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Take steps to make sure your overseas race is an epic running experience.

Globetrotting to a race—so romantic. Imagine the Facebook posts, and the possibilities. I did.

Two days later I was toeing the line at a boutique half-marathon—the Llao Llao 21K—in Bariloche, Argentina, a small adventure-oriented city in the foothills of the Southern Andes.

Known for its chocolate industry, Bariloche is surrounded by the kinds of places travel writers keep to themselves. It’s smack-dab in Patagonia, where broad rivers lumber by snow-capped pyramids, spilling into ocean-like lakes, and December means the start of summer, not winter.

An escape from winter—that alone could justify the trip. The Llao Llao hotel— base of operations, start and finish—also could. The “World’s Best” resort and spa has the riddle of refinement solved; it’s five-star and unpretentious. Running shoes welcome and Vibram-soled trekkers a norm.

And it’s all about the environment. The Llao Llao occupies a peninsula hilltop in Nahuel Huapi National Park—nearly two million acres of calving glaciers, “monkey puzzle” trees, and an alpine trail system (complete with huts, or refugios) that’s ripe for running.

So I’m here. I’m in. I made it. The day is warm, and breezy like spring. Idyllic describes it. The start time? 11 a.m. A 400-person group stretches to “Gangnam Style,” and the countdown begins. Local heavies from rival provinces Rio Negro and Chubut front my wave—the only wave. Toward the back, it’s more of a celebration of the day; it borders on a dance party.

The stage is set for a destination race to remember. Sleep deprivation adds to the euphoria. And we’re off.

A while later I’m shuffling up the last pitch, the finish-line banner held taut by some sort of dream just in front of me. Did I win?

Kind of. It was the single-best running experience of my life.

But it takes more than dumb luck and a wad of pesos to guarantee a great destination-race experience. Here’s what I learned: essential tips for would-be runner-travelers.

Do Start With The Destination

And this is critical. Start by choosing a destination—somewhere you’ve always wanted to go. Then schedule your vacation around, not for, the race.

Don’t Make It An “A” Race

Planes, trains, and automobiles—not to mention jet lag—don’t make for fast running. Best to think of this as a “run,” and plan it during your off-season or as a training (tempo) run leading up to a goal race. Your ability to “let go” and to run for fun is directly related to how far you should or shouldn’t travel.

Do Race First

By racing toward the beginning of your trip, you’ll have your only “obligation” out of the way. You’ll be able to eat (Argentine asado, for one) and have the option to drink your way through the rest of your vacation, and you’ll have time to act on advice from your new runner-friends—local people with similar interests to yours.

Do Run Blind

Running an unfamiliar course makes every turn a discovery and every view a surprise. It also encourages running at a sustainable pace; when you don’t know if a climb continues for 200 meters or two miles, you’re more likely to stay within your limits (and to enjoy every aspect of the experience).

Do Wear The Race T-Shirt

Unlike U.S. runners who slip on their tried and true race kits, runners in many other countries wear the race T-shirt during the race. The camaraderie resulting from this simple gesture is surprising. Don the race tee, and barriers like language and nationality crumble; you’re united by a common goal. But, plan accordingly. Pulling on an unworn, unwashed tech tee just before a race can end badly. Pack an anti-friction cream or give your nips the courtesy of a Band-Aid.

Do Make It A Family Affair

In this life, you either grow together or you grow apart, and few memories compare to those of family travel. Many events offer races of different distances, so there’s something for everyone. At the Llao Llao 21K, runners can choose from the half-marathon (21K), 15K or 9K. Traveling with kids? Childcare is a new idea for most race organizers, and it’s not offered at every hotel.

… OR DON’T

Bringing sand to the beach isn’t always a good idea. And, depending on the destination, it can be disastrous—haunt you for the rest of your years. Running is a great way to meet people, and by taking part in an event, you’re initiated—no longer a tourist. The smaller, more intimate (and remote) the event, the more likely you are to get to know your fellow runners.

Do More Than Race

It seems obvious, but the days leading up to and including the event should make up only a third of your stay. If you’ve done it right, the memory of the race will be just one of many souvenirs.

The Llao Llao 21K is part of the four-race National Parks Marathon Series. For more information, go to www.runargentina.com.

This piece first appeared in the February 2013 issue of Competitor magazine.

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Dado, Kirui come out on top in The Big Apple. 

