Tuesday morning flights out of Boston following Marathon Monday are notorious for their hoards of grumpy, sore runners shuffling down the aisles and straining to lift their suitcases.

In 2019, musical theater performer Sarah Bowden, 40, was one of those runners, though she was neither grumpy nor sore. Instead, she hopped off a plane in San Francisco, 24 hours after finishing her second marathon in 4:01, and was onstage that evening in the touring production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

鈥淚鈥檝e always been like this,鈥� says Bowden. 鈥淚鈥檝e always had this extra energy鈥攎y family calls me an Energizer Bunny.鈥�

This weekend, the Australian-born, New York City-based actor will put her boundless energy to its greatest test yet鈥攔unning the London Marathon in the midst of performing in Moulin Rouge! on Broadway in New York City, eight shows a week, all to .

RELATED: Running for Charity: A Billion-Dollar Enterprise

Bowden admits that many people, including her theater colleagues, think she鈥檚 crazy. And yet, if you look at her resum茅鈥攂oth as an accomplished performer and as a runner鈥攖he decision to run London tracks. Before 2017, Bowden wasn鈥檛 a runner at all. But while performing in a production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame in Berlin, Germany, she was inspired to raise money for an organization that serves disabled adults after they came to see a show. On a whim, she decided to sign up for the Berlin Marathon, and go from zero to 26.2 miles in a few months.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really train,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 would just go for a run a half-hour before the show sometimes. I thought, I鈥檓 a dancer, it can鈥檛 be that hard. You just put one foot in front of the other.鈥� The morning of Berlin, Bowden woke up feeling sick, but decided to push through. The race took her around six and a half hours. 鈥淭hat was the hardest thing I鈥檝e ever done in my life.鈥�

A Six-Star Challenge

She may have been a one-time marathoner, were it not for the fact that, while on tour with Charlie, she happened to pass through Chicago during race weekend in 2018. While on a boat tour, she noticed two women in their 80s wearing large medals. They had just earned their sixth star for completing all of the World Marathon Majors, after working towards it for 20 years. Bowden learned that, unbeknownst to her, she was already one-sixth of the way to her own fancy medal.

Shortly after, the tour stopped in Boston, where Bowden visited the Boston Children鈥檚 Hospital and hatched her next plan: Run the Boston Marathon to raise money for the hospital. This time, she used Peloton鈥檚 training program, with a goal of breaking four hours. She found that she loved running in a new city every week, and says that even with the travel and performing, it wasn鈥檛 too physically taxing. (She calls Charlie a 鈥渞elatively easy dance show.鈥�)

On marathon weekend, she had a two-show-day in Los Angeles on Saturday, flew to Boston on Sunday, finished one minute short of her goal on Monday, and flew to San Francisco on Tuesday to get back to the show.

London Calling

Even for Bowden, Moulin Rouge! is a beast. The nearly three hours of nonstop dancing has her jumping into the splits, leaping into her partner鈥檚 arms, and doing countless can-cans. And though she started training for London with a plan, Bowden soon had to abandon it to ensure she could make it through the show eight times a week.

鈥淭he plan was stressing me out too much,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 not doing this marathon to stress myself out. I鈥檓 doing it because I want to raise money for a good cause, and I want to have a nice time doing it. So I threw the plan out the window.鈥�

That has meant fitting in runs whenever she can, with whatever energy she has leftover from performing. Sometimes, that looks like running 10 miles in between her two shows on a Saturday, during the short break most performers use to take a nap. Other weeks, she logs hardly any miles at all, like recently, when she was feeling under the weather and needed to save everything she had for the stage.

鈥淚 have to be mindful of being able to give 150 percent on stage every night,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd whatever I have left in the tank is what I can give to this run. The running has to come secondary to the work.鈥�

Her longest run of this cycle will be the 13 miles she ran spontaneously on a recent Tuesday, potentially risky, as Tuesday marks the start of a Broadway performer鈥檚 workweek. She was surprised by how easily it came, and how well she recovered鈥攁 testament to the fact that dancing for nearly 24 hours a week counts toward aerobic fitness and time-on-feet. Bowden also does yoga every day and takes dance classes one-to-two times a week. For recovery, she hits the steam room, or uses Moulin Rouge!鈥檚 staff physical therapist.

鈥淚鈥檓 not great at taking care of my body,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 kind of just thrash it around.鈥�

Bowden鈥檚 greatest challenge this weekend in London will be taking it easy and resisting the temptation to take a second crack at breaking four hours, since, true-to-form, she鈥檒l only have the Monday after the race to relax in London before landing in New York City, mid-afternoon on Tuesday, where she鈥檒l be back in costume by 7 P.M.

RELATED: What鈥檚 the Connection Between Running and Playing Music?

Setting herself up for a successful return to Broadway will require smart pacing and a focus on taking in the course鈥檚 sights and sounds, rather than the time on the clock. 鈥淚 want to absorb all the people and open my eyes and look around me,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檓 trying to have this lovely balance of running the race and raising money and doing the right thing, while still keeping my body in some kind of shape to do a can-can on Tuesday night.鈥�

Her bosses at Moulin Rouge! aren鈥檛 worried. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e used to my crazy and know that I鈥檓 pretty reliable and consistent,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f I say I鈥檓 gonna run a marathon and come to work the next day, then I鈥檓 gonna show up.鈥�

On to New York

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Bowden鈥檚 path to six stars will likely be a relatively quick one: She hopes to knock out the New York City Marathon this year and raise money for , and then tackle Chicago shortly thereafter, perhaps in 2024. Tokyo, where she lived early in her career, will be 鈥渢he cherry on top.鈥�

For now, she鈥檒l use London as an opportunity to give back in a way that鈥檚 heartwarmingly full-circle: 鈥淚 made my Broadway debut in Moulin Rouge! last year, and it was a dream come true,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wishes for kids who are terminally-ill, so I wanted to pay that forward and help somebody else have their dreams come true.鈥�

For Bowden, running is a much-needed outlet from the demands of a performing career. 鈥淚鈥檝e been judged my whole life,鈥� she says. 鈥淵ou go to an audition; you鈥檙e good enough or you鈥檙e not good enough. It鈥檚 rewarding work, but it鈥檚 work. Whereas with running, I can get physical and sweaty, but there is no judgment with it鈥攏o one鈥檚 judging how fast I run, or how well I run. It鈥檚 really freeing.鈥�

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Over the past year, I鈥檝e gotten into a regular habit of dipping in and out of online marketplaces to browse second-hand bikes. Like so many people during the pandemic, I too have wanted to reconnect with a life on two wheels. I was ready to test ride a bike when my boyfriend, with all good intentions, suggested that I might be too heavy for the one I had found. I am fat, a word I鈥檝e worked hard to reclaim, and it had never occurred to me that bikes might have weight limits. As it turns out, many bike shops and cyclists I have chatted with since aren鈥檛 aware either.

As a child and young adult, I spent all my weekends on a bike. It was my transport, leisure activity, social life, and exercise. Now, as a plus-sized woman in my late thirties, I don鈥檛 own one. I have ridden them over the years, rented while on holiday or borrowed over weekends, but most of those memories include a sore bottom and broken pedals.

