Best Marathons top 20 list

[@geraldodossantosneto2746]

Knowing these amazing marathons was very important to me at this moment, more than the ranking itself. Thanks for the video!

[@RunArnoRun]

Glad you enjoyed it. Yeah, the ranking isn't important at all, they are all really great races. The numbers were basically just there to make it a list, but not the point of the video. Good to hear you liked it.

[@printezi]

The Authentic Athens Marathon 9th?? And disneys 1st place??what is this a comedy video? Come on mate something is wrong here😅

[@RunArnoRun]

Of course it comes down to personal preference and although I loved running the Athens marathon, the Walt Disney World Marathon was a far greater experience.

[@Natureoutdoorsyquest]

Ditto!

[@JoseGarcia-gu4ub]

@@RunArnoRunI agree. I try to do the Disney World marathon every year. Fastest of all marathons to sell out the quickest.

[@jeanettemarie6456]

Yes, surprised Disney was number one LOL!

[@LKGOONER]

The Dublin City Marathon is a great route, well organised and has incredible public support

[@RunArnoRun]

Might have to check that one out.

[@alejaendocrino6326]

Wow

[@fuzzy1237]

Agree I’ve done 5 of them Excellent race

[@svenchristian8396]

Great list. But: Medoc Marathon is missing. They serve vine, pain au chocolat, oysters, entre cote, etc. - a

[@RunArnoRun]

Yeah, can't put every marathon on there. I hear it's a great one though, but I don't drink wine or eat entre cote, so probably not the race for me. 😄👍

[@samcarranza8544]

Disney Marathon as number 1? Unbelievable! You'll need to be in line by 330am to do this race. I am a Florida native and used to work at Disney World and I would NEVER consider doing this race.

[@RunArnoRun]

As a Florida native and ex employee of the park it probably wouldn't be a special race for you, but it is for a lot of people.

[@cathynewyork7918]

The New York City Marathon, London, and Berlin are the best marathons in the world. Seriously. Los Angeles does NOT even belong on this list. [But when Bill Burke founded the Los Angeles Marathon decades ago, he did recruit Fred Lebow and Allan Steinfeld from the New York Road Runners to help him organize and set up the marathon, which was wise, since they were the men who built the NYC Marathon into the world's largest marathon.]

[@mhoppe02]

After running Chicago, that one will be on your list.

[@RunArnoRun]

I hope so. It was going to be a top 10 list, but couldn't shorten it to 10, turns out 20 is not enough either. The 6 majors are a big priority right now and Chicago and Tokyo didn't fit on the list, but am looking forward to Chicago this year and hopefully at some point Tokyo too. :-)

[@alfdickinson1971]

Yeah Chicago is the best major Ive ran so far. Yet to do Boston... Great list, may have to ride Disney marathon at some point. Its another one to add to my usa to do list: Boston, Houston and San Francisco. Plus Chicago again obvz

[@louiscannon1998]

Having ran 2 marathons, I can safely say the best marathon you will ever run will be your first

[@tortues]

my best marathon is the first one i finished without any pain :-)

[@RunArnoRun]

There is nothing like the experience of running your first marathon, but I think there can still be other things to enjoy in upcoming marathons.

[@JesseRitchey]

Man this video makes me want to travel 🤤

[@RunArnoRun]

I know what you mean, I had the same thing while editing, can't believe it's been so long without a race to travel for.

[@runningwithdr.andrewdpt9177]

Great review Arno!! My favorite was the Pisa Marathon. I did the half portion but a great race. You finish by the Pisa tower. The South Africa race is a top five for me and I really enjoyed your South Africa marathon video.

[@RunArnoRun]

Pisa sounds great too, I love Italy, they have such beautiful sights.

[@runningwithdr.andrewdpt9177]

@@RunArnoRun we loved Italy as well. I would love to go back and run the Rome marathon once the COVID pandemic 😷 ends.

[@TheGatorDictator]

I’ve run 8 marathons lifetime, 6 of which make your list. 2017 NYC, 2018 Walt Disney World, 2018 Berlin, 2019 Los Angeles, 2021 London, 2021 Big Five Just 2020 Space Coast (Cocoa, FL) and 2022 Toronto Marathons fall short.

