© Tahiti-Moorea Marathon
The Most Instagrammable Marathons to Run in 2025
Marathons have evolved. They’re still mythical milestones for those chasing physical feats, but they’ve also become open-air stages where looks matter just as much as performance. In 2025, a successful race is one where your legs go the distance -and your Instagram blows up. Bib fastened, phone fully charged – here’s a curated selection of the most photogenic marathons for your feed this year. Because running is beautiful. But when the pictures slap too ? Even better.
| Maui Marathon, Hawaï (USA)
✓ Honolulu’s little sister, with extra soul
Anyone who thinks the Honolulu Marathon is Hawaii’s only tropical option has clearly never stepped foot on Maui. No skyscrapers, no screaming crowds, no tourist overload. Just the essentials: ocean, mountains, winding roads, and palm trees swaying in the breeze.
The race starts at dawn, while the island still sleeps and mist kisses the hills. Soon enough, the soft pink light reveals the first inclines and the many shades of the Pacific just steps away. The route hugs Maui’s northwestern coast, weaving through sleepy villages, hidden coves, and sweeping 180° views of waves and volcanic silhouettes. Not a single boring straightaway in sight.
The vibe ? Intimate and almost meditative. No chaotic start pens or shoulder-to-shoulder crowds. Just warm smiles, quiet encouragements, and the rare feeling of running through untouched paradise. Locals say even the volunteer music hits differently – live ukulele tunes or traditional Hawaiian conch shells often set the rhythm. It’s a marathon that smells of warm sand, tiaré flowers, and peace. Time slows down here – even when your watch doesn’t.
| London Marathon, United Kingdom
✓ From Buckingham to the Thames: style in stride
London has a knack for mixing tradition and modernity with effortless class and the marathon is no exception. From the first mile, the scenery is iconic: historic streets, royal landmarks, and a crowd that cheers like Centre Court at Wimbledon. You run past the London Eye, nod to Big Ben, cross Tower Bridge in a dreamlike haze, all under a light drizzle and a symphony of British accents.
Visually, it’s a masterclass. The contrast between stone-grey buildings and neon-bright running kits makes for endlessly scrollable shots. By the finish, your legs are toast, but your eyes are glowing. And the post-race treat ? Brunch in Notting Hill. Worth the 42.195 km on its own. Naturally, it ends up on the feed.
| Mont-Blanc Marathon, Chamonix (France)
✓ The Alps: rugged, raw, ridiculously photogenic
For those who love their runs steep and their views wild, Chamonix delivers. The Mont-Blanc Marathon is heaven for trail veterans and a goldmine for lovers of epic scenery. From the first stride, the crowd vanishes and nature takes over – pine forests, babbling streams, and jaw-dropping panoramas at every switchback.
Here, pain looks good. Brutal climbs, tricky descents, sharp ridges – everything is built to heighten the senses. Reach La Flégère, perched above the Chamonix Valley, and the view feels lifted from a dream. Mont Blanc hovers in the distance – always present, always majestic. And the photos from up there ? They rake in likes faster than a PB on 10K.
| Istanbul Marathon, Turkey
✓ One race, two continents, thousands of stories
One of the only races on Earth where you cross from one continent to another. Asia to Europe via the Bosphorus Bridge as the morning sun burns through the mist. Istanbul doesn’t do ordinary. Every turn offers a cultural jolt or architectural surprise. Ottoman mosques, modern towers, cobbled alleys – it all collides in one uniquely electric atmosphere.
The finish line lands you in the heart of the old city, with Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque watching over you. Visually, it’s cinematic. Even the fastest runners pause for a snap and rightly so. Every photo feels like a story. And for once, it’s not told in splits.
| Tokyo Marathon, Japon
✓ When ultra-modern meets zen tradition
In Tokyo, the marathon is a full-on sensory experience. Streets buzz, neon flashes, temples appear like moments of calm in the urban chaos. The pace ? Fast, precise, electric. Spectators line the course are excited, passionate, often costumed (a local custom). Smiling is basically mandatory, even at kilometer 38.
