pickupthepacepaul

Limassol Marathon is #morethanarace and I for one think this is the perfect hashtag for the event. With a beautiful location, and warm temperatures, it’s an ideal location for a trip with friends or family. I obviously go for the run and I have blogged about the Limassol Marathon corporate 5k and the Limassol Marathon. So if you want to read about the race experience please follow the links to read more. The marathon blog in particular is written from my perspective as the 4 hour Pacer. In this blog I want to share more of my experience in Limassol and why I think it’s more than a race.

Limassol has a stunning route, and this time of year it is starting to get warm so it is lovely for a holiday. I have said it before, but this is one of the most beautiful race venues I have ever ran. It isn’t the busiest, and as the event grows this will certainly add to the atmosphere, but the organisers do a great job with the activities they put on over the weekend. In the surrounding areas of Limassol there is plenty you can do, and I looked at some of these things when I came on a Famtrip.

In Limassol there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy good food and relax in the sunshine, and I particularly like spending time in Molos. There are also some amazing hotels and this year I stayed at the Mediterranean on the #ukrunchat package.

One of the main things that makes this more than a race for me is the atmosphere and the people there. In 2017 I had a lovely time and a great family holiday. This time I did the same, but also went with Kirsty’s parents. There were plenty of friends there too with a #ukrunchat and #runmummyrun package meaning there was not only a strong UK presence, but many of whom that I engage with on social media regularly.

I was torn because I couldn’t spend a lot of time with the #ukrunchat group as I also had my #pickupthepaceteam to organise and my family to entertain. I had the best of both worlds, which in reality meant I didn’t fully commit to either.

Outside of race weekend I spent time with my family in Molos, around the Marina and Old Town. We tried different restaurants in the day whilst going to MyMall and the zoo. Other times we just chilled out in the hotel, swimming in the pool and going to the beach. As we were half board we had breakfast and evening meals at the hotel, and I certainly couldn’t do more than a week, as you would have to roll me out as the food was so good.

During race weekend I spent most of my time around the race village. I tried spending a lot of time here with the #ukrunchat group, not that you would realise if you looked at the photos #wheresPaul.

From the corporate 5k, to the kids race, the pasta party, race finish and then the after party. The two days of the race were jam packed, well organised and great fun.

Limassol Marathon is a growing race that I enjoy now, but can see how it’s going to get better each year as it grows. The reason I want to go back is that it’s more than a race for me.