If you are new around here, you might not know that one of my goals to run a race in every state and country that I visit. People always ask me why. While I am not looking to break any World Records, I do find that running races abroad helps me see the destination from a different viewpoint (both by pace and angle), as well as allowing me to meet people I will instantly have something in common with (running!). Some of the locations I would never have come across if I hadn’t signed up. The only downside is that racing while travelling can make planning holiday activities a bit more challenging. For example, you might not want to walk too much the day before a marathon. Nor will you want to stay up late dancing the night away the day after a race (or will you?). But if you adjust your goals, for both your holiday and race, it can be worked out.
This year, I have been fortunate enough to tick two new states off my list (more on those later), as well as a new country. Malta is one of the places in Europe that I hadn’t been too yet, although I know a few people from there. It is comprised of three small islands in the Mediterranean Sea, just south of Italy. There are many affordable flights to the island from London on Air Malta (I highly recomend flying business class. Great lounge and tremendous food on the flight) and other budget airlines. It never crossed my mind to look for a race there though until I heard a friend say that a new race was taking place on the island. The race offerings of Malta were very limited until La Valette Marathon was announced earlier this year. I reached out to Corsa’s marketing manager, who was happy to have me come along with a great group of runners from the 100 Marathon Club.
The La Valette Marathon event debuted on 22 April 2022. It offered many distances and race options (marathon, half marathon, relays, and walking) making it accessible to all. Malta has gorgeous views and nearly perfect weather, so I am surprised it is not already a poplar racing and/or training destination. Hopefully, this will change in the coming years.
Registration process & fees: You could register online up until four days before the event. Prices varied depending on the race from €49.95 and up. There was so much last minute interest from local government authorities and celebrities, the event kept registration until the day before. The fee included a jam-packed goody bag, Nike race t-shirt, free race photos, and a medal. If you wanted transport back to the start line, you had to pay €5 cash when you collected your bib and goody bag at the sports store in Sliema.
Location: The race started in Sliema and ended in Vittoriosa. As we lined up at the start line, the sun was rising over the ocean. Most of the half marathon was along the coast while the marathon continued south. The finish area was in the Three Cities, an important part of Malta’s history. I paid to take the bus back to the start, but it was only running every hour. Luckily there were two gelato shops at the finish line to visit while I waited.
Course & bogs: One of the big selling points for me on this race was proximity to the shoreline and accompanying scenery. I had incredible views for the majority of the race and ran past important buildings and landmarks in Malta. The roads were not closed, but instead coned off, so some bits were a bit hairy but there was over 120 people along the course to ensure you were safe and keep on route. The feedback I had from the runners who did the marathon was that it wasn’t super pretty (as it was inland) but got the job done.
The start lines had eight bogs which quickly ran out of loo roll. There were enough toilets for the amount of people though, with or without the toilet paper. Unfortunately, there weren’t any bathrooms along the way or at the finish line. As someone who routinely needs the bathroom on her runs, I suggested to the organizers that they add in a few more along the way for next year’s race. Instead, I stopped at the ferry terminal to use the bathroom along the way, which worked out perfectly.
Water stations were available every 5km with fruit every 15km, as well as sponges (for both the half and full marathons). It was a small bottle, but lasted me the whole 5K. I had decided to carry water with me anyways too because I knew it was going to be hot and I hadn’t trained for a half marathon distance properly. My finish time was a going to be a wild card. Plus, I wanted to be able to stop and take pictures as I please. There wasn’t much shade along the course and even though we started at 7:30am, the heat was intense early on.
Atmosphere: Being the first La Valette event, there were not many people cheering along the route. However, the start and finish lines were full of energy and good cheer. There were also a few bands and historical reenactments along the course. Neighbors were watching start line activities from their balconies and lots of people were meeting friends and family at the finish line.
Bling & goody bags: As I mentioned, a fantastic goody bag with drinks, snacks, discount codes to Garmin and Uncle Matt’s kitchen, as well as the performance t-shirt. Sadly, they were out of medals by the time I got to the finish line, but a envelope with instructions on how to get my medal were waiting for me. This clear communication was great as it reassured me I would get my medal (which will hopefully be arriving soon).
Tips if you decide to take part next time: The biggest tip I have is to train for heat and hills! To go along with this, practice carrying water with you as you train. Learn a bit about the history of Malta so you can appreciate the culture, architecture, and landmarks. Be sure to download Bolt app because Uber is not used on the island. Finally, I suggest adding on a day or two to explore all that Malta has to offer. I am preparing a blog post for Visit Malta on how to spend the weekend racing on the island. Will link here when it is live.
*Thanks to Corsa and Visit Malta for the complimentary race entry, flights, and hotel. All opinions are honest and my own.
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