[@RunArnoRun]

That's awesome, how did you like the Big Five? I loved that one, such an amazing experience. Toronto seems like a great race great too. There are so many great races out there, most just require a lot of traveling though. :-)

[@MAHOonEarth]

Great inspirational video, thanks for sharing. I’ll be running my first half in Feb 2024 in Tanzania, Kilimanjaro Marathon😬

[@RunArnoRun]

Wow, that sounds like a great one, good luck. Sounds like it will be a tough course for your first marathon though, just remember to enjoy yourself as well.

[@IRunThings]

Loved this video Arno. A lot of them are on my bUcket list. Great picks!

[@RunArnoRun]

Thanks, if you had to pick a number one marathon, could you?

[@IRunThings]

@@RunArnoRun that would be very hard to do.

[@keithdeborah2042]

Ran NYC a couple years amazing crowds going through Brooklyn is nuts!

[@RunArnoRun]

Wow, a couple years, nice one.

[@Kunkel5]

I've run 5 marathons at this point - 4 Walt Disney World Marathons, and one Publix Atlanta Marathon. The latter was in February of 2021 when you still weren't allowed to hold events downtown due to Covid, so it was on the grounds of Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was a unique event, and I'm glad for that, because I would never want to do it again. I'm signed up for my fifth Walt Disney World Marathon in 2024 (and my third straight Dopey Challenge), but I've often thought if I were to want to branch out to train for other marathons, the two I've always come back to are Chicago (I'm originally from northern Illinois) and/or the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC. That said, the Niagara Falls one sounds really interesting, as did Rock n Roll in New Orleans, except that I think I read that one has been cancelled indefinitely. 😞 Great video, Arno! Thank you very much!

[@RunArnoRun]

There are a lot of great races out there. I love running Dopey too, can't wait to do that again, but for now that's on my schedule for 2025, so still have to wait way too long, specially seeing I was registered for it in 2022, but didn't get to run it. I hear good things about the Marine Corps Marathon and their medals are pretty awesome too.

[@Gabrielfrois]

Thanks for the list man! Good luck on your journey.

[@RunArnoRun]

Thanks, you too!

[@emikowilliamson8397]

Thanks a lot for this was looking for such a great content.☺️

[@RunArnoRun]

You're very welcome, glad you enjoyed it.

[@user-jp9fn3hh6j]

Mexico City needs to be on your list. Great route through a beautiful, historic city with thousands upon thousands of people cheering, performing, partying. Magical experience!

[@RunArnoRun]

I'll have to keep that in mind. Thanks.

[@ZePequeno213]

As I watch,I'm doing a KZbin Video marathon.😂

[@RunArnoRun]

That's a marathon too. 😂

[@coreygrylls]

About a year late but I just saw your comment and found this video ! So we’ll done and love the footage you got from my Inca Trail Marathon video . Cheers

[@krxahfb]

The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is my personal favorite. The race raises money to support the memorial and there’s a ton of crowd support from the community

[@RunArnoRun]

Sounds like a good one, will have to look into that one. Thanks.

[@markador]

I would love to run Chicago, for a really weird reason, when I was training for my first marathon back in 2011-12 I would see the 'Spirit of the marathon' documentary (this was based on Chicago) and I loved it, and it was such an inspirational movie, somehow I would love to go and run in those guys footsteps. So far I have run the Athens one 6 times, the obvious reason: I live in Athens. Cheers!

[@RunArnoRun]

That's not a weird reason at all. I think run marathons like that can be very inspiring and it's great to watch. I loved running Athens, it was tough on a bright sunny day, but a great event to run.

[@JoseGarcia-gu4ub]

Love the Disney World marathons. Sydney is a lot of fun too 🤗

[@RunArnoRun]

Have still to run in Australia, been there once but not for running.

[@lightsalt581]

Thank you for putting this together.

[@RunArnoRun]

Very welcome, hope you get to run some of these.

[@hterbluc]

I’ve done Disney 3 times and the dopey challenge once and it’s fun, but Chicago is so much better. I don’t know how it didn’t make this list

[@jasontaylor4643]

The order is so off. This is a joke.

[@RunArnoRun]

I guess that is just a matter of opinion, but would love to hear what your order would be.