After a bit of research, I discovered that yes, , I am too fat. Many frames and components (like wheels and pedals) have weight limits of around 265 pounds, which includes the rider and their kit. Some high performance road bikes have even lower restrictions. Manufacturers have different limits, and some don鈥檛 even publish them in their product details鈥攜ou have to seek this detail out in FAQs or email them. Most manufacturers post a weight limit for liability reasons: a conservative estimate to protect themselves and the product鈥檚 warranty. But as a plus-sized person, riding a bike that isn鈥檛 supportive of your weight can be dangerous. If components fail, it could cause a nasty accident.听

When I walked into my local chain bike shop here in London, I was not able to find a bike suitable for me. There are plenty of specialist shops that offer a better range and chance of finding something appropriate. But unlike buying an off-the-shelf model in a warehouse-style store, purchasing from a specialist, with custom components suitable for my weight, means higher prices. And this fee comes on top of the social cost of having to ask for help related to my size. While most people in bike shops try to be as helpful as they can, in my experience, the vast majority are straight-sized men who often look at me and make assumptions that I am lazy, unfit, and incapable. Larger people are often advised to make healthier life choices, but when pursuing those choices come at increased expense and means facing stigma, you can understand why so many choose not to try.

I am not new to the outdoors: I have spent years exploring beautiful places in all conditions, but I have always done so on foot or by water. I am no stranger to the limitations of my weight鈥攏ot those imposed by me, but by outdoor apparel and gear brands. It鈥檚 a common challenge in the plus-size community that we must creatively adapt our plans and kit depending on whatever we can get our hands on, but for a piece of equipment like a bike, I didn鈥檛 want to cut corners. This was going to be an investment, and I wanted to be safe as well as comfortable鈥攂ut where should I even start?

鈥淭he first time I wrote, 鈥業鈥檓 fat鈥� on a piece of paper was a year after I got my bike,鈥� says Kailey Kornhauser, an advocate for improved size inclusion in biking. Kornhauser lives, works, and bikes in Corvallis, Oregon, where she is a PhD candidate at Oregon State University. 鈥淚 started writing about my experience after riding with friends who were a lot smaller than me. My first reaction was to make myself smaller,鈥� she says. Biking is harder for plus-sized people. Heavier bodies have to output more power to climb hills. Like Kornhauser, I too felt like perhaps the biking world wasn鈥檛 for me. It felt like something to put on a list of things I can do again when I lose weight. But what if I don鈥檛? I don鈥檛 want to be another fat person putting my life on pause. I want to enjoy my life now, and I want to enjoy it by riding a bike.

鈥淚t was reading Lindy West鈥檚 book Shrill that got me to realize that I am more powerful because I can get myself up a hill on my bike,鈥� says Kornhauser. 鈥淚 am actually really strong, and this body enables me to do this. So I started writing about it.鈥� Early on, Kornhauser didn鈥檛 know any other plus-sized people in the outdoors, but then she discovered groups like and on Instagram. 鈥淚t was an oh wow moment,鈥� she says. 鈥淭here were people saying the things I had been thinking and writing about.鈥澨�

Then, Kornhauser met Pearl Izumi and Shimano ambassador at a workshop where Blonsky was giving a talk about being fat and biking. Blonsky and Kornhauser connected, and they now run and workshops to help other plus-sized people understand how to buy a bike, what to wear, and how they can enjoy biking in a bigger body. The pair featured in a Shimano film called earlier this year. Their advice: work out the kind of biking you want to do first, set a budget, and remember that weight limits apply to all bike components. 鈥淚t isn鈥檛 just the frame, but other weight-bearing components need considering,鈥� says Kornhauser. 鈥淭he pedals, saddle, wheels and brakes all need to be looked at.鈥� Also, accept that bike-shop culture will be a challenge and that your butt will still hurt at the end of a day out riding.

Some brands are doing better than others at designing components for bigger bikers. offers two heavy-duty saddles for 280-pound bodies, the and . Kornhauser recommends pedals with pins instead of bearings, which cost more but last longer. Kornhauser says custom wheels with more spokes are worth investing in: 鈥淚t鈥檚 really easy to swap out the wheels,鈥� Kornhauser says. 鈥淎 good bike shop will do a trade with you when you buy the bike.鈥� All these elements can be tailored when working with a specialist bike shop, but that customization is pricey, and could leave you spending an additional $300 to $500. 鈥淏uild this into your budget,鈥� recommends Kornhauser. 鈥淚t鈥檚 better to spend more up front and have to replace less later. It鈥檚 also safer.鈥�

But even still, Kornhauser says, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think the industry has ever thought about what it means to make components for larger riders for the long term. I find myself going through brake-pads quicker than my friends with smaller bodies. Pedals crack, and the rail on a saddle will break.鈥澨�

After three months of research and deliberation, I don鈥檛 feel much closer to actually buying a bike. But with the advice from Kornhauser and Blonsky, I have narrowed down my search to a few brands like , , and , which have promising options. The and are worth saving for. Kornhauser favors a , while Blonsky recommends a . With a global shortage of bikes, it could be some time before I am back on two wheels, but I now have a better understanding of what I need. And knowing more about what a bike that will work for my body will look like has put me in a more informed and confident position when I walk into bike shops.听

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It was bound to happen sooner or later: Eliud Kipchoge鈥檚 unprecedented marathon win streak has come to an end. After ten consecutive victories鈥攊ncluding an Olympic title听in 2016听and new world record over 26.2 miles听in 2018鈥攖he 35-year-old Kenyan finished 8th in a special, COVID-19 edition of the 2020 London Marathon.听

Instead, it was Shura Kitata of Ethiopia who got the win in 2:05:41, holding off Kenyan Vincent Kipchumba (second) and Ethiopian Sisay Lemma (third) in a sprint finish.听There was drama in the women鈥檚 race as well, though not for first. While world record holder Brigid Kosgei听of Kenya cruised to victory in 2:18:58, the American听Sara Hall rekindled her past form as a track athlete to over the final 400 meters, eventually outkicking Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich听for second place and a 2:22:01 personal best. London typically nets the most competitive fields of any Marathon Major, and Hall鈥檚 performance was the first time a U.S. runner (male or female) had finished on the podium since Deena Kastor鈥檚 win in 2006.听

But the story of the day was Kipchoge鈥檚 failure to win his fifth London Marathon in as many tries. Perhaps fittingly for a man who has achieved mythic status in his sport, his downfall stemmed from what, on the face of it, sounded like a trivial issue.听

鈥淚 had a problem with my right ear. It was really blocked all the way,鈥� Kipchoge, who was conspicuously shivering from the cold, told the BBC鈥檚 Gabby Logan after the race, before adding that eventually he started cramping as well.听鈥淏ut that鈥檚 how sport is.鈥澨�

The race was an elites-only affair, staged on a closed course consisting of 19.6 laps around the perimeter of St. James Park. When the event was first announced, after the mass-participation edition of the 2020 London Marathon was canceled back in April due to the pandemic, there was speculation that the ersatz edition could produce a new world record. The 1.34-mile St. James loop was entirely flat and the world鈥檚 fastest runners were slated to compete鈥攊ncluding a marquee clash between Kipchoge and Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele. Last year, in Berlin, Bekele had run 2:01:41 to come within two seconds of Kipchoge鈥檚 official world record. There was hope that, if the stars aligned, we could see a duel between Kipchoge and Bekele with both men at their best.听

But the stars did not align. On Friday, less than 48 hours before the race, Bekele withdrew, citing a nagging calf injury. Meanwhile, the forecast was indicating that, rather than ideal world record conditions, Sunday鈥檚 weather would be stereotypically British. There would be rain. There would be wind. Bummer. 听

Combined with temperatures in the low 50s, it made for what were arguably the most hostile conditions that Kipchoge has faced during his stellar marathon career鈥攖hough he ran in unfavorably warm weather at the 2016 Olympics in听Rio and in the 2018 London Marathon. Unlike in those races, where the Kenyan looked unflappable as, one by one, he eased away from all of his challengers, there were moments in Sunday鈥檚 race where you could tell that things were not going to plan. The men鈥檚 lead pack came through halfway in 1:02:54鈥攔oughly two minutes slower than anticipated. Rather than taking over with a decisive move, Kipchoge seemed content to roll in a large pack that didn鈥檛 get any smaller even as the race moved into its final stages.听

At some point in the second half, there was an ominous moment when Kipchoge missed one of his water bottles. But the biggest tell was the premature appearance of the famous 鈥�Kipchoge smile.鈥� Normally, this deranged grin-grimace only surfaces after Kipchoge has dispatched all of his rivals and is soloing his way to glory. This time, it came while he was in a pack with eight other runners with a few miles to go. Before long, he was in the back of that pack, and the gap between him and the leaders was beginning to widen. It鈥檚 a testament to Kipchoge鈥檚 dominance over the years that the commentators deemed it necessary to point out that getting dropped probably wasn鈥檛 part of his strategy. 鈥淚f he were intending to win this race, he would definitely not be doing this,鈥� said the BBC鈥檚 Mara Yamauchi. Indeed.听

In the days to come, there will no doubt be a fair bit of . Was it the cold? The rain? (In the 2017 Berlin Marathon, which also took place in wet conditions, Kipchoge was briefly gapped late in the race by Ethiopian Guye Adola before retaking the lead and triumphing with relative ease.)听

Of course, any such speculation only underscores just how improbable Kipchoge鈥檚 win streak really was. The narrative surrounding his sub two-hour marathon last year in Vienna, as well as the 2017 attempt听in Monza, Italy, where he came up 26 seconds short, was that these feats were supposed to be the ultimate embodiment of his otherworldly talents. But any one-off event under optimized conditions will never be as impressive as going undefeated against the world鈥檚 best marathoners for seven years. We are likely to witness more sub-2s before we see another streak like the one that听ended on Sunday.听

If we鈥檙e being honest, there were certain factors that worked to Kipchoge鈥檚 advantage during his remarkable string of victories. With the exception of his Olympic triumph in 2016, he always ran in races that allowed pacers鈥�a setup which tends to favor the fastest runners in the field. He had dibs on the latest shoe technology. Perhaps above all else, Kipchoge benefited from his own aura of invincibility.听

And yet, I always rooted for him anyway. Kipchoge belongs to that rare category of athlete whose dominance seems to affirm a supernatural order. The notion that someone might actually be unbeatable in an event as difficult and unpredictable as the marathon was always ludicrous, but also strangely reassuring. At a time when we鈥檝e already exhausted all the clich茅s about the trials of 2020, Kipchoge losing a marathon seems like further proof that the time is out of joint.听

For those who might also ascribe to this (totally irrational) view, we could find some reassurance in Kipchoge鈥檚 post-race debriefing.听

Would he be back? 鈥淎bsolutely yes,鈥� Kipchoge told the BBC interviewer. 鈥淚鈥檝e still got more marathons in me. I鈥檓 still there to come back again.鈥澨�

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Our favorite outdoorsy听documentaries from this season鈥檚 film festivals cover a wide range of subjects鈥攆rom a journey to deliver the world鈥檚 highest-altitude piano to a science experiment that takes quarantine to the extreme. The coronavirus pandemic has delayed many movie release dates, but in the meantime, some filmmakers are making their documentaries available via virtual streaming events, while others are releasing them directly to platforms like Hulu. Whether you watch them curled up on your couch this spring or in a movie theater later this year, these four films are well worth your time.

鈥楽paceship Earth鈥�

Halfway through , eight people giddily enter a sealed replica of earth鈥檚 environment called Biosphere 2. It鈥檚 1991, and they plan to spend two years inside the three-acre campus of connected geometric buildings without replenishing oxygen or supplies, to learn about how we might live better on earth and in space. But first there鈥檚 a problem: the door won鈥檛 close. It鈥檚 a symbolic moment in a film that compassionately revisits what many remember as an awkward spectacle from the nineties. Biosphere 2, still standing in the Arizona desert, was an ill-fated experiment by a well-funded group of countercultural artists and scientists who struck many as cult-like. Director Matt Wolf uses archival footage and interviews to compellingly depict an idealistic but sometimes misguided crusade. The film is streaming on Hulu and other online platforms starting May 8.听鈥�Erin Berger

鈥楶iano to Zanskar鈥�

鈥淢aking pianos is the most boring thing that you could possibly ever do,鈥� says piano tuner Sir Desmond Gentle at the beginning of . We then follow him as he travels 5,000 miles from his London shop to hand-deliver a 176-pound instrument to a remote village in the Himalayas. His goal is to enable music lessons at a local school, and if Gentle completes his expedition, he鈥檒l have placed the highest-altitude piano in the world. Dry humor and charming musical breaks accompany terrifying scenes of a Sherpa team chasing piano parts down scree-filled mountainsides. The film, which won the grand prize at the 2019 Banff Mountain Film Festival, is a meditation on worthwhile tedium, the spirituality of music, and hard-to-reach places. Piano to Zanskar will be featured in a 48-hour streaming event hosted by the听听this May or June, though an exact date has yet to be announced.听鈥擡.B.

