Running overseas is a great experience and breaks the routine.

If your 2016 New Year’s resolutions involved travel and fitness, then read on! We’ve travelled the world to find some of the long-distance running events that appeal the most to us, so if you need an extra incentive to get fit this year, take a look at these five stunning marathon locations. Then lace up your running shoes – and book your car hire!

Athens Marathon
The closest you’ll get to the original marathon, the Athens Marathon, follows in the footsteps of Pheidippides, who is said to have run from Marathon to Athens in 490 B.C. to report that Athens had won the Battle of Marathon. Taking place in November, this marathon traces his (ultimately fatal) path over tortuous hills to the triumphant setting of the white marble Panathenaic Stadium.

Niagara Falls International Marathon
Prepare to cross the border in October with the Niagara Falls International Marathon which starts in Buffalo, New York and finishes in Ontario, Canada. Join 1,500 runners as you make your way over the International Peace Bridge (the only hill on the course) before entering Ontario for 18 miles on the Niagara Parkway. There’s a stunning photo finish at the brink of the breath-taking Niagara Falls.

Cancun Marathon
The Marathon of Cancun is at its 31st edition with an absolutely beautiful and scenic racecourse that you will never forget. You will run along of the bay of Cancun, by the lagoon and resort. A Mariachi band will be waiting for you at the finish line to help you forget that you’ve just ran a marathon (or even the half marathon). Marathon Cancun has become a night marathon; this is the greatest charm of the event and purely for the participant’s satisfaction. With a perfect flat racecourse, you can finish without too much difficulty.

London Marathon
The London Marathon (known through sponsorship as the Virgin Money London Marathon) is a long-distance running event held in London, United Kingdom and part of the World Marathon Majors. The event was first run on the 29 th of March 1981 and has been held in the spring of every year since. Since 2010, the race has been sponsored by Virgin Money. The most recent event was the 2015 London Marathon on the 26th of April 2015. The marathon is run over a largely flat course around the River Thames and spans 42.195 kilometres (26 miles).

There are many marathons which are held worldwide, why not apply to give your trip away a healthy twist! Need car hire on your travels? Why not visit greenmotion.com and book an environmentally friendly car which will help keep the planet green.