[@philmatthews2155]

By the way Ankor Wat is stunning and truly a wonderful site. Ok so I didn’t run the marathon but I did spend 3 days walking around the temples so I definitely did the distance 😂! Also Namche Bazaar on the Everest route is a funky little town and a mad place to get explosive diarrhoea... just wanted to leave you with that thought💩

[@VolokursHH]

Very entertaining and informative Video. Thank you

[@RunArnoRun]

Thank you for that

[@alfdickinson1971]

Yeah Chicago is the best major Ive ran so far. Yet to do Boston... Great list, may have to ride Disney marathon at some point. Its another one to add to my usa to do list: Boston, Houston and San Francisco. Plus Chicago again obvz

[@RunArnoRun]

I really love the Disney runs, I'm signed up again to go in January 2025

[@lashaunkmetz5928]

Was lucky enough to run NYC last year, my first marathon!!!

[@RunArnoRun]

Wow, that was just in time then. Hopefully it will happen this year again.

[@drachirtell]

Great list. I think the Jungfrau Marathon in Switzerland is definitely a contender for the list!

[@RunArnoRun]

That is probably a very beautiful one too.

[@ccfan2013]

Detroit is also international so Niagara Falls/buffalo isn’t the only international race. And it’s a bigger/cooler race. You run over the bridge into Canada and run back to the us in a tunnel

[@RunArnoRun]

Did not know that, this does sound like a great race. I have some history with Michigan, so would love to get back there to run this race.

[@beberivera7914]

Wow this most be another top countdowns because the marathon on my hometown on PR is one of the most famous and old ! The hole city shutdowns for that weekend

[@RunArnoRun]

What city is your home town?

[@davidc4408]

Best marathons imo - London marathon, Dublin marathon and Lausanne Switzerland

[@RunArnoRun]

Will have to make the list a little longer I think :-)

[@kazamakooza]

What about Paris? Running it in 2023 for my first one!

[@RunArnoRun]

Paris is also a great one I think. I hope to be able to run it in 2024 during the Olympic games there.

[@dorotheaknisley9740]

I can do the 5-minute, it usually actually takes me around about ten minutes to complete

[@RunArnoRun]

Not sure what you can do in 5 minutes, but I'm sure it's not a marathon 😂😂

[@alexandraheath1432]

great work! only, we are about to run the La Paz Maraton, with altitudes between 3100 and 3800 masl

[@RunArnoRun]

Wow, sounds amazing. Good luck with your marathon!

[@Sam_Forette]

Luxembourg night marathon is missing :)

[@socheatchum74]

Angkor or Khmer Empire Marathon is one of the best marathon events that running enthusiasts shall come and experience. It also offers half marathon and 10K.

[@RunArnoRun]

running at beautiful sites is always a plus.

[@emaguigad]

How do you NOT have the Chicago Marathon on the list, but you have Los Angeles ?

[@RunArnoRun]

It's just personal preference, I used to live in LA, so going back there to run the marathon has a bigger attraction than running in Chicago. That being said, I'm registered for Chicago next year, so will be running that before I'll head to LA for a race. 😄👍

[@HilaozaKalanall4mom]

Great list! Thank you! Please come to Israel to try the Dead Sea Marathon and the Desert Marathon

[@RunArnoRun]

Thank you. That sounds like it would be a beautiful run too.

[@jonathanwake2964]

Paris Marathon should have been on this list as should Budapest.

[@farabogdan3845]

I will run the Paris Marathon in one week 😌

[@RunArnoRun]

How was Paris Marathon? Hoping to run it myself in 2024

[@farabogdan3845]

@@RunArnoRun It was one of the greatest experiences ever 🥹 such a beautiful run … can’t wait for 2024 !

[@RunArnoRun]

@@farabogdan3845 That's great to hear. Hope I get in for 2024

[@bodakrado]

Le ptit train du nord would be my most favourite ❤

[@RunArnoRun]

I'll have to check that one out. thanks.

[@Header616]

Where is the "Kosice Peace Marathon" in Slovakia, which is the oldest marathon in Europe. Great people, fantastic atmosphere. Such a great event.

[@RunArnoRun]

I'll have to look into that one. Thanks.

