London - Britain

Participating in marathons is no longer just a sports trip that ends at the destination line, but in 2026 it has become a growing motivation for booking short holidays that combine running and exploring cities. This trend is known as race-cation, structuring a vacation around participating in a race or fitness event, with time allocated for food, tours, attractions and local experiences.

The search for the race turns into the search for the city

Tripadvisor's Bókun data showed that Google searches for "marathon abroad" rose by about 1,255% in one year, while searches for 24-hour tour packages in cities hosting the races recorded increases of up to 500%.

Hamburg topped this trend, as searches for activities that can be done in the city increased by 500% within a month, compared to 400% in Lisbon, 250% in Munich, and 119% in Berlin. Searches for full-day programs in Budapest increased by 84%, and in Amsterdam by 70%.

Beyond the finish line
The interest doesn't stop at the race; Searches for day tours in Budapest rose by more than 400%, in Amsterdam by more than 100%, while searches for cooking lessons in Lisbon rose by 488%, and for food tours in Rome by 94%. This indicates that the participant quickly transforms from a runner to a tourist consuming the city experiences after the race is over.

Autumn brings a new tourist season

The phenomenon is increasingly important because 42% of marathons are held during the fall, including 23% in October alone, which gives cities an opportunity to stimulate demand for hotels, restaurants and tours after the end of the summer peak.

Investment prospects and attractiveness for Arab tourists

For the Arab tourist interested in sports, this trend opens a different door to planning a trip: choosing a European city according to the date of the race, then extending the stay for a day or two to discover it. It also gives investors and Arab tourism companies the opportunity to develop packages that combine race tickets, accommodation, transportation and tours in one product targeting a growing segment of active travelers.