鈥楻ebuilding Paradise鈥櫶�

The first nine minutes of , a documentary about the 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California, are terrifying. Using patrol-car dash-cam footage, 911 calls, and video from fleeing residents鈥� phones, director Ron Howard takes audiences straight into the inferno that destroyed 20,000 acres within 24 hours, including the entire town of Paradise. The film follows a sympathetic group of protagonists鈥攊ncluding a former mayor, a police officer, and a high school counselor鈥攄uring a year of post-fire recovery as they try to restore their lives. Rebuilding Paradise is about one story of human perseverance, but its closing montage suggests that natural disasters of this scale鈥攁nd their refugees鈥攁re becoming more and more common around the world. 鈥�Xian Chiang-Waren听

鈥楾he Cost of Silence鈥�

Ten years after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, explores the oil spill鈥檚 devastating human toll. Director Mark Manning started filming late in the spring of 2010, when BP was showering the Gulf of Mexico with toxic dispersants in an attempt to clean up its mess. Over the course of nearly a decade, Manning鈥檚 crew traveled throughout the Gulf Coast region, collecting scores of powerful stories from residents who claim they鈥檙e still suffering from chronic health problems caused by those chemicals. They describe respiratory issues, sickly brown ear drainage, and even a cluster of rare childhood cancers. Manning, a former commercial diver who started his career in the Gulf, is deeply empathetic in his portraits of the clean-up workers, commercial fishermen, and ordinary families whose lives have been upended. 鈥�Sophie Murguia听

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It鈥檚 been seven weeks since the 听and 听announced that, as a response to the coronavirus pandemic, their races would be postponed until September 14 and October 4, respectively. At the time, the news inspired cautious optimism among some running enthusiasts that we could see an unprecedented glut of high-caliber races later this year; suddenly, there were 听tentatively scheduled to take place between August 8 and November 1. We were innocent enough to believe that it could happen. 听

In behavioral finance, there鈥檚 something called the 鈥�,鈥� a term meant to describe our tendency to ignore inconvenient truths. Unfortunately, the bad news usually still comes seeping in.听

On March 24, the 听that for the first time ever the Olympics would be postponed for a year. Last week, the 听that all events with more than 5,000 participants were off the table until October 24 at the earliest鈥攊ndicating that the Berlin Marathon, which is normally held in September, would听be canceled. Meanwhile, the fact that runners around the world are dealing with an ethical (and practical) dilemma about whether to run with a mask听does not bode听particularly well for a robust fall racing season. For context: on the day that the Boston Marathon was initially postponed (March 13), there were roughly 2,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States. There are currently over one million. In the absence of a vaccine or effective treatment for the coronavirus, it鈥檚 difficult to see how a sport that floods the streets with thousands of sweaty individuals can make a comeback.听

Nonetheless, for now, the 2020 Boston Marathon is still scheduled for September. A final decision on whether or not to hold the race likely won鈥檛 be made until some point in the summer.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 a little bit like the weather, in the sense that, two weeks out, you may have a long range forecast that says there鈥檚 going to be rain and thunder and lightning and all this other business, but you don鈥檛 overreact to it and you continue your planning,鈥� Dave McGillivray, the 65-year-old Boston race director, tells me. 听

鈥淭hen, as you get closer, the credibility of that information gets a little bit stronger and you start making adjustments to address those concerns and those challenges. It鈥檚 only a few days out are you able to really know. It鈥檚 similar with this, although it won鈥檛 be a few days out, but probably like a month beforehand, or six weeks, or something along those lines.鈥�

Hugh Brasher, the race director of the London Marathon, expressed a similar sentiment last week, when he that he 鈥渄idn鈥檛 want to discount anything until it becomes really impossible,鈥� and that a final decision would likely be made before the end of August. Brasher also told 听that he has been communicating with the organizers of the other World Marathon Majors听(Berlin, New York, Chicago, Boston, and Tokyo) to 鈥渟wap ideas.鈥� As we saw in Tokyo in March, an elites-only marathon might be one potential way to salvage a few high-level races in a year where professional sports鈥攁nd everything else鈥攈ave been forced into an indefinite hiatus.听

When it was first announced that Boston and London wouldn鈥檛 be taking place as scheduled, the idea of a marathon-less spring was still somewhat abstract. Anyway, our attention was diverted by more urgent matters: what鈥檚 a marathon in the face of a worldwide pandemic? But now that the original event dates have come and gone and we鈥檝e become familiar with horrible new phrases like 鈥渧iral load鈥� and 鈥渟ocial distancing,鈥� the absence of those races feels more palpable. For those of us who view them as a kind of seasonal ritual, .听

听鈥淚n addition to offering an excuse to drink too much and yell at strangers, sports provide a kind of social circadian rhythm. They are an ordering mechanism, a way to set the clock,鈥� the New Yorker鈥檚 Louisa Thomas 听about what it was like to experience Patriots Day in Boston without a marathon. Of course, for fans of world-class distance running, a marquee marathon can feel more like a lunar eclipse than anything that occurs with circadian frequency. The best marathoners in the world generally only race twice a year鈥攖here鈥檚 an added sting when we are deprived of a chance to see them in their prime.听

London 2020 was set up to feature yet another duel between Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele, the two fastest men ever over 26.2 miles. With the race postponed, Kipchoge and Bekele took part in a , organized by their mutual sponsor, the NN Running Team. Watching this improbable correspondence, I wondered if there could actually be a virtual Marathon Major in the fall, where, say, the world鈥檚 top 30 marathoners compete on a network of digitally linked treadmills, or on 400-meter tracks scattered throughout the world at roughly the same elevation. Stranger things have happened.听

I have to admit that watching Kipchoge run a marathon on a treadmill might test the limits of my fanaticism. Could it make for an engaging two-hour live broadcast? Possibly. But let鈥檚 hope we never have to find out. I鈥檇 much prefer to stick my head back in the sand and dream about seeing him race London in October. 听

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A recent report from , a UK-based market-research group, revealed the 100 most visited cities in the world last year.听Major Asian hubs听such as Hong Kong, Bangkok, Macau, and Singapore dominated the list, taking seven of the top-ten听spots, while European and Middle Eastern metro areas听followed. Many travelers have used these cities as stopovers en route to听more adventure-filled final destinations, but we鈥檙e here to tell you that you don鈥檛 need to make onward connections to find what you鈥檙e looking for鈥攖hese bustling urban centers have plenty of action-packed detours within an hour or two of downtown. Here鈥檚 a guide to extending that layover, packing in some time outdoors between major cultural sites, or simply making the most of these dynamic places.听

Hong Kong

Visitor count: 26.7 million听

Hong Kong has been the most visited city in the world since 2010. The ongoing anti-government protests听resulted in听2.5 million fewer visitors compared to 2018, but they haven鈥檛听stopped most people听from going. U.S.听听have recommended extra caution but haven鈥檛 discouraged taking trips there, and reports on the ground point to . However,听to听minimize听risk,听keep an eye on local听media reports to gauge which areas are most .

What many visitors don鈥檛 realize is that close to has been designated as parks or protected lands. A fifth of the city is also covered with steep slopes, making for听some of the best granite crags in Asia. Within an hour from the airport, you can go on a moderate canyoneering听day trip along the Ping Nam stream.听Or head 40 minutes south to听hit crags like Lion Rock and Beacon Hill听in Lion Rock Country Park; they听offer a variety of single- and multi-pitch climbs, from 5.6 to 5.13, and there鈥檚 nothing like the payoff鈥攖he skyline views from the top are some of the best in the city. For details on hiking trails in Hong Kong鈥檚 24 national听parks and its听140 miles of cycling tracks, the 听is a good resource.

Bangkok

Visitor count: 25.8 million

This听capital city听has made听the list鈥檚 top five听for several years, securing second place in 2017 and 2018. Most visitors spend a few days in the听center, stopping by its decorated Buddhist temples and bustling street markets, before heading off to Thailand鈥檚 more than 1,000听islands, including听Phuket and Ko听Chang.