[@trigeeky]

Two California favs: Big Sur and Avenue of the Giants

[@RunArnoRun]

Two more to check out I guess. 👍

[@rolandojr.antonio6855]

Wow, great list of best marathon races in the world! Yes, Walt Disney Marathon must be very exciting to do and their medals are beautiful!

[@RunArnoRun]

thank you. I have a lot of fun at the Disney runs always and yes their medals are just amazing. :-)

[@rushrush1209]

I don't know what it is, but from my experience Florida has the best medals for races. I'm sure Walt Disney's must be great too.

[@ianlowe4126]

The Petra Desert marathon is top of my list and a must do soon. If my wife will let me 🙀

[@RunArnoRun]

fingers crossed. It's a bucket list race for sure.

[@phongthanhluu-ne6hq]

Runscene i Not activ 😢

[@1mrberg]

There's the Boston Marathon......and then there's everything else..

[@RunArnoRun]

Boston native, or just big Boston fan? 😄👍

[@1mrberg]

@@RunArnoRun I ran the Boston Marathon in 1964. That was years before the marathon fad and all the copycats came along. The Boston Marathon is still the gold standard. Ask any marathon runner.

[@RunArnoRun]

@@1mrberg No doubt that the Boston marathon is beloved by many runners and because of it's course and fame everybody wants to run it. But just cause it's old and it was there before other marathons, does that make it a better marathon? You might have an emotional link to the Boston marathon that somebody else has to the London marathon, different people will prefer different races, so there is no real saying that one marathon is the best marathon. The standard to get in to the Boston marathon is much higher than most marathons, so it is more of an accomplishment to run it, but does that mean all other marathons have to measure up to the Boston marathon? A Great Wall marathon will never be the same as Boston, but somebody's experience there might far outweigh what they would have in Boston. Just saying, different strokes...

[@1mrberg]

@@RunArnoRun Agree!

[@steverees123]

OMG! I've done 2 of them! 🤣 Berlin and Vegas... Would love to do Easter Island. Great list! Paris was great too, and Chuncheon in Korea - good candidates for your top 50. 😉

[@RunArnoRun]

Those sound great. Paris is actually also on my list of marathons I want to run, but I want to run it in 2024 during the Olympics.

[@gcklo]

Runners should not run in places that disturb wild lives. We already have enough places to run. We don’t need to go to the poles or the wild life park and have rangers harm the animals!

[@RunArnoRun]

There are no animals being harmed and most races like this actually raise a lot of money for the communities and animals in the area.

[@flamingdelta9853]

im running a marathon next week!

[@davidc4408]

Goid luck

[@berndfuchs5252]

Ohne Frankfurt könnt ihr die Liste Abfackeln

[@xelionizer]

I bet Pheidippides collapsed and died because he didn't carb-load properly xD

[@RunArnoRun]

😂😂😂

[@bases100]

How about Antarctic ice marathon? Surely must be in the top 20

[@RunArnoRun]

probably a great one too.

[@bobflynn4282]

This list is a joke, right? Big Sur? Marine Corps? Tokyo? Chicago? How is Boston this low? I have run many Disney races, but it’s far from the best. And Dude, Rock and Roll sucks now, most of the time they will just outright cancel the marathon and just make them half’s.

[@RunArnoRun]

There are so many great marathons, it's really hard to narrow it down to a list and it's impossible to have everybody agree on that list. It's not so much about where on the list a marathon is, the point is that these are 20 great marathons.

[@TheFrank2368]

Luv Athens

[@alejaendocrino6326]

Metheora trail (greece) and Petra (Jordania )

[@RunArnoRun]

will keep those in mind.

[@florencetr2831]

How is the Big Sur marathon not included in your list?

[@RunArnoRun]

I'm sure that is a great race, but the list only fits so many marathons. :-)

[@imrum_]

istanbul marathon?? running from asia to europe

[@RunArnoRun]

I'll have to look into that one I guess. Thanks for the tip.

[@jermainematthews6196]

Lost Dutchman Marathon and Paris Marathon!

[@giucampa18]

How is Venice Marathon? Did you?

[@RunArnoRun]

Haven't done Venice, but I'm sure that would be a great race to run

[@giucampa18]

@@RunArnoRun 💪🏼

[@osuzorba]

I love Disney, but no way it belongs at the #1 spot. There is like 1.5 miles inside the parks and a whole lot on highways and parking lots.

