July 1
SOUTH AFRICA: BIG FIVE MARATHON
The official start time for this hilly run through 46-square-mile Entabeni Private Game Reserve depends on the whereabouts of the resident lions, who have a habit of lingering around the starting line. Rest assured that the 30-plus armed park rangers will keep the toothy kitties at bay. $140; Albatros Travel, 011-45-36-98-0000, www.big-five-marathon.com
DIFFICULTY: Challenging
CRASH HERE: Albatros will book weeklong stays at the Wildside Tented Camp or the more luxurious Lakeside Lodge. $1,390 per person (camp), $1,490 per person (lodge); 011-27-12-470-5300, www.entabeni.co.za
July 29
HAWAII: RIM RUN
As you race around the Big Island's Kilauea caldera, don't be alarmed by the heat-blasting steam vents. They're a common occurrence in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, where the ten-mile course takes you from road to trail to lava flows. $40; Volcano Art Center, 808-985-8725, www.volcanoartcenter.org
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
CRASH HERE: At the park-adjacent Volcano Rain Forest Retreat, follow the mossy trails to cedar guest cottages, some outfitted with private outdoor soaking tubs. Doubles, $140–$260; 800-967-8222, www.volcanoretreat.com
October 21
THE CARIBBEAN: BONAIRE ECOSWIM
Thoughts of snoozing under palm trees on one of Bonaire's beaches will rev up your flutter kick as you freestyle with some 100 other racers along the island's coral-fringed coastline. The 10K, 5K, and one-mile out-and-back courses pass through the clear and often deep—more than 600 feet in places—waters of the Bonaire Marine Park, home to sea turtles, clown wrasses, and octopuses. $75; Aqua Moon Adventures, 954-821-3294, www.aquamoonadventures.com
DIFFICULTY: Challenging
CRASH HERE: The Deep Blue View B&B resembles an opulent Mediterranean villa. Doubles, $150–$295; 011-599-717-8073, www.deepblueview.com
January 6
ITALY: LA CIASPOLADA
In the winter of 1973, 18 snowshoers staged a 5K race through a Dolomite-rimmed valley in northern Italy's Trentino province to commemorate the long-gone era when ciaspoles (snowshoes) were the only mode of transport. Today, the route still begins on the Val di Non plateau in the town of Romeno and finishes in Fondo—and the tradition has caught on: Last year the number of participants topped 6,000. $10; Società Podistica Novella, 011-39-463-830-180, www.ciaspolada.it
DIFFICULTY: Easy
CRASH HERE: The Hotel Stella delle Alpi, a friendly pension with spectacular views of the surrounding valley. Doubles, $55–$68; 011-39-463-880620, www.stelladellealpi.it
February 9–10
NEW ZEALAND: SPEIGHT'S COAST TO COAST
Our advice for tackling this grueling four-stage adventure race across the South Island? Leapfrog it with a friend. Stage one is a two-mile warm-up run followed by a 34-mile bike. Next: an unrelenting 20-mile trail run over Goat Pass. After cycling downhill nine miles, stage three serves up 42 miles of paddling, including a stretch of Class II whitewater in the Waimakariri River Gorge. End with a 43-mile cycle cruise to the finish at Sumner Beach, a surfers' haven just outside of Christchurch. $506; Speight's Coast to Coast, 011-64-3-348 3282, www.coasttocoast.co.nz
DIFFICULTY: Strenuous
CRASH HERE: The Wilderness Lodge Arthur's Pass offers plush accommodations with private hot tubs. $220–$424 per person; 011-64-3-318-9246, www.wildernesslodge.co.nz
March 24
HONDURAS: BAY ISLANDS TRIATHLON
This Caribbean-island triathlon bills itself as a four-sport race: "swim, bike, run, relax." To help you embrace the final event, Roatan's lively palapa-style bars along West Bay beach offer fruity rum cocktails and reggae. But first you'll have to swim a 1.5K in bathtub-warm water, bike a 40K on steep asphalt roads, and run a 10K along shady dirt trails and paved back roads. $95; Bay Islands Triathlon, 888-634-8776 (ext. 11), www.bayislandstriathlon.com
DIFFICULTY: Challenging
CRASH HERE: Snag a two-person beachfront (and air-conditioned) villa at the Mayan Princess Beach Resort for the racer's discount rate of $176. 011-504-445-5050, www.mayanprincess.com