Photo-wise, it’s a dream : bold outfits under glass skyscrapers, selfies in front of torii gates, or video clips sprinting across Shibuya’s famous scramble. Tokyo never stops and every stride feels like choreography. As the finish nears, somewhere between exhaustion and euphoria, the phone comes back out to capture the beautifully organized chaos.
| New York City Marathon, USA
✓ The most iconic, the most intense, the most filmed
You can’t talk visual powerhouses without New York. It’s the race. The one that makes hearts race and knees shake. Five boroughs, five vibes : Brooklyn for fire, Queens for rhythm, Manhattan for emotion. The bridges loom large, the avenues roar, and every block feels like a movie set.
This is the race of superlatives. And when the November light hits just right – it often does – the photos become legendary. The stretch through Central Park, lit up with fall colors ? Worth every ache. The NYC Marathon is pure, unfiltered storytelling – ready for a global audience, one swipe at a time.
| Lanzarote Marathon, Canary Islands (Spain)
✓ Black moonscapes, blue skies, volcanic dreams
Lanzarote looks unreal : dark, volcanic earth meets endless blue Atlantic. It’s the island of contrasts where barren becomes beautiful and the landscapes feel straight out of sci-fi.
The course is tough, with gusty winds and rugged terrain, but the stark, solitary beauty makes up for it. Sunrise over lava hills ? Completely one-of-a-kind. It’s not an easy race but your feed will thank you.
| Cairns & Great Barrier Reef Marathon, Australia
✓ Run along the world’s largest reef
Yes, it’s real and yes, it’s as stunning as it sounds. Set in Queensland, this marathon mixes white-sand beaches with lush rainforest. With every stride, turquoise sea spills into view, parrots scream from above, and tropical humidity sticks to your skin like a perfect story filter. Challenging, for sure but wildly photogenic. The biggest danger ? Getting distracted by the view. Which, let’s be honest, the algorithm loves.
| Big Sur International Marathon, California (USA)
✓ 42K with the Pacific as your backdrop
Between Carmel and Big Sur, along California’s legendary Highway 1, Big Sur International Marathon is a tribute to raw, minimalist beauty. The road curves along the coast, cliffs drop dramatically into the ocean, and the salty wind messes up your hair in the best way. No towers. No city turns. Just sea, rock, and sky.
The iconic moment ? Crossing Bixby Bridge, suspended in morning fog, where a grand piano awaits – yes, a real one – played live by a solo pianist each year. Sounds made up. Isn’t. It’s unforgettable and instantly viral.
© Big Sur International Marathon
© Big Sur International Marathon
© Big Sur International Marathon
© Big Sur International Marathon
© Big Sur International Marathon
| Cap Town Marathon, South Africa
✓ A finish line at the edge of the world
The most under-the-radar gem on this list but what a treasure. Cape Town has it all : breathtaking nature, a vibrant, diverse city, and a route that dances with the ocean before climbing into the mountains. Running here makes you feel tiny in the best possible way. Table Mountain looms in the background, waves smash against rocky shores, and the neighborhoods pulse with color, rhythm, and soul.
It’s a race for those who love the road less traveled. For runners who crave raw, unfiltered images – sand on calves – eyes full of wonder. In Cape Town, sport becomes adventure. And Instagram eats it up.
| Bonus : Paris, of course
It’s easy to forget, but the French capital knows how to turn heads too. A start on the Champs-Élysées, a pass by Notre-Dame, a finish below the Eiffel Tower… The Paris Marathon has that effortless thing we call charm. And all it takes is two perfectly framed stories to prove it.
You can run to chase a PB. You can run to push yourself, to reset, to breathe something new. But running through stunning scenery ? That’s running with stars in your eyes. The most Instagrammable marathons aren’t just beautiful to look, they’re unforgettable to live. And once the finish line is behind you, it’s often the photos you took that make you want to do it all over again.
Dorian VUILLET
Journalist