[@RunArnoRun]

On the other hand, most other runs have no parks at all. :-) To each his own I guess.

[@Dannewman860606]

Good video, really disappointed with no.1 though

[@jennyshan5018]

Ah you forgot the Paris marathon in April :)

[@RunArnoRun]

You're not the first one to mention Paris 🙂I'm hoping to run that one in 2024, so I'll report on that one then.

[@TarkanBeldag]

Where Is İSTANBUL marathon???

[@heinrichrahm1531]

Where it should be... Not on this list

[@RunArnoRun]

There are only 20 marathons here and Istanbul just didn't make the list.

[@TarkanBeldag]

@@RunArnoRun The only marathon in the world run between two continents and it's your fault if it's unknown.

[@TarkanBeldag]

@@heinrichrahm1531 Schindler's List !.

[@mickandelisa]

Sorry...I’ve run Disney, and it definitely doesn’t belong at #1. And I have no idea how two RNR races end up in this list but Big Sur doesn’t.

[@RunArnoRun]

Like I say at the end of the video, there are a lot of great marathons out there and with a list of 20 there will without a doubt be races left off that are great races to run. I'm guessing you're not a fan of the RNR races, I think the amount of entertainment those races offer really make them special races. I've run the marathon at Disney World twice now and the atmosphere at the race and everything around it gives it the number one spot for me, but doesn't take anything away from the other marathons, but having a 20 way tie in first place would make for a strange list. :-)

[@bobflynn4282]

RnR sucks.

[@georgiosmichailidis9168]

why not personal best in Rome? because of the stones or hills?

[@RunArnoRun]

Yeah, the course in Rome is not a very fast one, stones, hills, curves in the roads. It's a great race to enjoy though, loved every minute of it.

[@farnesss]

And the Lisbon marathon?

[@RunArnoRun]

Maybe next list 😀

[@BabarAli-tx7pz]

Wow

[@RunArnoRun]

Thanks

[@whenwe9168]

Big 5 in South Africa isn't even the biggest in South Africa. You need to research better the 2 Oceans Marathon and the Comrades Marathon are the best with the Comrades being World famous

[@RunArnoRun]

Comrades is also not a marathon, but an Ultra. Same for the 2 Oceans. I ran the Big 5, which actually is a marathon, so it did do my research. 😀👍🏻

[@CreditPad]

This list was decent until the #1 marathon was Walt Disney 🤮The most corporate event possible. Surprised that Chicago and Big Sur didn't make the list.

[@whenwe9168]

Number 1 is the Comrades Marathon. Cheers and thank me later

[@RunArnoRun]

Not sure why you think I should thank you, but the Comrades Marathon is not a Marathon, it’s an Ultra, so it might be a great race, but it’s not a Marathon.

[@thomasmalgouyres6946]

What about Paris ?

[@RunArnoRun]

Should be a great one too, hoping to run that one in 2024

[@anneliesevoelker2502]

There is no such thing as the best marathon. If you actually do all the training and are focused on finishing at a certain time it's not fun. It's just goal.

[@RunArnoRun]

Sorry you feel that way, maybe at some point you will actually get to enjoy a marathon, I hope so.

[@anneliesevoelker2502]

@@RunArnoRun there is nothing enjoyable about running 26.2 miles. The only enjoyment was completing it just under my goal. It was an attainable goal and I made it. I'm bikepacking now, and I have backpacked for nine years.

[@RunArnoRun]

@@anneliesevoelker2502 I just ran the London Marathon last weekend, half of it in pain, but enjoyed every moment of it. So it is possible to enjoy a marathon and I hope one day you will too.

[@anneliesevoelker2502]

@@RunArnoRun nope. I will never run another 26.2 miles. I have had way too many injuries, and it's not worth permanent damage. I have been bikepacking for a year like I said, and have backpacked for 9 years. No more running for me. Enjoy your painful marathon.

[@cathynewyork7918]

It is New York CITY Marathon --- NOT New York Marathon. Use the correct name, please. And the London Marathon is much better than the Los Angeles Marathon, and London has a huge lottery and turns away thousands of people hoping to register, while Los Angeles sometimes doesn't even sell out -- so it is wrong to put Los Angeles on the same list as the better marathons. Also, Los Angeles changed their finish -- they no longer finish in Santa Monica because the City of Santa Monica started to charge them too much money, so they changed the finish and it's not as nice as when it finished at the beach. [I have done both Los Angeles and NYC marathons many times.]

