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My 10 best Marathon Photos of 2022

2022 was quite a busy year for many marathoneers with races finally opening up after the COVID-19 lockdowns. Personally, I had a great and adventurous programme and below you find the 10 best of my race photos from around the world. I hope you will find inspiration to travel to some of these said races yourself, there are so many brilliant things to discover alongside with the running itself.

I wish you a very Happy New Year,

Tor Rønnow, Denmark

Best Marathon Photo 2022, No. 10 – Icefjord Midnight Marathon (Ilulissat, Greenland)
The photo bears witness to the greatness of the Ilulissat Glacier and the photo is taken during the Icefjord Midnight Marathon 2022 arranged by Albatros Travels. We see also the technical challenges of the route.
Recap the entire Race report from the Icefjord Midnight Marathon 2022 here.

Best Marathon Photo 2022, No. 9 – Copenhagen Marathon 2022
This photo is perhaps more odd than beautiful and you have to take a closer look at it to understand what is happening here! This little group made a backwards full-body jump for every kilometer during the entire Copenhagen Marathon 2022, I not sure why but this picture here fully encapsulates the both the fun and the madness to the project. Well done, group!
Relive the Copenhagen Marathon 2022 here.

Best Marathon Photo 2022, No. 8 – At the City Hall, Cluj-Napoca Marathon
Running for the first time in Romania, I visited the charming Cluj-Napoca Marathon in the beginning of September. The marathon was a little gem of an event and I got this photo passing the City Hall.
Find the complete race report from the Cluj-Napoca Marathon 2022 here.

Best Marathon Photo 2022, No. 7 – Gulf Bank 642 Marathon (Kuwait City)
I could actually post the first like 5-10 pictures from this trip, so I have chosen one that encapsulates the experience of Kuwait City and it’s marathon in a representative manner. Don’t be shy of visiting these Middle East countries, they are extremely friendly and rich of lots of impressions!
The race report from the Gulf Bank 642 Marathon 2022 is here.

Best Marathon Photo 2022, No. 6 – The Finish at the Parlament in Mexico City
A “finisher” photo from a city I for once explicitely did NOT like, Mexico City, and I struggled immensely during the marathon as well. But this shot is approved.
The race report from Mexico City, Mexico, and the Maraton de la Cuidad de Mexico is here.

Best Marathon Photo 2022, No. 5 – H.C. Andersen Marathon (Odense, Denmark)
This photo is actually a trick shot, namely both featuring the finish at the H.C. Andersen Marathon in Odense, Denmark, but also Mr. Ulrik Pihl of Denmark, who celebrated his marathon no. 1000 (!) at this event, very impressive indeed (and a feat also completed earlier in 2022 by my swedish mentor Mr. Lennart Skoog of Sweden).
Find the race report of on of my favorite danish marathons H. C. Andersen Marathon 2022 here.

Best Marathon Photo 2022, No. 4 – Snowdonia Marathon 2022, Wales
This and the next photo are from the majestic Snowdonia Marathon in Wales. I cannot express in words how much I loved this marathon and the friendship of my new welsh running friends, but I do believe my pictures in the race report tell the story quite strongly: this is a UNIQUE experience!!
The first of two pictures are from the first, tough climb of the race – just before summit.
Find the full report from the Snowdonia Marathon 2022 here.

Best Marathon Photo 2022, No. 3 – Snowdonia Marathon 2022, Wales
The second picture from Wales are from approx. 7 km into the race, running on gravel and with a fantastic view over the Snowdonia Valley. I just love this shot!
Find the full report from the Snowdonia Marathon 2022 here.

Best Marathon Photo 2022, No. 2 – Sydney Marathon 2022
So, the trip to Australia and the Sydney Marathon was arguably the highlight of the year, which you will understand from my very, very comprehensive race report that sports the first 20 outstanding photos.
However, this shot from KM 41 at the Sydney Marathon 2022 stands out and of course it must be of the Sydney Opera House – see also the bonus picture below.
My race report from the Sydney Marathon 2022 is here.

