Sometimes we travel to attend a big event, like a rock concert, festival or football game, and by the time the we get back to the hotel, we wonder what the fuss was all about. Unfortunately, some events are more enjoyable on television, from the comfort of our own couch. Take the Super Bowl for example. Sold out every year of course but more hype surrounds the television advertisements than the actual game, which usually turns out to be a dud from a pure football vantage point. Rather than fans of the game, the seats are full of corporate fatcats who seldom have any allegiance to either team.
Thankfully, there are some events well worth the price of admission. Best of all, several require no payment at all. You simply have to show up and applaud from the sidelines. Without further ado, we present the Top 10 Races in the World.
The Great Tibetan Marathon
Remote? Yes. Good chance of high altitude sickness? Yes. Unparalleled beauty amid a dense backdrop of spirituality? Indeed.
The Great Tibetan Marathon presents unique challenges to runners more familiar with the urban confines of London and New York City. Smack in the middle of the Himalayas in the area famous as the “Top of the World”, the marathon takes participants through scenery heavy with natural splendor and spiritual import unlike anywhere around the globe. The ancient Tibetan Buddhist monuments and monastic shrines that line the route within the Indus Valley lend a quality of mysticism to this annual race. Runners must contend with incredible distractions here. For one, the view. On the one hand, the Himalayas loom large in the distance. That alone is cause to lose focus. The lack of oxygen however, reminds the athletes that the conditions can be deadly. The Indus Valley on the other hand, is one of the most pristine in the world. No wonder that the gurus of yore found enlightenment here and chose the location for their precious monuments.
M?doc MarathonThe region of Bordeaux in France evokes one image and one image only: wine. In a quest to consummate a most unholy marriage, somebody in 1984, perhaps after a blow to the head, thought it would be fun to combine the heritage of Bordeaux with a marathon. Thus, the M?doc Marathon was born.
With a limit of 8,500 participants, the convivial race is a conventional marathon in every sense except one. The route runs past some of the most famous Ch?teaux in France, with names that drip from the mouths of wine connoisseurs. As such, participants who want to make the most of the event slake their thirst not with water, but much more importantly, with wine. A lot of wine. Hardcore veterans of the event measure success at M?doc with how drunk they are at the finish. The revelry that surrounds the marathon is legendary, with elements of Mardi Gras and Halloween that together, make for one raucous weekend in Bordeaux. Definitely one for both Dionysus and Pheidippides to enjoy.
The Dakar RallyA rare event where the mantra “only the strong survive” is not hyperbole, the Dakar Rally is thrill ride of epic proportions. The annual off-road race, whose organizers - the Amaury Sport Organisation - also put together the Tour de France, epitomizes the word endurance. Participants race for pride, as Dakar is seen by enthusiasts as the most brutal rally test in the world. For the teams that invest in Dakar, a win here is the ultimate ego boost.
The terrain is the problem. Whether the race starts in Paris or Lisbon, it ends past the Sahara and in Dakar, Senegal. As such, teams have to supply drivers with mechanical support the likes of which do not exist in conventional rally events. Vehicles typically drive up to 900 km a day through treacherous sand dunes, camel grass and desert erg. Death is almost inevitable for some, which makes the race even better from a bloodlust tourism standpoint.
Daytona 500For fans of open wheel sports and rally, a dissertation on the mass appeal of NASCAR is problematic. To outsiders, it looks like a pack of cars going around a large oval track. Which in essence, sums up the sport. But for some reason, NASCAR has become the most popular spectator sport in America, even more than the NFL. Attendance for major events runs in the hundreds of thousands and the television audience now eclipses the NBA and baseball. Baseball! Imagine that. NASCAR has beat out the national pastime.
The preeminent event on the NASCAR calendar is also the first of the season, which is weird. But then again, this is a sport where drivers have names like Cole, Chip and Bo. Sure, the Deep South vibe of NASCAR is not quite as pure now that corporate America runs the show but still, the sport is redneck at heart. The scene in Daytona for the 500 is pure entertainment and good times.
Kentucky DerbyAnother great tradition of the South in America is the Kentucky Dery. Of course, the origins of this race are far more genteel than NASCAR. If you consider a horse race genteel that is. The annual thoroughbred event at legendary Churchill Downs in Louisville, a great town by any measure, is a grandiose spectacle. Although it culminates with a race that takes place on a 2 km track, the build up the week before is part of the attraction.
Since 1875 the Run for the Roses, as people call the Derby, has a number of traditions that go along with the pomp and circumstance of the event. If you go and you happen to be female, lavish and elaborate dress is important. A big hat is essential. Spectators drink Mint Juleps, a popular beverage in the South, and eat burgoo, a thick, meat stew native to Kentucky. Of course, strains of “My Old Kentucky Home” resonate everywhere you walk around Churchill Downs.
Royal Ascot, EnglandA mere six miles from Windsor Castle in Berkshire is the Ascot Racecourse, a fine segment of Crown Estate land. If you want the very height of supercilious snobbery, Royal Ascot is the supreme race event of the year. In fact, the event illustrates the very origin of the term “The Sport of Kings”.
Since 1711, Ascot has been the major event on the royal social calendar in England. The 16 races that comprise Royal Ascot week draw more than 300,000 spectators and lay in excess of ?3,000,000 on the line in prize money. Nobody cares much about who wins however. The real event is in the stands and luxury suites, where the most garish and ostentatious attire known to man or woman is on display. Subtle the clothes are not. While organizers have made every effort in recent years to stem the tide of fashion gone awry, the very rules they enforce result in ensembles that would be cause for embarrassment in the real world. But lest we forget, this is not the real world. This is the realm of royalty and aristocracy, celebrity and old money. The spectacle they put on is more than enough to make you forget that Royal Ascot is a horse race.
Indianapolis 500The state of Indiana in America is famous for fierce loyalty to two sports: basketball, where at the high school and college level the interest borders on maniacal, and IndyCar. Known as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing”, the Indy 500 has been a Memorial Day weekend staple since 1911. Although squabbles between the two main open wheel associations in the U.S. have been harmful to the event in recent years, a new agreement promises to bolster the competition once again.
Nonetheless, the 500 has always been a thrill ride and draws the best drivers from around the world. For them, participation at legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a feather in their cap. Legends have been born here and careers have come to a fiery end. For spectators, the traditions that go along with the actual race are almost worth the price of admission. The crowds alone for the pre-race practice sessions the week before the 500 dwarf those for other events held the rest of the year. As the first row of cars approach the pole position and the Speedway announcer makes the famous call “Gentleman, start your engines!”, you may just feel a shiver run down your spine.
