Sidy Diallo completed on the mountains of Andorra the world best marathon.
The 2016 Andorra Marathon
Marathon # 138 / Country # 52
Date: July 16, 2016
My Time: 11:45:29
Update: August 18, 2022
By Dr. Sidy Diallo
The World Best Marathon
The leading Marathon Globetrotter and retired geography teacher from Wyoming, Brent Weigner, is one of the few people on the planet who know where Andorra is, let alone to visit the lovely principality and run the Andorra Marathon or Marató dels cims (English: the Marathon of the Peaks).
Yet, the Andorra Marathon is not only the world best marathon, but also undeniably one of the toughest, so much so that the Boston Marathon would look like a walk in the park, and its Newton Hills—including Heartbreak Hill—would look like gentle mounds.
Folks, the Andorra Marathon is a 42.5 km (26.4 mi.) race in the mountainous Principality of Andorra, with 3,400 meters (11,155 ft) of total ascent, a 14-hour time limit and three cut-offs on the course that the participants have to reach within 5 hours and half, 8 hours, and 10 hours and half. Some hills are so steep that hooks and chains are installed to help participants move forward. It’s not usual to do mountaineering on a marathon.
Although the Andorra Marathon is extremely challenging—compared for instance to the Boston Marathon—it’s just one of the junior races of the Andorra Ultra Trail, which includes a 233 km (145 mi.) race aptly named Eufòria, with 20,000 meters (65,617 ft) of total ascent and 5 peaks above 2,900 meters (9,514 ft). I did the Marathon of the Peaks with my friend Brent on July 16, 2016 (see all the results). Sadly, the organizers announced at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic the discontinuation of the Andorra Ultra Trail.
The World Best Road Race
The Comrades Marathon in South Africa (90 km) is not only the best and oldest ultramarathon, but also the world best road race. I explain why in the book Running Barefoot for Human Survival, chapter XXVI: The Great Persistence Hunting in KwaZulu-Natal.
Date: July 16, 2016
My Time: 11:45:29
Update: August 18, 2022
By Dr. Sidy Diallo
The World Best Marathon
The leading Marathon Globetrotter and retired geography teacher from Wyoming, Brent Weigner, is one of the few people on the planet who know where Andorra is, let alone to visit the lovely principality and run the Andorra Marathon or Marató dels cims (English: the Marathon of the Peaks).
Yet, the Andorra Marathon is not only the world best marathon, but also undeniably one of the toughest, so much so that the Boston Marathon would look like a walk in the park, and its Newton Hills—including Heartbreak Hill—would look like gentle mounds.
Folks, the Andorra Marathon is a 42.5 km (26.4 mi.) race in the mountainous Principality of Andorra, with 3,400 meters (11,155 ft) of total ascent, a 14-hour time limit and three cut-offs on the course that the participants have to reach within 5 hours and half, 8 hours, and 10 hours and half. Some hills are so steep that hooks and chains are installed to help participants move forward. It’s not usual to do mountaineering on a marathon.
Although the Andorra Marathon is extremely challenging—compared for instance to the Boston Marathon—it’s just one of the junior races of the Andorra Ultra Trail, which includes a 233 km (145 mi.) race aptly named Eufòria, with 20,000 meters (65,617 ft) of total ascent and 5 peaks above 2,900 meters (9,514 ft). I did the Marathon of the Peaks with my friend Brent on July 16, 2016 (see all the results). Sadly, the organizers announced at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic the discontinuation of the Andorra Ultra Trail.
The World Best Road Race
The Comrades Marathon in South Africa (90 km) is not only the best and oldest ultramarathon, but also the world best road race. I explain why in the book Running Barefoot for Human Survival, chapter XXVI: The Great Persistence Hunting in KwaZulu-Natal.