Best Marathon Photo 2022, No. 1 – Icefjord Midnight Marathon (Ilulissat, Greenland)
Ok, so my best photo of the Year 2022 is actually not from the Icefjord Midnight Marathon itself but this picture taken at exactly midnight (!) the day after the race. The stunning view is overlooking the Disco Bay at Ilulissat, Greenland, with icebergs as far as the sight reaches and with the sun disk well above the horisont. This is for sure one of the most memorable moments of my many marathon travels.
Recap the entire Race report from the Icefjord Midnight Marathon 2022 here.

Bonus pictures
On a personal note, the Sydney Marathon was extra special to me in the manner that it completed my sweep of marathon continents to complete! For this reason, I treasure this moment particularly.

I thus joined the 7Z Finsher list and received this memorable medal as well, my precioussss.

However, the most remarkable medal of not only this year but the past 25 years was given not to me but to my Ph.D.-supervisor some 30 years ago, to Prof. Dr. Morten Meldal, who jointly received the Nobel Price in Chemistry 2022, making us all so very humled and proud! If there is one thing I learned from Morten it is to visualize your goals, something all runners and travelers can enjoy the results of.

Gulf Bank 642 Marathon 2022 (Kuwait City)

Saturday November 26th 2022 I ran the Gulf Bank 642 Marathon (Kuwait City Marathon).
Find below my full race coverage from a this marathon in the capital city of Kuwait.

Kuwait City
I had only i single day to see stuff in Kuwait City, probably far too little time to say anything remotely qualified about the Capital here of Kuwait. Still, we (Thomas Godlewsky of Germany and Adel Erdaty of Saudi Arabia / USA) managed to speed visit the Sharq Marina, the picturesque Fish Marked, the Al Mubarakiya Souk and the Kuwait Towers. We also had a glimpse of the Green Island with beautiful views towards the Bay of Kuwait, and we saw the incredibly impressive mall, “The Avenue”.

Gulf Bank 642 Marathon (Kuwait City Marathon), 2022 - Tor Rønnow

Gulf Bank 642 Marathon (Kuwait City Marathon), 2022
This very well organized event sported 5K, 10K, half marathon and full marathon distances. The latter proved to be a very tough and long day for me personally, somewhat fighting off the fatigue and distress of the very hot conditions (28 C). The route was very enjoyable the first like 12 KM, then became somewhat repetitive doing the same 10K loop three times. Still, good memories from a travel destination highly recommended: friendly people and staff all over, nice meals and an overall scenic marahon indeed.

Gulf Bank 642 Marathon 2022 (Kuwait City) - Tor Rønnow

See or relive Gulf Bank 642 Marathon (2022) here: (and in arabic, urdu, hindi, punjabi, and turkish):

Gulf Bank 642 Kuwait City Marathon 2022 – billeder/fotos af Tor Rønnow (Danish)
Gulf Bank 642 Kuwait City Marathon 2022 – bilder av Tor Rønnow (Svenska)
Gulf Bank 642 Kuwait City Marathon 2022 – bilder von Tor Rønnow (Deutsch)
Gulf Bank 642 Kuwait City Marathon 2022 – pictures by Tor Rønnow (English)
2002年海湾银行642科威特城马拉松赛–照片:Tor Rønnow(中文)。
ガルフバンク642クウェートシティマラソン2002 – 写真:Tor Rønnow(日本語)
Gulf Bank 642 Kuwait City Marathon 2022 – photos de Tor Rønnow (Français)
Gulf Bank 642 Kuwait City Marathon 2022 – foto di Tor Rønnow (Italiano)
Gulf Bank 642 Kuwait City Marathon 2022 – fotos del Tor Rønnow (Español)
Gulf Bank 642 Kuwait City Marathon 2022 – beelden van Tor Rønnow (Nederlandse)

Snowdonia Marathon 2022

Below my race report from the Snowdonia Marathon 2022, Wales. The marathon sported a full and very tough marathon round and about the highest mountain, Snowdon, in Wales. I learned that this is a maraton runners revisit over and over again and I can surely understand why: a breathtaking beautiful route, very friendly staff and a nice atmosphere at the Royal Victoria Hotel a night time after the race.

