Running a 10k Race in a Foreign Country

Several years ago running became my primary form of exercise. I found myself unemployed and running was a free way of working out! Shortly after, I started running 5k races and eventually moved up to my first half marathon (still not sure how I managed to finish that one!). With a few races under my belt, I wanted to start running races somewhere outside of my own "backyard"- a Caribbean island or a major European city.

In 2017, while planning my trip to Iceland, I discovered that there was a 10k race in Reykjavik the same weekend I would be in town - a perfect opportunity to cross something off of my to-do list!

You might wonder - What's so great about running in a European country?? Isn't running all the same, just a different road?

I was surprised to find out that running a race in a major European city was like a breath of fresh air. Iceland has their annual Culture Night festival, which kicks off with their 10k & Half Marathon races. People from all over the world were in attendance to run in the brisk summer weather.

As mentioned above, I've run in several races in the tri-state NYC area, but this was my favorite race to date. Not only were the views spectacular (as evidenced in the above captured Reykjavik picture), but it was so much fun to see how the crowds came out to support the runners. I saw kids cheering with their tambourines, jazz bands jamming, and even a rap band performing in a tractor trailer (if only I knew the native language to understand what they were rapping!) as I ran the 10 mile race.

... plus it's always cool to have a medal from a different country! I can't wait to sign up for my next international race!

What about you all? Comment below to tell me about your experience running outside of the US!

xoxo Kim