Runcations

With longer work days than ever, stuck in an office chair with several hours staring into a computer or TV screen every day, more and more people are looking to fitness activities when planning their holidays to keep active while enjoying time off.

The growing trend has seen several active escapes become available for fit holiday-goers, such as Active Escapes, On Track Retreats and Health and Fitness Travel, but it is easier than ever to discover your own holiday fitness motivation with runcations.

Runcations, or running vacations, are often centred around an official event such as a marathon or run, allowing travellers to include their fitness routine in the trip schedule and tick off two goals – holidaying and keeping or getting fit. You could race the Great Wall of China, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco or the beaches of the Bahamas - the list of destinations for runcations is endless –  all you need is a race start number, your running kicks and a flight ticket.

This year's most important Australian runcation destination has to be Melbourne, which sees a busy autumn ahead:
21^st March, Roller Coaster Run 21-43km – Experience the sunrise illuminating Melbourne from an elevated viewpoint
10^th April, Oxfarm Trailwalker 100km – from Wheelers Hill through Dandenong Ranges National Park
2^nd May, Electric Run 5km – nighttime run/walk where participant are integrated in the show
3^rd May, Wings for Life World Run [no finish line!] – spinal cord charity run
10^th May, Mother's Day Classic 4-8km – breast cancer charity run

One of the runs mentioned above, the world's only simultaneous global endurance race for charity: the Wings for Life World Run is back in 2015 to break last year's inaugural record where a total of 530,928km miles run resulted in AUD$4.38 million donated to spinal cord research projects globally.

Wings for Life is an international not-for-profit spinal cord research foundation that, in collaboration with Red Bull, invites runners of all abilities, ages and nationalities around the globe to join together and run for those who can't in the Wings for Life World Run, to raise awareness and funds for continued cutting-edge spinal cord research. On the first weekend of May, Australians have their chance to make a contribution and race for this global charity initiative.