Running is a favorite pastime of many people and those who love it more than anything in the world will find themselves participating in mile long races, 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons, and even full marathons throughout the year. While each run offers fun and excitement, there are a few that are better than others, because they offer more than a run with bagels, bananas, granola bars, and water at the end.  

Here are 5 fun runs to spice up your life:

1. Wine Runs

Wine races have grown in popularity ever since the Marathon du Medoc grew over in France. It is during that race that runners were encouraged to stop at every mile marker to sample some of the best wines that the country had to offer. While there are too many wine races to count nowadays, we do want to share a couple of the best.

The Fueled by Fine Wine Half Marathon is held in Dundee, Oregon each year and more than one thousand runners take to the off-road course that is comprised of the Dundee Hill American Viticultural Area. The best part about this race, besides the wine, is that the course changes each year. Twenty-five wineries participate in this race and they are all along the course, cheering runners along while filling their wine glasses to the top.  

1. Costume Runs

As mentioned above, running is quite a bit of fun but running while in costume brings a whole new meaning to the world of racing. After all, it is not always easy to run in anything other than shorts and a tee-shirt, but those who love dressing up with a run in any type of costume that they can find!

One of the best costume runs is the Chiditarod, which is a four or five mile run that mimics the Iditarod. Runners work in groups of five, with four pullers and one musher, and they are all dressed up in costume to match each other. Each team must donate at least sixty pounds of food during the run and there is an award for best costume at the end.  

1. Mud Runs

As a runner, you know that every run that you do ends with you being hot and sweaty. But… did you know that ending a run being all muddy is so much better?! This is possible when you tackle one of the many mud runs that are held every year.

One of the favorite mud runs is the Tough Mudder and they offer everything from a 5K to the classic to the mini mudder. There is even a series of races that you can compete with this type of run. Completing one Tough Mudder, complete with all the obstacles, will guarantee you a spot within the Tough Mudder Legion. The type of Tough Mudder that you choose to do will determine the length of the race course and the number of obstacles that you need to complete before you cross the finish line.  

1. Bubble Runs

Bubble runs are fantastic for those who love all things bubbles, and you will find yourself racing as bubbles surround the areas around you. One of the more popular bubble runs is ironically called the Bubble Run and it is held in cities that include Madison, Chicago, Sacramento, Seattle, Hartford, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Fort Worth, New York City, plus dozens of others.  

As you run this race, you will find yourself running through sections of bubbly suds and your goal is to not slip and fall as you clean up along the way! This is a refreshing way to run, as the bubbles will eliminate a lot of the sweat from your body.  

1. Balloon Runs

There is nothing more spectacular than hot air balloons soaring in the air, except for when you get to run while keeping them in view. A favorite balloon run is the Balloon Chase Run the Runway in Wausau and this 5K will have you running from one hot air balloon to another until you have seen them all and completed the course.  Running in races no longer needs to be boring when you have so many options available to you, but you may quickly realize that you are not running as quickly as you used to. While many people will blame it on them getting older, there is actually another reason. Global warming is affecting how fast you can run due to the increasingly warmer temperatures. As a runner, you will find that you will always run better and faster in cooler temperatures, which is why you may want to choose races that are held during the cooler times of the year.