I believe the stunning views live within you a long time after this event and I am very pleased to share these memories. Thus, see in the race report below just why you should strongly consider the Snowdonia Marathon. I loved it for sure!

Snowdonia Marathon 2022 - Wales - Tor Rønnow
Snowdonia Marathon 2022

See or relive the Snowdonia Marathon 2022 here (and in wesh):

Snowdonia Marathon 2022 – billeder/fotos af Tor Rønnow (Danish)
Snowdonia Marathon 2022 – pictures by Tor Rønnow (English)
Snowdonia Marathon 2022 – foto di Tor Rønnow (Italiano)
Snowdonia Marathon 2022 – beelden van Tor Rønnow (Nederlandse)
Snowdonia Marathon 2022 – photos de Tor Rønnow (Français)
Snowdonia Marathon 2022 – fotos del Tor Rønnow (Español)
Snowdonia Marathon 2022 – bilder von Tor Rønnow (Deutsch)
2022年斯诺多尼亚马拉松赛–图片来自Tor Rønnow(中文)。
Snowdonia Marathon 2022 – 写真:Tor Rønnow(日本人
Snowdonia Marathon 2022 – bilder av Tor Rønnow (Svenska)

Maratón de la Ciudad de México 2022

Sunday August 28th 2022 I ran the Maratón de la Ciudad de México (Mexico City Marathon).
Find below my full race coverage from a this marathon in the capital city of Mexico.

Mexico City
The best thing about Mexico City was: leaving back home!
Truly, I have never felt such a poisonous atmosphere anywhere in the world, with fully armored policemen every like 10 meters and everyone “checking” each other out: pray or villan?
Anyways, I liked my hotel “Gran Hotel Ciudad De Mexico” very much and the visit to the “Museo Nacional de Antropología” museum was cool enough too and the Saturday evening stroll passing the Palacio de Bellas Artes was spectacular as well. So ok, a mixed bag of impressions, I guess.

Maraton de la Ciudad de Mexico 2022 - Tor Rønnow

Maratón de la Ciudad de México 2022 (Mexico City Marathon)
The marathon was on a point-to-point from the Olympic Stadion to the Zocalo in the old city centre. The conditions were very humid from early morning only to be superseeded by somewhat warm and sunny skies. There were not many spectators cheering on the runners and the water supplies were a full catastrophe leaving many runners dehydrated. Personally, I struggled with the high-altitude (2200 meters above sea level) and thus unexpected fatigue. The last 10 K or so were quite spectacular, somewhat coming to rescue of an event that would otherwise have failed completely (compared to other big city marathons).

Maraton de la Ciudad de Mexico 2022 - Tor Rønnow

See or relive Maratón de la Ciudad de México 2022 here:

Maratón de la Ciudad de México 2022 – billeder/fotos af Tor Rønnow (Danish)
Maratón de la Ciudad de México 2022 – bilder av Tor Rønnow (Svenska)
Maratón de la Ciudad de México 2022 – bilder von Tor Rønnow (Deutsch)
Maratón de la Ciudad de México 2022 – pictures by Tor Rønnow (English)
2022年墨西哥城马拉松赛–托尔-罗诺的账单/照片(图片)。
メキシコシティマラソン2022 – Tor Rønnowの写真とビデオ
Maratón de la Ciudad de México 2022 – photos de Tor Rønnow (Français)
Maratón de la Ciudad de México 2022 – foto di Tor Rønnow (Italiano)
Maratón de la Ciudad de México 2022 – fotos del Tor Rønnow (Español)
Maratón de la Ciudad de México 2022 – beelden van Tor Rønnow (Nederlandse)

Sydney Marathon 2022

Below my race report from Sydney Marathon 2022, Australia, Oceania (!), including various tourist impressions from this brilliant and friendly metropol.