But Bangkok is surrounded by river- and lake-based adventures that make adding an extra day or two in the area worth it. Head 50听minutes east to , a wake park where water-skiers and wakeboarders hold onto听handle attached toa rope that鈥檚 pulled along by overhead cables near听the periphery of the lake, or use the park鈥檚听ramps to practice your turnovers and other tricks (from $13).

Macau

Visitor count: 20.6 million

Macau, an听autonomous region on the south coast of China,听is known among globe-trotters as the Las Vegas of Asia,听due its giant casinos (gambling is illegal in Hong Kong and China) and malls along the Cotai Strip. But the former Portuguese colony is more than just roulettes and slot machines.

For extreme urban adventure, team up with guiding company听听to scale 1,100-foot Macau Tower (from $299), where you can walk along the building鈥檚 outer rim for sight lines that reach as far as Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta in听China on a clear day. Half an hour south of听downtown, or 20 minutes from the airport, is Coloane Island, which has a ten-mile trail system that鈥檚 a go-to spot for local hikers and trail runners. Don鈥檛 miss the 1.3-mile , with views of听the azure South China Sea.

Singapore

Visitor count: 19.8 million

To escape the hustle and bustle of this tiny, dynamic city, go to听, an island just听12 miles from the downtown. It听can be reached in less than an hour via听a free bus from Changi International Airport and then a short ferry ride (from $3).

Hop on tandem kayaks from (from $58) and paddle around the mangrove, with hornbills and herons flying above. On the western edge of the island, Ketam Mountain Bike Park has a world-class ten-mile trail system that听hosts听the city鈥檚 major biking events.

You鈥檙e also likely to bump into wildlife photographers and birders听who come to catch sight of more than 200 species of birds, 700 types of plants, and 40 varieties of reptiles.

London

Visitor count: 19.6 million

Green spaces in London听are a dime a dozen,听but听the adventure offerings indoors and just beyond the city limits and are as innovative as they are varied.

A ten-minute drive from Big Ben is , an ice-climbing gym. The facility听keeps its internal temperature between 10 and 23 degrees year-round to maintain its 26-foot-tall ice wall, which features beginner slabs, dramatic overhangs, and everything in between (from $33).

Or听head an hour north of downtown to Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, and the听, a rafting and canoeing destination used in the 2012 Olympics. The venue hosts two options for rafting鈥攁 1,000-foot Olympic course with a stunning 19-foot听drop, and a 525-foot loop with a milder five-foot听drop鈥攁nd听offers Class II-IV whitewater听(from $65). New to the sport? You can also take kayaking 听there (from $78).

Paris

Visitor count: 19.1 million

An hour north of听the Eiffel Tower, or 40 minutes from Charles de Gaulle International Airport, is the听. The area has over 870 miles of trails that take hikers through 2,000 years of history.听Ch芒teaus, churches, castles, old towns, and megalithic sites dating back to the Roman era dot routes lined听by chestnut trees.

If you don鈥檛 have time to leave the city, explore its听urban running听and biking opportunities.听Located along the western outskirts Paris,听听(where the French Open is played every May) has two lakes,听nine miles of cycling routes, and countless trails in its 2,100 acres, which is more than twice the size of Central Park. And don鈥檛 forget about , with its听four-mile waterfront walkway from Pont d鈥橝usterlitz to Pont d鈥橧茅na, which passes the Louvre Museum, the Mus茅e d鈥橭rsay, Palais Bourbon, and the Eiffel Tower.

Dubai

Visitor count: 16.3 million

Hotel-bar hopping by luxury limo and extravagant desert safaris may overshadow the city鈥檚 biking and surfing scenes, but there鈥檚 plenty of ways to play outside if you know where to look.听In the cooler months, check out , a 50-mile loop that stretches from the southeast tip of downtown into the desert, where you鈥檒l catch sightings of local wildlife such as oryx and ride alongside training athletes from the United Arab Emirates national team. Rent your ride at 听(from $15) off of the main highway, Sheikh Zayed Road.

If you prefer the water, you鈥檙e听not alone in a city home to . , just east of the iconic Burj Al Arab hotel, is your spot for kitesurfing, wakeboarding, and surfing. It鈥檚 known as the last bastion听for natural waves, as more man-made islands dot the coast and interrupt western swells. Or head to the听 (from $18) in Al Ain, a 90-minute听drive south of Dubai, which creates an 11-foot听wave鈥攖he largest artificial break听in the world鈥攅very 90 seconds.

Delhi

Visitor count: 15.2 million

Due to rapid development of its tourism infrastructure, Delhi witnessed a 20 percent visitor jump from 2018. This increase is only set to grow, as Indira Gandhi International Airport is set to听听by June 2022, enabling听the hub to handle 100 million passengers every year. New direct routes to Delhi include Air India鈥檚 flight from听Toronto听and United Airlines鈥� flight from San Francisco. Its connectivity to locations across northern India, such as Kashmir and the foothills of the Himalayas, has also boosted inbound arrivals.

With wellness tourism on the rise globally, the city听has attracted visitors听who come for its yoga and meditation training institutes.听,听,听and听听are good places to start. If you鈥檙e听a birder, a wildlife photographer, or just looking for some nature, head 18 miles south of the city center to , which听has close to 200 types of birds, more than 80 species of butterflies, and populations of nilgai, the largest Asian antelope that鈥檚 native to the Indian subcontinent. The , near听the entrance, organizes wildlife听 (from $2).

Visa restrictions: For听stays shorter than 60 days, U.S. visitors can apply for an at least four days prior to their arrival in lieu of applying for a tourist visa at an Indian embassy or consulate.

Istanbul

Visitor count: 14.7 million

After political and security issues in 2016 caused a drop in visitors, Istanbul听has rebounded. Its downtown sites are enough to fill a weeklong itinerary (navigating the Grand Bazaar will take at least a day), but it鈥檚 worth doing as the Turks do and taking a day or two to escape the city鈥檚 crowds and congestion.

Head over to Belgrad Forest, just ten听miles north of Istanbul. In an area encompassing more than 13,000 acres of oak, beech, and chestnut trees, runners can choose from plenty of unmarked trails. One of the most popular is a four-mile loop around the southern lake of Neset Suyu. For mountain bikers, there鈥檚 听that spans from the south to the center of the forest.

Visa restrictions:听U.S. citizens who plan to stay听less than 90 days can obtain an .

Kuala Lumpur

Visitor count: 14.1 million

One of 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 20 most affordable places to go in 2020, the Malaysian capital is no longer a stopover for visitors on the way听to its surrounding islands.

For serious rock climbers, Batu Caves, a 90-minute听drive north of听the city, has more than 170 routes across eight limestone crags. If you left your gear at home, offers half- and full-day tours with equipment rental (from $51). For hikers,听the 8.7-mile-long, 660-foot-wide , the longest quartz formation in the world, is a challenging trail just 12 miles north of the city. Trek up through muddy jungle terrain from either of the two trailheads, . You鈥檒l need the help of a wire rope to get to the very top, where Kuala Lumpur鈥檚 famous skyline is visible on one side and a reservoir on the other. Looking for something less rigorous? Drive 25 miles south from downtown to for an hourlong hike with scenic jungle views. Go early in the morning or at dusk to catch the sunrise or sunset views over the city.

