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 With outdoor activities topping the list of potential ‘leisure activities’ for many people, each year millions are choosing to travel for the sole purpose of participating in their favorite sports activities. Travelocity has built done some research and offered some interesting ideas:
WHERE THE RUNNERS GO:
Marathoners can travel to any of the top 10 U.S. cities and a wide variety of international cities to find their dream race and trip. According to non-profit organization Running USA, there were more marathons held in 2006 than ever before, including five races with more than 30,000 finishers. Racers looking for a European vacation can head to:
- London - which held the third largest marathon last year
- Paris - which held the fourth largest marathon
- Sweden or Germany - which held races all ranked in the top 12 international runs
Runners hoping to find a race locally have to plan in advance, with the ING New York Marathon becoming increasingly competitive to enter, and the Windy City marathon filling up more than six months in advance.
WHERE THE CYCLISTS GO:
Cyclists are the second largest growing segment of active travelers behind runners. New York, a hot spot for cyclists, holds its annual Commerce Bank 5-Boro Bike Tour in the city and had a 12,000 participant increase this year with more than 42,000 people from several countries.
Cyclists seeking some extra competition may want to try out the Iron Horse Classic in Durango Colorado, where bikers race a steam locomotive. The group tries to beat the nation’s most famous antique train, the Silverton-Durango Narrow Gauge Railway, over a 50-mile route from train station to train station in the high peaks of the Rocky Mountains.
WHERE THE SEA-GOERS AND BEACH LOVERS GO:
Active travelers looking for a sunny beach vacation to recover from their active lifestyle may want to check out the Baja Peninsula for a week-long sea-kayaking trip or a visit to one of Mexico’s many surf camps. Domestic travelers can participate in one of Hawaii’s many race and trail offerings from the Kilauea Volcano Wilderness Marathon to the always popular Susan G. Komen 5K Hawaii Race for the Cure.
Active travel is not limited to single-day events. There are plenty of multi-day tours, from the annual Tour of Colorado (a seven-day bike ride) and the Pan-Mass Challenge (a two-day charity ride) across Massachusetts, to several annual charity group rides in Europe, such as London to Amsterdam and London to Paris (three to five days). Many of these events include festivals with concerts, BBQ, and shopping, offering the active traveler even more reasons to opt out of the scenic drive this year.
You can learn more and Book your next adventure with Travelocity.
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