GENEVA FEVER
AW’S JESSICA WHITTINGTON TRAVELLED TO SWITZERLAND ON GENEVA MARATHON WEEKEND AND FOUND IT A GREAT WAY TO TAKE IN THE STUNNING CITY
Runners pass lush and colourful fields in the Geneva countryside with a magnificent mountainous backdrop
WHEN it comes to resplendent running routes, a recent trip to Switzerland proved how the Harmony Geneva Marathon for Unicef has some serious bragging rights.
The event’s strapline is “Fast is Beautiful” based on the courses, which combine miles of stunning countryside with a city finish, and the fact that in 2015, 50% of runners achieved a personal best time.
While running was the focus of my visit, Geneva – voted Europe’s leading city break destination at the World Travel Awards for the past two years – has so much to offer that a three-day trip to run a half-marathon quickly turned into an action-packed and varied weekend.
THE HARMONY GENEVA MARATHON FOR UNICEF WEEKEND
This year saw the 12th edition of the Geneva Marathon, with 16,000 participants across the series of races.
The programme offers eight events: a marathon, relay marathon, half-marathon, wheelchair half-marathon, 10km, 10km walk and Nordic walk, La Genevoise (women-only 6.5km) and junior races (from 1km to 5km).