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In his memoir , Vladimir Nabokov, who was famously prone to insomnia, wrote: 鈥淪leep is the most moronic fraternity in the world, with the heaviest dues and the crudest rituals.鈥�

This thought came to mind during a recent visit to , where a 45-minute nap costs $25. After I checked in and changed into a pair of rental pajamas (night sky themed), a young woman named Kayla led me to one of the Dreamery鈥檚 nine sleep pods. If you鈥檙e picturing some tech wizardry 脿 la Elon Musk, I鈥檓 afraid I have to disappoint. It鈥檚 basically a giant wooden cylinder that looks like it could house the world鈥檚 largest Camembert. I pulled back the curtain and discovered a duvet-covered mattress and pillow, along with a small card that read Sweet dreams, Martin. I would do my best. I got under the covers, switched off the bedside light, and closed my eyes.

The Dreamery is one of a number of nap studios (also known as nap bars or nap caf茅s) that have recently sprung up around the world, catering to our newfound respect for the importance of sleep. In London鈥檚 hypergentrified Shoreditch neighborhood, for instance, somnolent tech bros can seek refuge in a nap bar called , where a half-hour pod rental costs about $10. In Paris, the offers both a brick-and-mortar location and a mobile unit called the ZZZen Truck.

The general idea is to provide overstimulated urbanites with a quiet sanctuary where they can relax and, ideally, drift off. In a sense, the nap bar is an updated take on the capsule-hotel phenomenon, which took off in Japan in the nineties to provide weary salarymen with cheap, accessible accommodations. At the Dreamery, which is sponsored by the mattress company Casper, the meditation app Headspace supplies an overhead soundtrack of whirring nothingness. In addition to the pajama rental, visitors get earplugs and unlimited LaCroix. (Postnap coffee is also available.)

Why, you might be wondering, are people suddenly willing to pay for a nap?

鈥淚 was a prototypical Washingtonian: harried, overworked, and burned out as a systems engineer,鈥� says Daniel Turissini, the founder of Turissini, who claims that Recharj was the first nap studio in the U.S. when it opened in August 2016, notes that in an age where many companies have shifted to the open-office model, sleep has become a luxury made scarce by the lack of privacy in the American workplace. He鈥檇 heard from men who had dozed off in their office鈥檚 lactation rooms. Others were locking themselves in bathroom stalls.

Mauricio Villamizar, who cofounded Pop and Rest, says one reason he started his company was to introduce type A Londoners to the siesta culture of his native Colombia. Indeed, beyond providing more accessible places to sleep, one of the potential benefits of nap studios is that they might inspire broader acceptance of the midday snooze.

Rachel Salas, a sleep neurologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine, is also optimistic that nap bars could bring greater awareness to what she calls our national sleep epidemic. According to a 2016 survey published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than a third of Americans are getting less than the minimum recommendation of seven hours of sleep per 24-hour period. Salas cautions, however, that nap bars probably shouldn鈥檛 be frequented by those who suffer from serious sleep disorders. 鈥淚f you know that you have insomnia or a circadian-rhythm issue where you are not falling asleep until 2 or 3 A.M., you should really be talking to your health care provider first rather than going to a nap bar,鈥� she says.

For some people, the idea of paying for a nap might sound a little dystopian. It鈥檚 the ultimate perversion of a society in which essential life requirements鈥攚ater, exercise, sleep鈥攈ave been commodified.

And maybe that鈥檚 why I couldn鈥檛 fall asleep during my brief stay at the Dreamery: the awareness that I was spending money to escape distraction became a distraction in itself. When the lamp above my bed began to brighten, signaling the end of my repose, I almost felt a little guilty. But soon after, the feeling was alleviated鈥擨 noticed that the Sweet Dreams, Martin card also listed my sleep pod鈥檚 Wi-Fi password (Casper). 鈥淚n case you can鈥檛 sleep,鈥� it read.

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The is taking place on Sunday. Once again, the event that consistently features the highest concentration of running talent has outdone itself. For better or worse, London鈥檚 pre-race hype has become an annual exercise in hyperbole鈥攖he endurance sports world鈥檚 equivalent of an iPhone launch.听

鈥淎lmost every year, we find ourselves saying that London has put together the greatest marathon field of all time,鈥� back in January when the elite fields were announced. 鈥淎nd then another year passes, and we say it again. We keep saying it because it鈥檚 true.鈥�

The 2019 edition of the greatest marathon of all time features a women鈥檚 race with six athletes who have run under 2:20, including three-time champ Mary Keitany. Meanwhile, on the men鈥檚 side, we get a rematch of last year鈥檚 showdown between world record holder Eliud Kipchoge and four-time Olympic gold-medalist Mo Farah.听

And those are only the biggest names. London being London, there will be many other athletes taking part who have run astonishingly quick times, but whose identities will likely only be familiar to hardcore running fans. Or can you tell me who finished second in the men鈥檚 race last year, sharing the podium with听the two idols Kipchoge (first) and Farah (third)? It was Ethiopia鈥檚 Shura Kitata Tola, a man whose relative anonymity was highlighted in a prior to last fall鈥檚 NYC Marathon. The headline for that article read: 鈥淗aven鈥檛 Heard of Shura Kitata? You鈥檒l Probably See Him up Front on Sunday.鈥� (This proved accurate; Kitata finished second in New York, running 2:06:01, the third-quickest time ever recorded on the course.)

By showcasing the fastest runners on the planet, the London Marathon is also an implicit reminder of the sad reality that so many of the sport鈥檚 finest practitioners seem condemned to obscurity. This has been a longstanding issue for those of us in the media looking to increase pro running鈥檚 visibility鈥攁nd hence marketability. Not that we aren鈥檛 partially responsible for the problem.

鈥淔ans of athletics鈥攁nd specifically of long-distance running鈥攈ave become used to a lack of knowledge on the part of commentators that would be shocking in any other sport,鈥� the Guardian鈥檚 Michael Crawley in an article about track stars Tim Cheruiyot and Jemel Yimer. 鈥淭he collective term 鈥榯he East Africans鈥� is used to describe a group of individuals diverse in both culture and personality,鈥� Crawley lamented further.

There鈥檚 been some media self-policing on our side of the Atlantic as well. After last fall鈥檚 New York City Marathon, the cover page of the special 鈥淢arathon鈥� edition section of the Times had a photo of Keitany ripping through the Bronx section of the course after she鈥檇 ditched all of her rivals. The headline read, 鈥淲inner Leaves the Pack Out of the Picture,鈥� which was enough cause LetsRun staff writer Jonathan Gault to .