NEW YORK–Two-person races played out on both the men’s and women’s sides here at the seventh edition of the NYC Half Marathon, with Firehiwot Dado and Peter Kirui getting the best of Kim Smith and Deriba Merga, respectively.  Dado backed up her surprise ING New York City Marathon victory last November, breaking the tape in an event record 1:08:35, while Kirui ran 59:39, the second-fastest time ever here.

Early on in Central Park the 30-year-old Smith, who recently came back to the United States from a training stint in her native New Zealand, went to the front, leading the way up and down the park’s famous hills at a sub-67 minute pace.  Running on Smith’s heels, just as she did to Buzunesh Deba in last November’s marathon here, Dado was waiting to make a move and take over the lead.

“She’s also a very strong runner, and she led almost the whole way,” explained Dado after the race through a translator.  ”I was feeling some fatigue, but I was able to keep up with her and bide my time to kick.”

The break would come with a little over 800m to go as the tandem worked their way up and out of the Battery Park Underpass on the southern tip of Manhattan to the final 300 meter straightaway to the finish line in Water Street.

“She kind of took it out, took off a little bit up that little rise in the tunnel, after the tunnel, and I just was feeling pretty tired at that point, and she got away,” said Smith.  Hoping that Dado would fade as they neared the finish, Smith was trying to match the move.  ”I just tried to tell myself she must be hurting as much as me, but obviously she wasn’t,” she laughed.

Dado was feeling some fatigue, she said later, but not as much as Smith.  Crossing in a new event record of 1:08:35, Dado is now two-for-two in the Big Apple.

“I’m very happy to have broken the course record; it helps me prepare for my next race,” said Dado, who will now turn her attention to next month’s Boston Marathon.

Behind her, Smith would finish in 1:08:43 –also breaking Caroline Rotich’s one year-old event record on a different course– while American Kara Goucher placed third in 1:09:12, running most of the race alone. Dutchwoman Hilda Kibet and American Janet Cherobon-Bawcom would round out the top five.  An impressive 15 women broke 72 minutes, and 11 of the top-30 set personal best times.

“Honestly, with Kim in the race I kind of expected it to go quick,” said Goucher, who just qualified for her third Olympic team.  But when the Olympian hit the 5K mark in about 16-minutes, and saw the leaders 30-seconds ahead, she realized the pace was a bit too hot for her liking.  ”My body doesn’t work that way, at least not right now, so they were gone.”

Desiree Davilla, recently second in the USA Olympic Marathon Trials, used the race as an indicator of her fitness, and placed ninth in 1:10:44.

On the men’s side, Deriba Merga took off from the gun, immediately separating himself from the majority of the field. The only two athletes to maintain contact were Kenya’s Peter Kirui and Deriba’s Ethiopian compatriot Feyisa Lilesa, the bronze medalist at last year’s IAAF World Championships Marathon.

Similar to Smith and Dado, Merga and Kirui would soon have the roads to themselves, dueling their way out of Central Park, through Times Square, and down the West Side Highway.  In the early kilometers they were running at a sub-59:00 pace.

“I and him, we start faster,” said Kirui post-race.  Merga added, “I did not expect that any other people would come with us at the beginning because I knew the pace was extremely high.”

Not until the final 800 meters did Kirui begin to use his track speed, the same speed that propelled the 24-year-old to the Kenyan 10,000m title last year.  Running north on Water Street towards the finish, Kirui opened a gap, ultimately crossing the line nine seconds up on Merga, 59:39 to 59:48. Lilesa would take third (1:00:45) before a pack of 12 athletes led by Kenya’s Wesley Korir would cross the finish line in a span of just 33 seconds, from 1:01:19 to 1:01:52.

“I tried to stay with the pack as long as possible and at probably eleven and a half miles, I finally got gapped,” said Dathan Ritzenhein, who finished at the tail end of that pack in 15th place.  ”It was kind of a struggle the last two miles.”

Placing fifth through seventh were a trifecta of Nike Oregon Track Club athletes –Sam Chelanga, Kevin Chelimo, and Chris Thompson– who finished within four seconds of each other.  Both Chelimo and Thompson made successful half-marathon debuts in 1:01:21 and 1:01:23, respectively.  The top American was Meb Keflezighi, twelfth in 1:01:41.

The race recorded a record 15,331 finishers and, according to race director Mary Wittenberg, raised $4.8 million for charity.

“What an unbelievable day and week,” Wittenberg said in an e-mail to her staff today.