[@RunArnoRun]

Wow, it must have really upset you to watch a list of 20 great marathons. Turns out taste and preference is very personal and the things one person likes in a race might not be what somebody else likes. The point is not whether a race is mentioned on spot 17 or number 4, it's just a list of great races. Also just cause there are tons of people signing up or being rejected doesn't necessarily make it better than another race. I just ran London last weekend and it's a great race, but it sure is not the best marathon I've run, so that is just very subjective. I'm also a little bit confused on why you would run the marathon in LA so many times if you dislike it so much. Hopefully you can look at other lists with a more open mind and realise not everybody will judge things in the same way.

[@cathynewyork7918]

he @@RunArnoRun I did the LA Marathon because it was my hometown marathon at the time -- but also during my California years I came here to New York City year after year to run the NYC Marathon, the best marathon in the world! Look at the numbers -- it's the largest in the world, and still the New York Road Runners turns away thousands of runners! One year they had 143,000 applications and could only accept 50,000. No other marathon has that appeal. No other marathon attracts that many applications. You made a mistake in your rankings. London has had years when they were the world's largest marathon, so you made two mistakes in your rankings. By the way, the Los Angeles Marathon for several years had a bad reputation in the running community, because they failed to pay prize money to their elite runners in a timely manner, which was especially embarrassing because the wife of the LA Marathon founder and former owner was serving on the Los Angeles City Council at the time. Now THAT is a bad marathon -- and they still don't get the top elite runners because of their past "sins."

[@RunArnoRun]

@@cathynewyork7918 so again there is a difference between a marathon being 'bigger' or being 'better'. Just because it attracts more applicants doesn't automatically make it a better race. The Big 5 Marathon only allows a few hundred runners, yet it's one of the most amazing race experiences I've had. Running in NY or London is also a lot more accessible to a lot of people, so they will get more applications for that reason too, not taking away that they are great races, but just the number of applications is not a good way to measure how good a race is.

[@cathynewyork7918]

@@RunArnoRun No, you're wrong. These races are so big because people love them and spread the word via social media and KZbin videos. Look at how many KZbin videos there are on the NYC and London Marathons vs the Big 5 marathon. Did you know this -- that the NYC Marathon deliberately sorts their accepted runners to have a field that is one-third local New York area runners, one-third from elsewhere in the US and Puerto Rico, and one-third international - so that DIS-proves your theory! NOT just hometown runners -- people all over the world want to come here to NYC to run our marathon.

[@RunArnoRun]

@@cathynewyork7918 nothing you just said makes me believe otherwise. New York and London are still very easy to get to even for people outside of the city, so even though they are great races and everybody wants to run there it's also easier to do so than races in remote places. And yeah if you only have 500 people running you will have less people posting about it on social media than when you have 50.000 people running, that only makes sense. We will just not agree on this, your look on what makes a race successful is just different than how other people experience a race, so let's just leave it at that.

[@sharonsmith9447]

Disney at number 1????😆

[@RunArnoRun]

It really is a lot of fun to run there, and the atmosphere of the runners is just amazing. Highly recommend it.

[@MikenasFlohr]

Disney top. God save us all.

[@carltonvancamp5507]

I'm not respect those who can do marathons 🙂

[@RunArnoRun]

Not sure if you are just trying to be funny or what you mean exactly

[@ismailgrou1667]

Bs list

[@user-kp4mu4ku2v]

absolutely rubbish, clueless none runner

[@RunArnoRun]

Great comment, has made me very curious to your list of 20 marathons. So feel free to list them here. 👍🏻

[@user-kp4mu4ku2v]

@@RunArnoRun you clearly are not a runner perhaps a comedian?

[@RunArnoRun]

@@user-kp4mu4ku2v you are clearly a child or someone with too much time on his hands. If you had cared to look at my channel you would know I am a runner. Just cause your taste in races doesn’t reflect everybody’s doesn’t make other people wrong. Still waiting on your list of 20 marathons.