The seven marathons are run in different settings and in different parts of Taiwan. There is always a marathon coming up, except during the grilling hot months of summer.
Marathons in the First Half of the Year
In January, there is the Kinmen Marathon held in the Kinmen National Park, basically a scenic course for most of the 42.2 km. In February, the action continues in Tainan. The Tainan Ancient Capital City Marathon starts at the City Hall of Tainan and takes the runners back along the memory lane to visit many buildings and streets, looking the way they did a hundred and fifty years ago. In March, the Taipei Freeway Marathon is run, the first of the two marathons run in the capital city of Taipei every year. This race course is mostly flat and is one of the fastest course in Taiwan. April sees the Taitung Taiyuan Valley Scenic Marathon, the second of the three scenic marathons in Taiwan, run in the valley of Taiyuan, at Taitung.
Marathons in the Second Half of the Year
Runners in Taiwan take a summer break and return to race in October at the Taichung Boulevard Marathon, the first major event in Autumn. In November, marathons gather at Taroko National Park, Hualien, for the last scenic marathon of the year, the Taroko Gorge Marathon. The runners' year close in December with a grand finale at Taipei again with Taiwan's biggest marathon. The Taipei Marathon is the best known marathon in Taiwan and takes its runners throughout the central city district and many landmark buildings and historical attractions of the capital city. It is also the truly international event.
The Shorter Races and the Ultra-Marathons
On top of the marathon races, the Taiwanese runners are occupied in between the long races by numerous 5km and 10km races. Taiwanese runners are also renowned ultra-marathoners with a few ultra-marathons organised in different locations throughout the cool seasons. Some of the ultra-marathons are time-trials run in the standard athletic track where the runners race with the clock to cover the longest distance within 5, 10, or even 12 hours. Others are fixed distance ultra-marathons where competitors try to beat the fellow racers at the distances between 60km and 100km, mostly run on the road.
Where to Find Information
The official organization for long distance road races in Taiwan is the Chinese Taipei Road Running Association. They have made it easier for overseas runners to learn about the Taiwan road races through their website. Online registration is possible with many of the bigger races. Many travel agents organize package tours to take overseas runners to the events and other attractions. Overseas visitors traveling with the tours, or by themselves, will find Taiwanese locals friendly and welcoming, just like the mild Taiwan winter. English is spoken, and English road signs are used widely in Taipei but not in the other cities, towns and rural areas. Internet access is widely available throughout the major cities.