Top Results
MEN – 1. Peter Cheruiyot Kirui, KEN, 59:39 PB; 2. Deriba Merga, ETH, 59:48; 3. Feyisa Lilesa, ETH, 1:00:45; 4. Wesley Korir, KEN, 1:01:19 PB; 5. Sam Chelanga, KEN, 1:01:19 PB; 6. Kevin Chelimo, KEN, 1:01:21 DB; 7. Chris Thompson, GBR, 1:01:23 DB; 8. Scott Overall, GBR, 1:01:25 PB; 9. Marilson Gomes Dos Santos, BRA, 1:01:26; 10. Michael Shelley, AUS, 1:01:27 PB.
WOMEN – 1. Firehiwot Dado, ETH, 1:08:35 ER/PB; 2. Kim Smith, NZL, 1:08:43; 3. Kara Goucher, USA, 1:09:12; 4. Hilda Kibet, NED, 1:09:42; 5. Janet Cherobon-Bawcom, USA, 1:09:55 PB; 6. Madai Perez, MEX, 1:10:05; 7. Lisa Weightman, AUS, 1:10:10; 8. Caroline Rotich, KEN, 1:10:17; 9. Desiree Davila, USA, 1:10:44; 10. Bekelech Bedada, ETH, 1:10:54 PB.

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Flynn, Merachi take CareFirst Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Half Marathon.

WASHINGTON, DC – With sunny skies and the cherry blossoms in full bloom throughout the city, the first SunTrust Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Marathon & CareFirst Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Half Marathon took place amidst a sea of green on St. Patrick’s Day to crown a familiar champion. Prolific marathoner Michael Wardian won the men’s marathon on Saturday morning, completing the 26.2-mile course in 2 hours, 26 minutes and 35 seconds. The 37-year-old Arlington, VA resident previously won the National Marathon five times and, from the cheers of his name along the route,  is no doubt one of the most popular runners in the District of Columbia.

“It’s weird I don’t usually get nervous, but when you’ve had a lot of success somewhere, you can only go down,” said Wardian, who was briefly challenged at 12 miles by second place finisher Travis Barczak, but otherwise ran alone. “I’m excited and happy to get the win today; with the beautiful weather it was a perfect day to run.”

George Washington medical student Meghan Bishop won the women’s race in 3:01:40, more than ten minutes ahead for second place finisher Bethany Sachtleben of Manassas, VA. Bishop was running in her first marathon and had never competed a race longer than 10 miles.

“I really liked it, but it was more challenging that I thought it would be,” said Bishop who graduated from William & Mary, where she competed in track and cross country.  “I was not expecting to win, but I’ll certainly use the prize money to pay off some of my student loans.”

First across the finish line in front of RFK Stadium, was men’s half-marathon winner Ricky Flynn of Lynchburg, VA. The 24-year-old won the 13.1-mile race in 1 hour, 6 minutes and 39 seconds. Washington-based Ethiopian Askale Merachi won the women’s half marathon in 1:16:52, just six days after winning the St Patrick’s Day 8K last weekend.

“It’s kind of early in my training so it was a good workout, good effort. The course was nice, there were a few more hills and turns than I expected but it was fun,” said Flynn, who recently placed 12^th in his marathon debut at the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials. “I broke out after a few miles – it was me and this other guy – and we were going back and forth until about mile 7 and then he fell off a little bit. I pushed the next mile and then I didn’t hear him anymore so I looked behind me a few miles later, he was nowhere to be seen and it was just me from there.”

Previously known as the National Marathon, the only marathon that’s run entirely within Washington, DC, the event was managed for the first time by San Diego-based Competitor Group and rebranded as part of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, drawing 24,000 entrants from all 50 states and 34 countries. The event featured a post-race concert headlined by the Grammy Award-winning rock band Switchfoot, outside of RFK Stadium. The weekend’s schedule of events also included Rock ‘n’ Roll relay teams and nearly 1,000 junior marathoners in ING KiDS ROCK DC event on Friday evening, a non-competitive, non-timed, one-mile fun run for kids grades K-7.

More: Complete coverage and searchable results from the 2012 SunTrust Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Marathon and CareFirst Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Half Marathon

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Meb Keflezighi warmed up near the start/finish of the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials on Friday morning, January 13, 2012.

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Competitor.com content director Kurt Hoy is picking Meb Keflezighi to win the men’s race at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

More Video: Meb Keflezighi Wins Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon

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Ethiopians dominate the 2009 Bolder Boulder 10k in Colorado.

