Run the Malta Marathon

Well, the answer is that some less sane people actually enjoy running for very large distances, or a marathon, as it is called these days. It’s the same reasoning, I suspect, that some people like to be chained to a torture table and horsewhipped!  Yes, there will be immense amounts of discomfort and pain but the sense of enjoyment and elation when it’s all over, I’m told, is immense.

Now, if you’re already struggling to get your head around someone wanting run 26 miles and 385 yards in one go then try and comprehend – given the prevailing climate – why anyone would want to do that in Malta? Fact is that lots want to and lots of them do! Mercifully, the race is held in February to give everyone a fighting chance of getting around alive!

OK, so I can concede that jogging – despite being bad for your knees – is good for your general health and well-being. And if you happen to peg it around the course for a good cause, such as underprivileged children or medical research, then it can also make you feel better in other ways too, so that must be why people put themselves through it!

The Malta Marathon has gained a worldwide reputation for offering the sublime mixture of sun-history-fun to those who participate. These range from established marathon runners and top athletes to beginners, housewives and even the odd septuagenarian.

Combining holiday with history and health is an attractive proposition that continues to gain in popularity. Since the whole area of the Maltese Islands adds up to only 122 sq miles, you can appreciate it was no easy task for the organisers to come up with a marathon route without going round and round in circles.

Malta, however, is almost wedge-like in shape, with high cliffs on one side of the country tapering down to sea-level on the other, so the course-setters did the best they could: started at the island's highest point and finished at the lowest.


Participants from all over the world, particularly those from the north of Europe, are, year after year, still surprised by the warm temperatures for the time of year. It is the perfect excuse for pulling on those shorts and running vest and taking part in a race you will not forget for a long time.

As you run there's no missing the surrounding sea, which is the clearest, cleanest and bluest in the Mediterranean and still free of the pollution that affects other parts of the region. Running the Malta Marathon/ Half Marathon helps you leave your worries behind as you carve out a precious new memory for yourself. Look out for some of the pre-planned flight and accommodation packages available for runners.


For more information on running either the full or half marathons in Malta, visit the official website. This website also includes details of the course, past results and an official entry form if you fancy a crack at it.