Next Marathon!

I am constantly looking for opportunities to use points or different airlines to be able to review for you all and show how you can use the points you earn for different awards to different places. If there is a marathon in one of those locations, all the better! I love being able to go to different places for free or next to it and it always fun to experience a new city by running 26.2 miles around it.

Anyway, there is a marathon that I had always wanted to do but had never really able to swing for schedule’s sake. This year, I will be doing it! I am headed to the UAE for the Dubai marathon next month! I will not be looking to set any new PRs since I am just throwing it in there, but I had the opportunity to try some new (to me) airlines and their first and business class cabins so I thought I would combine it by running Dubai while I was there and reviewing it when I get back. I have heard great things about it – the big thing is that it is known to be the world’s richest running event with a prize purse of $1,00,000! That includes $100,000 for men and women for setting a world record there. The rest is distributed to the first 10 men and first 10 women. Not too bad! Now I’m wishing I was in better shape for this one! 🙂

Of course, in addition to those prizes, Dubai also boasts as having the world’s tallest building in which the start/finish line is in the shadow of. Also, it has the largest mall in the Middle East (for those of you guys who need help convincing your wives that this would make a nice trip:) ). In addition to all of that, the second fastest man in the history of the marathon will be competing there this year – Moses Mosop. He was the second place finisher at Boston in 2011 running a 2:03:06.

Anyway, I am looking forward to it. My itinerary is a little crammed since I will be flying with six airlines in the space of 5 days (4 1/2 days really). I will actually be on the ground in Dubai for less than 24 hours. But it should be ok, because I have never been able to be picked up at the finish line by a chauffeured Mercedes to be taken to the airport and then shower from the race while flying at 38,000 feet! I hope you look forward to the reviews!