鈥淩unning has a problem with publicity because of headlines like this,鈥� Gault wrote. 鈥淭hat winner is not a faceless African. Her name is Mary Keitany, she has won NYC 4x and she is one of the greatest marathoners of all time.鈥�

One could听argue that this specific grievance is a little forced, but Gault is听right when he suggests that pro running needs to ensure its heroes aren鈥檛 reduced to 鈥渇aceless Africans.鈥� 听听

On a hyper-local level, there have been some efforts to address the issue: Elmwood Elementary in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, sits about one mile away from the starting line of the Boston Marathon. Since 1993, the school has been celebrating something called 鈥淜enya Day,鈥� where students learn about the country and research individual Kenyan runners who are racing Boston that year. On the Thursday before the race, several of these elites visit the school and are before an athlete Q&A.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 very encouraging that people study about us and where we come from, so that when we come here and run, it鈥檚 not just any other skinny Kenyan running,鈥� Boston 2012 champ Wesley Korir at this year鈥檚 event. 鈥淭hey personalize us and it鈥檚 surprising how much they know about each and every one of the athletes here.鈥�

Even the sport鈥檚 most prominent ambassadors could benefit from a little more 鈥減ersonalizing鈥� by the media鈥攅specially when it comes to profiling elite marathoners who might only compete two times a year. The publicity team behind the London Marathon seems to be aware of this. Earlier this month, they released profiling the best marathoner in history in his training camp in Kaptagat. (They did the same for women鈥檚 defending champion .) The film shows Kipchoge and his team running in the hills of the Rift Valley; we see him relaxing over tea; we see him tending to mundane housekeeping chores in a way that one might not expect from a guy whose athletic career has garnered him wealth and fame. His modest sleeping quarters are reminiscent of a college dorm room. (Rather than a Scarface poster, Kipchoge has a picture of Nike CEO Mark Parker over his bed, which, I have to admit, is kind of disappointing.)听

This ascetic lifestyle is very much , as is his fondness for inspirational quotes. 鈥淓liud鈥� may only ten minutes long, but it鈥檚 stuffed with so many maxims that you come away feeling like you need to recalibrate your whole existence. To be successful in sport听is not a chance鈥攊t鈥檚 a choice. You must know who you are and what you stand for. Success comes with sacrifice. One percent of the whole team is really more important that one hundred percent of yourself. Devoid of context, this sounds like the sort of thing you鈥檇 expect to hear from an uninspired motivational speaker, but one of Kipchoge鈥檚 many gifts is an ability to make even the most tired platitude sound convincing.听

Nonetheless, we should resist the temptation of portraying him as distance running鈥檚 holy man. I know this is an easy trap to fall into. As evidenced during on Wednesday, the language barrier can sometimes make Kipchoge appear more phlegmatic (not to say enigmatic) than he really is. Also, his ridiculous record in the marathon (ten wins and one second place finish in eleven races) is enough to give him an air of the supernatural. But to characterize Kipchoge as the sport鈥檚 invincible stoic is to deprive him of a personality. It almost makes him boring.听

Which is why I鈥檓 grateful that 鈥淓liud鈥� includes my favorite Kipchoge moment. When he breaks the tape in world record time at the 2018 Berlin Marathon, he brings his hands to his head in a gesture of joyous amazement at what he鈥檚 just accomplished. A second later, he leaps into the arms of his coach Patrick Sang, in the manner of, as 国产吃瓜黑料 columnist Alex Hutchinson wrote at the time, an 鈥渁morous bride.鈥� We鈥檙e so used to imagining听Kipchoge as the epitome of control that when see him momentarily disarmed it comes as a bit of a shock. Not that it should. The guy鈥檚 only human, after all.听

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New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has always billed himself as a progressive. Back in February, in his State of the City address, he boldly announced that he鈥檇 transform this town of $1-million studio apartments and 听into 鈥渢he fairest big city in the world.鈥� But here鈥檚 the thing:

You can鈥檛 have a truly fair city unless you start beating back all the cars.

鈥淣onsense!鈥� you might say. 鈥淒enying me the unfettered use of my Freedom Machine is the very antithesis of fairness!鈥� Well, sure, it may seem unfair to you and your SUV鈥攅specially when you鈥檙e looking for a parking space. But letting people in private vehicles run roughshod over the city causes crushing traffic jams, delays public transit, pollutes the air, creates noise, wastes public resources, and takes up an obscene amount of space in a city that doesn鈥檛 have enough of it. Oh, and there鈥檚 also all the people these automobiles听kill.

To de Blasio鈥檚 credit, under his administration the city has continued to add bike lanes, even defying certain cyclist-hating community boards when necessary. The city has also been experimenting with dockless bike share, as well as with dedicated car-share parking spots. By American standards, we鈥檝e done a lot to provide and promote alternatives to car ownership. In fact, you could even go so far as to say that in this country, we鈥檙e on the very forefront of enacting bold car-free policy.

So does that mean we鈥檙e doing an excellent job when it comes to cutting back on cars? Sadly, no. We鈥檙e great at a lot of stuff here in New York (making bagels and complaining about stuff both come to mind), but having the most progressive transit policy in the U.S. is like having the best bagels in Topeka: the competition is not exactly cutthroat. Then there鈥檚 climate change. Shit鈥檚 getting real out there and :

Scientists described the quickening rate of carbon dioxide emissions in stark terms, comparing it to a 鈥渟peeding freight train鈥� and laying part of the blame on an unexpected surge in the appetite for oil as people around the world not only buy more cars but also drive them farther than in the past鈥攎ore than offsetting any gains from the spread of electric vehicles.

Indeed, when you see what other cities in other countries are up to, you see that New York City doesn鈥檛 even come close to real bike-centric progress. Here are just a few examples:

Paris

In Manhattan, cars with Jersey plates choke the streets and throngs of pedestrians are so starved for sidewalk space they spill over into the bike lanes. In Paris (where car trips have since 1990), Mayor Anne Hildago is hacking away at car dominance by pedestrianizing swaths of the city, on the first Sunday of every month, and announcing plans to of gasoline-powered cars by 2030. So how would Parisiens get around in this socialist Hemi-free hellscape if she gets her way? Why, on bikes, scooters鈥攁nd , of course. 听

Copenhagen

听of Copenhageners commute by bike. In New York, the fancy new protected bike lane you鈥檙e riding on will eventually just , leaving you to slug it out with truck traffic. In Copenhagen, they鈥檝e got connecting the suburbs to the city. Mayor Frank Jensen wants to from entering the city by 2019; Denmark is moving to eventually the sale of fossil fuel cars entirely. They鈥檝e even got in Copenhagen, for chrissakes! Here, the closest you鈥檒l get to that kind of amenity is perching yourself on the running board of a Cadillac Escalade at a red light.

