How to Plan a Trip Around a Running Race

At 5 a.m. outside Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the sky was the color of ink, the 96-degree air heavy, like an extra layer of clothing. Runners shifted in place like ghosts — headlamps bobbing, race bibs damp — ahead of the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon. Somewhere in the darkness were the ancient temples I’d come to see.

I still remember how my shoes sounded on the packed red dirt as dawn lifted shadows off the stones to reveal intricate carvings.

But I also remember the exhaustion and the heat. I’d crammed too much into the day before, motorcycling past rural rice paddies and eating fried bananas on Pub Street.

Since 2014, the first time I’d centered travel around a race, I’ve learned a lot. With the New York City Marathon this weekend, start thinking about your next race-cation. Here are some tips on how best to plan a trip around a race.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/28/travel/marathon-vacation-planning.html