The Istanbul Marathon is the only race in the world where you can run or walk from one continent to another! The course is mostly flat (that's a plus!!) andfree of traffic. It starts on the Asian side of Istanbul and ends on the European side. The route goes across the Bosphorous bridge and passes the most beautiful sights of the city including monuments such as the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.

I am committing to run the 15 km race at the Istanbul Marathon on October 16, 2011 with Team Diabetes Canada.

Check out the Istanbul Marathon website for information.

Athen's is the capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery; as one of the world's oldest cities, its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. The marathon course is based on the myth from which the race gained its name: Pheidippides, a messenger in Ancient Greece, ran from the Battle of Marathon to Athens to announce the Greeks' victory over the Persians. In November 2009 I made my first marathon attempt at my third Team Diabetes event in the Athen's Classic marathon. Unfortunately due to a series of unfortunate events I was not able to finish the race and was therefore disqualified. This marathon was not suited for a beginner as it is uphill from the 10km mark thru 31km!

Check out the Athen's Classic Marathon website for information.

Rio de Janeiro, also known as the 'Marvelous City', is a place where people live life to the fullest! It is most famous for its annual Carnival celebration, but Rio is just as lively in the off-season. In June 2008 I completed my second Team Diabetes event at the Rio de Janeiro half-marathon (21.1 km) with a time of 2:55:29. I was fortunate to find a few other Team Diabetes participants in the half marathon that ran at approximately the same pace. Thank you to Lisa, Amanda & Tammy for the great company during the race! The dynamics of the Team Diabetes members this year was great since it was such a small group (25-30). Finally kudos to CDA organizer Cara Waterfall for another amazing job well done!

Check out the Rio de Janeiro Marathon website for information.

Sparkling glaciers, lava fields, hot springs, outdoor spas, thunderous waterfalls...just a few of the things that Iceland had to offer. I ran the 10 km race at the Reykjavik Marathon in August 2006 with a time of 1:29:17. I was most taken with the many locals on the sidelines cheering "Go Canada!" and this one man playing bagpipes on his balconey! I was most impressed with the Team Diabetes participants with Type 1 diabetes that were running the full marathon (with blood glucose meter, gel packs, and sugary snacks in tow). Each race started and finished in the heart of downtown Reykjavik, which later hosted Reykjavik's infamous cultural night. Through this experience I got to connect with other Team Diabetes participants and hear their stories. It was great to finally meet fellow bloggers Waleah & Mike fromVancouver BC, and Jenny and Julie from Toronto. With the challenges involving fundraising and training for this event I thought Reykjavik would be my last race with Team Diabetes, but after meeting some spectacular people I was hooked.

Check out the Reykjavik Marathon website for information.