Madrid (and Beyond)

Madrid 听in some parts of the city by setting tough new vehicle emissions standards. Elsewhere in Spain, Seville turned itself into a cycling city in four years鈥攜ou know, by . And the city of Pontreveda has after realizing the following:

鈥淗ow can it be that the elderly or children aren鈥檛 able to use the street because of cars?鈥� asks C茅sar Mosquera, the city鈥檚 head of infrastructures. 鈥淗ow can it be that private property鈥攖he car鈥攐ccupies the public space?鈥�

Meanwhile, in America we call not being able to use public outdoor space 鈥渇reedom.鈥�

London

New Yorkers suffer from a bad case of exceptionalism; 鈥淭his isn鈥檛 [insert lesser city here]!,鈥� we cry whenever someone proposes a new idea. 鈥淭hat shit ain鈥檛 gonna fly in this town.鈥� And yes, some of these other cities are somewhat diminutive compared to our mighty metropolis of over eight million people. But you can鈥檛 say that about London, a fellow global power听that鈥檚 equally huge in population and cultural and commercial clout. Sure, they鈥檝e got their just like we do, but they鈥檝e also got cycling superhighways, motor-vehicle-congestion pricing, and soon, an . Here in New York, the best we鈥檝e come up with so far is 鈥�,鈥� which is basically a handful of days a year we politely ask people not to drive.

Tokyo

In New York City, space is at a premium, and this is some of the most expensive real estate in the country鈥攜et we give away much of our curb space for private vehicle storage. This glut of cars has a seriously negative impact on our quality of life. Yet if I owned fifteen cars I could park them all out on the street for free, and while some might say I was simply exercising my rights as an American, what it really makes me is an asshole. But in Tokyo (another gigantic global power city), you can鈥檛 even buy a car without showing proof that you鈥檝e secured a parking space for it鈥攁nd , because overnight parking is illegal.

So basically, our international peers have had it up to their unshaven armpits with cars, and they鈥檙e doing something about it. Meanwhile, back in New York City, our mayor wouldn鈥檛 even move the needle on the International Progressive-O-Meter. 鈥淚 just don鈥檛 like the idea, personally,鈥� he of e-bikes and e-scooters. He鈥檚 also resisted congestion pricing on the basis that it鈥檚 a 鈥渞egressive tax鈥� on low-income New Yorkers, even though who are driving into the proposed congestion pricing zone听and even though it would help fund the transit system on which lower income New Yorkers (and really all New Yorkers) depend.

As for climate change, de Blasio,听eager to show the world that he was ready to help lead the fight, kicked off 2018 by that the city would sue the big oil companies鈥攁 case that has since been . So much for that. He also continues to travel from Manhattan to Brooklyn in order to work out on a stationary bicycle.

For better or for worse, some may think New York City is an aberration in this land of pickup trucks and firearms, but it doesn鈥檛 get much more American than that.

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You鈥檝e got to hand it to the Brits: when the occasion calls for it, they really know how to make a splash. On a recent Saturday in May, everyone on my Twitter feed was talking about the same joyous event听taking place on the outskirts of London. The photos made me wish I was there. It wasn鈥檛 just the celebrity attendees, the historic setting, or the perfect weather鈥攊t was the spectacle of seeing so many happy people in one place, knocking back pints of ale and waiting for the procession to pass by. It鈥檚 a shame, I remember thinking, that there鈥檚 no in the U.S.
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As track meets go, this one鈥檚 a doozy. Now in its sixth year, it is hosted by the , one of Britain鈥檚 oldest running clubs, on a public track in London鈥檚 Hampstead Heath park. The unusual format consists exclusively of 10,000-meter races, which begin in the early afternoon and go on into the night. While initial heats feature very good U.K. club runners, the final events of the evening have professional fields. Unlike more conventional track meets where spectators sit removed from the action, this one brings the crowds onto the track and into the infield. There is live music, beer, and pyrotechnics. As distance running legend Sonia O鈥橲ullivan put it in , the Night of the 10,000 PBs 鈥渟howed just how engaging 10,000m running can be.鈥�
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From where I sit, if you can make a 25-lap track race 鈥渆ngaging,鈥� you have something figured out. Here in the U.S., track fans like to gripe about the relative lack of popularity of our sport. With that in mind, I spoke to 10,000 PBs meet director Ben Pochee about what the rest of the running world can learn from his event. (In the true spirit of British modesty, Pochee told me he is hardly an authority on such matters. I beg to differ.)

A Low-Key Venue Can Be an Asset

The facility in Hampstead Heath is a community track, not a stadium. There are no stands to speak of and only a limited number of restrooms. At the Night of the 10,000 PBs, this modest venue belies the world-class level of competition. (The 2016 iteration even doubled as the official Olympic Trials to determine which athletes would represent Britain in Rio.) For the organizer, staging elite-level performances in a very non-elitist environment is听a way to broaden the sport鈥檚 appeal.听
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鈥淭hat juxtaposition was always part of the beauty of the event,鈥� says Pochee. 鈥淲e could show recreational joggers that here was a very basic track that they can use any day of the week, where people were running Olympic standard qualifying times.鈥�

Running Is All About Emotion

Staging an event in an open public space, as opposed to in an enclosed stadium, also makes it easier to bring the crowds right up to鈥攁nd onto鈥攖he track. Indeed, one of the most striking aspects of the Night of 10,000 PBs is the intimacy: the athletes and the spectators are only a few feet from one another, feeding off each other's energy.听
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鈥淭here鈥檚 so much emotion involved in competition,鈥� Pochee says. 鈥淲hat I really want to do with the event is celebrate the fact that we run and race with emotion. But not in the manner of sanitized, big events that have everyone sitting politely in the stands and clapping from 100 meters away. When athletes perform and there鈥檚 a crowd emotionally engaged in that performance, I think it improves their chances of running quicker times.鈥�

Runners Are Social Animals

鈥淥ur sport is about more than just PBs and numbers鈥攖here鈥檚 a social side to it which I think is huge part of why people run,鈥� Pochee says. From the beginning, he was consciously trying to incorporate that aspect in a way that would appeal both to hardcore track fans as well as those with little to no knowledge of the sport. The event has what Pochee describes as a 鈥渃ircus vibe,鈥� with fire jugglers, pyro acts, and, this year, live performances from the semi-finalists of the TV show Britain鈥檚 Got Talent. Even the name 鈥淣ight of the 10,000 PBs鈥� is meant to suggest a Victorian-era spectacle.

Beer Works Wonders

If you want to inspire a crowd to get enthusiastic about men and women running hard for 25 laps, it helps to have proper libations. This meet has two beer tents, each spanning across a section of the home and back straightaways, which runners go through on every lap. These are affectionately known as 鈥渓actate tunnels of love.鈥�

Athletes Come First

Despite such bells and whistles, the event is very much centered on the runners. As Pochee points out, the competition initially came about as a response to what he felt was a paucity of 10K track races in the U.K. The idea was to provide very good athletes with a chance to run their fastest race in a distance that rarely gets contested on the track. It seems to be working. This year both the winner of the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 鈥淎鈥� race came away with personal bests; Germany鈥檚 Richard Ringer ran 27:36.52, while Chemtai Lonah Salpeter, competing for Israel, came home in 31:33.03.
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At the end of the day, the great achievement of the Night of the 10,000 PBs might be that it manages to inspire performances like that without the rigid formality of a traditional track meet.听
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听鈥淚n the U.K. traditional athletics tends to be quite serious, and I think our event provides an opportunity for people to enjoy athletics in a more raucous, celebratory way,鈥� Pochee says. 鈥淲hen we race, it should be like a big celebration鈥揳lmost like a wedding.鈥�

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