We like to keep it personal here at Travelling Fit, so chances are you’ve either spoken to or corresponded with founder, Mari-Mar Walton, when organising your travel itinerary. It’s safe to say that whilst everybody wants to be able to enjoy what they do for work every day, seldom are they in the position like Mari-Mar to be able to combine their passion with their profession to make a living. She is quite literally living her dream of exploring the world and participating in active events!
Mari-Mar was actually a gymnast in high school, but she always loved running and always loved to travel. It was in 1996, when Mari-Mar ran her first Marathon in Sydney, where she caught the long-distance running bug and she wondered what it would be like to travel and run a race overseas.
By this time, Mari-Mar was already working in the travel industry but pursued her passion for fitness soon after by studying to become a personal trainer. Once receiving all of her qualifications, she couldn’t shake the desire of starting her own business and took the plunge in the year 2000. Deciding that she could offer more, it was time to combine her two loves and create Travelling Fit – introducing like minded individuals to the world of running Marathons, Half Marathons and Ultras in destinations all over the world.
Knowing it wasn’t as simple as calling an agent and booking a ticket, Mari-Mar pursued the idea of coordinating a trip to the London Marathon and then started to promote for people to join her. She realised that there were in fact others out there who had the same desire to run and travel, and so she knew she was onto something. Travelling Fit has since gone on to arrange tours in some of the most unique backdrops across the globe, and has no intention of slowing down any time soon!
Unlike other companies that simply arrange Marathon travel itineraries, we are runners ourselves and often join our clients on the tour, completing the race by their side. We are also proud to say that we are the only Australian agent able to offer runners all six Abbott World Marathon Majors , a testament to the hard work of Mari-Mar building relationships with organisers all around the world.
Our business has grown to include more than 30 Marathons, Half Marathons and Ultras worldwide and counting; including races in New York City, Boston, Tokyo, Petra, Iceland, Greenland and Morocco just to name a few. We have made it our mission from the beginning to ensure that we will never promote a race that we don’t believe will deliver an unforgettable experience for our clients.
The Iceland Volcano Marathon is a standard marathon length of 42.195, 26.2 miles which is approximately kilometres.
There are also half marathon (21.1km) and quarter-marathon (10.55km) race options as well.
The Iceland Volcano Marathon is considered a challenging event, given its unique terrain and environmental conditions.
The course takes runners through volcanic landscapes, including soft trails, uneven ground, and areas of lava fields, which can be more demanding than the paved surfaces found in urban marathons.
Additionally, the variable weather conditions in Iceland, even in July, can add to the challenge, with possibilities of wind, rain, or unusually warm temperatures.
The event is well-organised, with aid stations and support to help runners manage the demanding course.
Preparation for the terrain and potential weather conditions is key to enjoying and completing the marathon.
Trail Running: To get accustomed to uneven and soft terrain, improving stability and strength.
Hill Workouts: Include hill repeats to build leg strength and endurance for the course’s inclines and declines.
Appropriate Gear: Train in the shoes and clothing you plan to use on race day to ensure comfort and suitability for the terrain and weather.
Weather Preparation: Train in conditions that mimic Iceland’s potential wind, rain, and cooler temperatures to acclimate.
Pacing Strategy: Start conservatively and consider walking the steeper hills to conserve energy.
Nutrition and Hydration: Practise your race-day nutrition and hydration strategy during long runs to find what works best for you.
Mental Preparation: Visualise the course and mentally prepare for the challenge, building resilience through varied training conditions.
Recovery: Focus on recovery with rest days and techniques like foam rolling or yoga to aid muscle recovery.
Simulation Runs: Do back-to-back long runs to simulate race-day fatigue and practice running on tired legs.
The Iceland Volcano Marathon presents a unique challenge not just because of its terrain but also due to the altitude in which it takes place.
Although Iceland is not known for extremely high elevations like those found in mountainous marathon locations, the race’s location near Lake Mývatn can still have a notable impact on performance due to its elevation above sea level.
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