Looking for a new year challenge that combines a fast course with a picturesque setting and fantastic atmosphere?
From the beautiful city of Naples in Italy to the stunning Czech Republic capital of Prague, these are two great venues for distance runners who are keen to target events next year.
Registrations are open already for this trio of top races…
Napoli City Half-Marathon – February 23
Prague Half-Marathon – April 5
RunCzech Prague Marathon – May 4
The Napoli City Half Marathon is a great early-season target for runners and features a fast and scenic course. February is the perfect time for running in this part of Italy with temperatures of 12-15C expected on this largely seaside route. Keep an eye out for the famous volcano Vesuvious in the backdrop too.
Among the Brits who raced in Naples in 2024, Emile Cairess clocked a PB of 60:01 a few months before placing fourth in the Olympic marathon in Paris.
Napoli City Half (RunCzech)
Italian records have also been set on this course and if you want some post-race food then where better than the home of pizza?
Naples also has seven castles, intriguing catacombs, one of the most used funicles in the world, a 13th-century church and the largest European port.
Prague Half (RunCzech)
The Prague Half Marathon will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025 and is part of the prestigious Super Halfs series. This year it saw 15,500 runners from 115 countries taking part with the winning time on this fast course a blistering 58:24 by Sabastian Sawe.
Prague has been a popular pitstop for stag and hen parties over the years but it is also flooded with runners during the spring in particular.
At the time of writing it is 70% sold out and expected to fill up entirely during November.
Prague Marathon (RunCzech)
The Prague Marathon will be celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2025 with an expected line-up of 10,000 runners. The event, which first took place in 1995, starts and finishes at the Old Town Square and sees entrants running along the Vltava river and over the iconic Charles Bridge.
This year 53% of the runners were from outside the Czech Republic, making it a truly international field, with runners from 91 different countries. Sign up now to take advantage of the early-bird entry fee.
The racing aside, Prague has around 150 museums, galleries and historic spots. The city isn’t just a pretty face either, as it’s one of the greenest cities in Europe, with over half of the area of the city covered in parks, forests, and gardens. Perfect for runners!
Register for these races here…
Napoli City Half-Marathon – February 23
Prague Half-Marathon – April 5
RunCzech Prague Marathon – May 4
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