Sydney City Centre, Sydney Harbour and Sydney Opera House
Sydney is one of the World’s true metropoles and what a friendly, clean and impressive one! It’s difficult to put into words just how nice it is to wander around in the streets, parks and, of course, the Harbour areas, first and foremost near the iconic Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge ditto.

I had the pleasure of experiencing two concerts at the Opera House, great performances by the House Orchestra and, Saturday, “meeting” the composer Eric Whitacre in person on stage, a memory for life, just as the entire trip and maraton race here in Sydney. The race report is VERY long, so if you only care for an Exceutive Summary, don’t open the report below (but do click the thumbnails below to see the large photos). However, if you do open the race report, be ready with a large cup of coffee or glass of wine, you’re in for at mindblowing tour de force from all the best of Sydney and Sydney Marathon. This was a (all too short) trip of a lifetime!

Sydney Marathon 2022 - Australia - Tor Rønnow
Sydney Marathon 2022

The main tourist attractions
Three and a half day in Sydney is not much, but I did manage to see a good variety of the most common tourist attractions, inclding the four in a bundle: Sydney Sea Life (Acquarium), Wild Life Sydney Zoo, Sydney Tower and Madame Tussauds Sydney. Saturday, I visited the Taronga Zoo Sydney, definitively also worth a trip and an obvious attraction for families and children.

Monday, after the race, I also visited Art Gallery of New South Wales (featuring aboriginal art) and the Australian Museum, the latter displaying cool dinosaurs!

Sydney Marathon 2022

Bondi Beach and Manly
You could argue that Bondi Beach is THE tourist attraction nearby Sydney. I had only a 1 hour visit but I completely loved it and the experience still sits in my body: I want back!

Whilst Bondi is probably for the young and the surfers, Manly and Manly Beach is of a broader and more family appeal, for sure a very nice place indeed. manly is easily reached by boat from the Circular Quay (i.e., centrally from Sydney), a 30 min. ride with great views towards the Sydney Opera House and the skyline. I’m very happy to have seen these two beaches, I think they are an essential part of the Sydney experience.

Sydney Marathon 2022

Sydney Marathon 2022
The Sydney Marathon 2022 featured a half and a full marathon, both taking off from North Sydney and passing the Sydney Harbour Bridge witin the first few kilometers. The route was impressively scenic a great many places and it is difficult to pick out one place in front of the other. However, the finish line at the foot of the Sydney Opera House would be THE asset to mention for this – by the way very well organized – marathon. Personally, I had not slept a minute during the night (heavy jetlag) so I was quite tired even before the race started. That did, however, not spoil my run to the extend that I did not enjoy every minute of it and completing my last marathon continent, Oceania, was just: wonderful!

Sydney Marathon is now an official candidate in the bid of the 7th Marathon Major, I think the race itself has a good chance but things like the digital services and the EXPO need some work for sure. All this said: I give the Sydney Marathon my very best recommendation, no doubt.

Sydney Marathon 2022- Australia - Tor Rønnow
Sydney Marathon 2022

See or relive Sydney Marathon 2022 here:

Sydney Marathon 2022 – billeder/fotos af Tor Rønnow (Danish)
Sydney Marathon 2022 – pictures by Tor Rønnow (English)
Sydney Marathon 2022 – foto di Tor Rønnow (Italiano)
Sydney Marathon 2022 – beelden van Tor Rønnow (Nederlandse)
Sydney Marathon 2022 – photos de Tor Rønnow (Français)
Sydney Marathon 2022 – fotos del Tor Rønnow (Español)
Sydney Marathon 2022 – bilder von Tor Rønnow (Deutsch)
2022年悉尼马拉松–摄影:Tor Rønnow(中文)。
シドニーマラソン2022」撮影:Tor Rønnow(日本語)
Sydney Marathon 2022 – bilder av Tor Rønnow (Svenska)