Tilahun Regassa ran a 28:17 10k today to beat out fellow Ethiopian Tadese Tola and win the men’s elite race at the 31st Dick’s Sporting Goods Bolder Boulder. Ethiopians also had a strong, one-two showing in the elite women’s race, in which Mamito Daska (32:48) ran away from second-place Teyba Erkesso. For complete results, click here.

2009 Men’s Elite Race Results

    1 TILAHUN REGASSA              28:17  4:34 Ethiopia
    2 TADESE TOLA                  28:36  4:37 Ethiopia
    3 JOHN YUDA                    29:16  4:43 Team Commonwealth
    4 JAMES CARNEY                 29:53  4:49 U S A
    5 BOLOTA ASMERON               30:02  4:51 U S A
    6 GILBERT OKARI                30:06  4:51 Kenya
    7 CHARLES MUNYEKI              30:08  4:52 Kenya
    8 FRANKLIN TENORIO             30:12  4:52 Ecuador
    9 ALEJANDRO SUAREZ             30:14  4:53 Mexico
   10 TEODORA VEGA                 30:20  4:53 Mexico
   11 GOBIN ALEX CONDOR            30:27  4:55 Peru
   12 JASON HARTMANN               30:37  4:56 Team Colorado
   13 FERNANDO CABADA              30:42  4:57 Team Colorado
   14 VLADIMIR GUERRA              30:49  4:58 Ecuador
   15 FASIL BIZUNEH                30:50  4:58 U S A
   16 GEBO BURKA                   30:51  4:58 Ethiopia
   17 EDWARDO TORRES               31:01  5:00 Team Colorado
   18 MIGUEL ALMACHI               31:11  5:02 Ecuador
   19 PAULINO CANCHANYA            31:12  5:02 Peru
   20 JUAN ROMERO                  31:17  5:03 Mexico
   21 CONSTANTINO LEON LOPEZ       31:24  5:04 Peru
   22 MOUCHINE OUTALEB             32:20  5:13 Morocco
   23 ABDELMOUNAIM HARROUFI        32:40  5:16 Morocco
   24 PHILEMON TERER KIPLANGAT     32:53  5:18 Kenya
   25 ABDELAZIZ ATMANI             32:53  5:18 Morocco
   26 EWEN NORTH                   33:06  5:20 Team Commonwealth
   27 PETER VAIL                   33:15  5:22 Team Commonwealth
 
2009 Women's Elite Race Results
    1 MAMITO DASKA                 32:48  5:17 Ethiopia
    2 TEYBA ERKESSO                33:02  5:20 Ethiopia
    3 YURIKA NAKAMURA              33:28  5:24 Japan
    4 DULCE MARIA RODRIGUEZ        34:08  5:30 Mexico
    5 MILLICENT GATHONI            34:11  5:31 Kenya
    6 ASHU KASIM                   34:20  5:32 Ethiopia
    7 LIDIA SIMON                  34:28  5:33 Romania
    8 JANE GAKUNYI                 34:36  5:35 Kenya
    9 HIROMI OMINAMI               35:01  5:39 Japan
   10 NATALIA SOKOLOVA             35:26  5:43 Russia
   11 KARINA PEREZ                 35:27  5:43 Mexico
   12 KIYOKO SHIMAHARA             35:35  5:44 Japan
   13 JEMENA MISAYURI              35:36  5:44 Peru
   14 TERA MOODY                   35:43  5:45 U S A
   15 JULIA RIVERA LOPEZ           35:48  5:46 Peru
   16 CARRIE MESSNER               35:52  5:47 U S A
   17 CAROLINE CHEPTANUI ROTICH    36:02  5:49 Kenya
   18 DOROTA GRUCA                 36:03  5:49 Poland
   19 ALISHA WILLIAMS              36:16  5:51 U S A
   20 MARINA IVANOVA               36:40  5:55 Russia
   21 DANIELLE KORB                36:58  5:58 Team Colorado
   22 VIOLETA RENE GOMEZ MAYORAL   37:03  5:58 Mexico
   23 LYUBOV DENISOVA              37:03  5:58 Russia
   24 ADRIANA PIRTEA               37:10  5:59 Romania
   25 MARIA PORTILLO               37:15  6:00 Peru
   26 ALEKSANDRA JAKUBCZAK         37:23  6:02 Poland
   27 MEAGAN LUND                  37:46  6:05 Team Colorado
   28 DANIELA CIRLAN               38:21  6:11 Romania
   29 ANNIE TOTH                   39:09  6:19 Team Colorado
   30 EDYTA LEWANDOWSKA            40:00  6:27 Poland

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