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"If you&amp;#x27;ve ever entertained the idea of running a marathon for even a fraction of a nanosecond, here are some excellent reasons to entertain that idea again... Okay, technically, I suppose you could rephrase this headline this way: &amp;quot;11 Ways You Can Use Marathons As Excuses To Travel To Exotic Locations All Around the World--Like Paris, Greece, and South Africa.&amp;quot; But that seemed a little long. Forbes highlighted a list of 10 upcoming marathons worth traveling for--what a great way to combine seeing the world with running, no? Here are the marathons that Forbes suggests (and one that I&amp;#x27;m adding to the list because I&amp;#x27;m simply dying to try it): * Napa Valley Marathon in Calistoga, Calif.: fewer runners than in most marathons, plus stunning view of fruit trees and vineyards. * Paris Marathon: imagine running along the Seine and past the Eiffel Tower! * Boston Marathon: very prestigious and hard to get into, but also historic (it&amp;#x27;s the oldest in the U.S.). * Virgin London Marathon: run with 30,000 people past the Tower of London and end at Buckingham Palace (how regal!). * Big Sur International Marathon: lots of hills in this one, but the ocean views are supposed to make up for them. * Vancouver Marathon: featuring a brand-new course this year that winds past beaches and finishes downtown. * Mont St.-Michel Bay Marathon in France: for most marathons, the finish line is a long way off. Well, it is in this one, too, but you can at least see the finish line the whole time. * The Great Wall Marathon: imagine running up and down the steps of The Great Wall! * The Big Five Marathon in Limpopo Province, South Africa: it&amp;#x27;s a marathon-meets-safari, because you actually run amongst zebras, giraffes, and antelopes--one part even goes through lion territory (gulp!). * Athens Classic Marathon: this is where marathons began, in the town of Marathon! The finish line is at Panathinaiko Stadium, where the first modern Olympic Games were held. And one more: * Marathon du M?\uFFFDdoc in France: there are cups of wine and plates of food waiting for you every half-mile. I&amp;#x27;ll just leave it at that. Ever wanted to try a marathon? Do you like to travel? Would you register for one of these? More on marathoning: * Think You Can&amp;amp;#8217;t Run a Marathon? Well, Think Again. (If I Can Do It, Anyone Can!) * What A Marathon Can Do To Your Body (Weird--But Normal!) * Running Long Distances Lately? These Four Secret Weapons Have Changed My Life (At Least, My Life as a Marathon-Training Person) More Ways to Get Glamour Visit Shopglamour.com for cute stuff starting at just $10! Enter the latest Glamour sweepstakes! Follow us on Twitter Add us to your iGoogle homepage Photo: Thinkstock"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2012/01/11-reasons-to-run-a-marathon>