 hour marathon goal in the Copenhagen Marathon to finally achieving it at the Chicago Marathon but more on that story in another blog post. I hope my insights can enlighten you with some ideas and thoughts on how to plan your next trip or race.
The Plan
April: Istria100 by UTMB, Croatia
- This is a 42km (26 miles) which starts at the bottom of the medieval town in northern Croatia of Motovun and finishes at the seafront in Umag. I’ve been to Croatia before and loved my time there travelling from Split on a sailing yacht, island hopping all the way down to Dubrovnik. Whilst not considered one of the toughest or the most challenging ultra’s, it has all the elements of one. Perfect for a beginner looking to get into long distance running.
- I’m running this race with two of my friends and why we decided to pick this race was because we wanted to explore a part of a country which we figured not a lot of people would considering visiting. Umag is an old seafront town dated back to the Roman times, it is known for its marina and holiday destination for the locals. It welcomes a host of sport events such as the ATP tournament, sailing, biking, running and not to mention it was the runner up of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest Rim Tim Tagi Dim by Baby Lasagna! A destination of beaches, quant old town buildings and sporting activities it was pretty much a no brainer for us.
June: Comrades Marathon, South Africa
- The legendary Comrades Marathon is the world's oldest and largest Ultramarathon. The 98th running of Comrades Marathon 2025 will be a 'down run'. The race was the brainchild of WWI veteran Vic Clapham to commemorate South African soldiers killed during the war. Clapham himself had endured a 2,700km trek through East Africa during the war and wanted the memorial to be a supreme test of physical endurance. To some this is considered one of the great ultimate tests of the human spirit in the running community.
- The race runs between Durban and Pietermaritzburg and alternates each year between an ‘up’ run starting from Durban and the ‘down’ run starting from Pietermaritzburg, taking on the challenging ‘Big Five’ set of hills. The race is roughly 90 km ( 2 marathons back-to-back) and has over 24,000 entry places. All runners must complete the course in under 12 hours and must also reach a number of cut-off points at certain times to continue the race. To enter, runners need to complete an official qualifying marathon in under 4 hours and 50 minutes.
- This race will test my physical and mental strength, while traversing unforgettable and stunning landscapes. It is a must do for any long distance runner and this will be my Misogi for 2025.
December: Valencia Marathon, Spain
- The Valencia Marathon is considered of the most popular and fastest marathons in Europe and the World. With it’s flat road surface, cool temperatures and ease of entry compared to the Abbott World Marathon Majors it’s easy to see why people flock to this event to get a PB. The current course record is 2:01:48 by Sisay Lemma.
- Last year I had a goal of completing a sub 3 hour marathon which I finally achieved at the Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:58. It took me 3 attempts, spread over a year and half to finally get this and it made me understand the training, the discipline and the drive required in order to complete such an ambitious goal. Now, being accompanied with my friends I am now wanting to achieve an ambitious new marathon PB time of 2 hours 50 mins. Chicago made me realise that hard work really does pay off and now I want to see how much and how far I can push my physical and mental endurance. I cannot wait to start training for this event but there are milestones that need my attention first.
I have some days of annual leave left which I am planning on using as an actual holiday and not just another marathon excursion. I haven’t quite decided what I will do with it but I’m sure it will involve me not running. I will keep you posted on my plans
Final Thoughts
Training for endurance events are tough. But it’s important to remember that it’s about journey, not just the destination. Whether you're preparing for a marathon, triathlon, ultramarathon, or an ironman, each one shares a commonality through every training plan: consistency, patience, dedication, sacrifice and having the mindset to push through those tough moments.
As you get closer to race day, remember that the hours of training, the tiredness and those early morning sessions aren't just about physical preparation—it was about developing resilience. Along the way, you’ll face moments of doubt and fatigue—when your mind tells you to stop and your body aches for rest. But it’s in those moments that you realise endurance is more about perseverance than anything else. It’s about showing up when things get hard, trusting that every small effort adds up to something big.
There is a beauty in endurance training, what I’ve found is that it teaches you how to embrace discomfort. It shows you that what feels and looks impossible at the start becomes manageable with time and persistence. You have to take the good days with the bad ones. It’s those moments of self-doubt when you learn the most about yourself—when you realise that, with the right mindset and saying ‘yes I can do this’ or ‘just take another step, then another and another…’, you can handle and push more than you ever thought possible.
Remember, the finish line is just a part of the journey. It’s not about the medal or the time—it’s about the person you become along the way. Training for endurance events is about building resilience, patience, and the ability to keep moving forward, no matter the challenge. It’s a reminder that you can do hard things. And when you cross that finish line, you’ll know you’ve earned more than just completing the race, you’ll have earned a deeper understanding of your own strength. Keep going—because the journey itself is the true victory. Don’t just talk about it, be about it. Keep showing up.
For accountability I will be sharing my training, thoughts and preparation all via my Instagram and on Strava if you fancy following along on my journey (the kudos would be appreciated).
Weekly Podcast Episode Rec:
Rich Roll - Dr. David Spindler, The Neuroscience of Elite Performance.
An awesome insight into how the mind affects an elite athlete’s performance using neuroscience and psychology. He introduces a concept that he uses with his athletes called ‘happy watts’ which is the idea that contentment and happiness with one’s self is a correlating factor which can increase an athletes time to exhaustion. This episode really dives deep in to how athletes can unlock their true potential through certain strategies. A really fascinating episode if you’re a sport science nerd. Link in the description above.
Life/Travel/Running Hack
Like most of us I need to take my house key’s out with me when I go for a run and all they do is jingle and rattle in my pocket. Honestly, I sound like I’m dragging Santa’s sleigh behind me.
Now instead of taking all my keys, I just take they key(s) I need to get into my home and tie them through my shoelaces. There so light I don’t even know they’re there and they also don’t rattle when I run, it’s just like having a racing tag on your shoe. See the pic on my Instagram post so you know what I’m talking about. Give it a try.
Something I’m pondering ‘Food for Thought’
“Everyone is jealous of what you’ve got, no one is jealous of how you got it.” Jimmy Carr.
Thanks for reading and subscribing.
It’s better to miss home than it is too miss out on the world.
