Unique Venue Runs

Running Where Aircraft Land and Cars Drive

When was the last time you stood on an airport runway where commercial aircraft touch down? Or ran through a vehicle tunnel normally filled with cars? Or climbed 58 floors inside a building where elevators typically do the work?

Unique venue runs offer access to extraordinary infrastructure we see daily but never experience from inside. These events shut down airports, tunnels, bridges, towers, and other normally off-limits locations, transforming functional infrastructure into temporary running courses.

The appeal isn’t just novelty. There’s genuine wonder in experiencing spaces built for planes, vehicles, or vertical transport at human pace and scale. In seeing familiar landmarks from impossible perspectives. In understanding your city’s infrastructure from the inside.

What Makes Unique Venue Runs Special

These events create experiences genuinely impossible to replicate. You can run 10km routes through countless parks, but you can’t run through a 2-mile underwater tunnel except during the one annual event when they close it to traffic. You can train on stairs anywhere, but climbing the actual emergency stairs of a 63-floor skyscraper happens once a year.

The atmosphere combines athletic challenge with tourist attraction. Participants come equally for the run and the access. Phones and cameras are everywhere. People stop to take photos. The running matters, but so does the experience and the story you’ll tell afterwards.

Major categories include:

Airport Runway Runs: Closed airport runways and taxiways opened for running, offering the surreal experience of jogging where commercial jets normally land.

Vertical Tower Runs: Racing up emergency staircases of skyscrapers, testing stair-climbing endurance while experiencing buildings from their hidden service cores.

Tunnel Runs: Road tunnels closed to vehicles, creating underground running routes through infrastructure normally experienced only from inside cars.

Bridge Runs: Iconic bridges closed to traffic, often charity events combining landmark access with fundraising.

Brewery and Vineyard Routes: Marathons and half marathons featuring multiple tasting stops at craft breweries or wine estates.

Real examples across Europe showcase this variety:

Milano Linate Runway Run offers 10km on Milan’s Linate Airport closed runway, letting runners experience the commercial aircraft tarmac on foot.

Skywayrun Gdańsk Airport provides 5km race including runway and terminal passages, showing airport infrastructure from inside, with some happening as evening events.

Great Tunnel Run Liverpool takes 10km through the Queensway Tunnel (Birkenhead Tunnel), providing rare pedestrian access to the normally vehicle-only 2.01-mile tunnel.

SkyRun Messeturm Frankfurt challenges participants to climb 1200 steps ascending the Messeturm skyscraper (256 meters tall across 63 floors), testing pure vertical endurance.

RNLI Tower Run London races up 58 floors of London tower building for charity supporting Royal National Lifeboat Institution rescue operations.

Great Breweries Marathon Belgium visits 7 craft breweries with tasting stops at each over 17km, 25km, or full marathon distance, combining running with Belgium’s brewing culture.

Marathon des Vins de Blaye France features 13 wine tasting stops through Bordeaux’s Blaye Côtes vineyards along scenic 42km route.

Marathon des 100 Ponts Lyon crosses over 100 bridges through Lyon’s rivers and canals, showcasing the city’s exceptional bridge architecture.

What to Expect

Limited availability: These events often happen once annually due to complex logistics of closing infrastructure Higher entry fees: Shutting down airports and tunnels costs money; entry fees are typically higher than standard park runs Strict security: Airport and infrastructure events require ID checks and security screening Photography: Expect to take more photos than at normal runs Tourism element: Many participants are visitors specifically for the unique venue Variable distances: Each venue dictates possible distances

You’ll arrive to find heightened security and organization. Airport events require valid ID and screening similar to flying. Tunnel events involve safety briefings about emergency procedures. Tower climbs explain stairwell etiquette for ascending and descending traffic.

The experience itself feels different from park running. Airport runways are vast, flat, and industrial. Tunnels create echoing acoustics and artificial lighting. Tower stairwells are narrow, vertical, and mentally challenging. Each venue creates its own distinctive atmosphere.

For tasting routes (breweries, vineyards), expect festive atmosphere where completion matters more than time. Mandatory tasting stops mean variable pacing. Some participants treat it as race; most treat it as mobile tasting event with friends.

Who Should Try Unique Venue Runs

These events welcome everyone, especially:

• Curious people who love seeing behind-the-scenes infrastructure
• Tourists visiting cities and wanting unique experiences beyond typical sightseeing
• Local runners who’ve “done everything” and want novel challenges
• Photographers chasing impossible angles and access
• Aviation enthusiasts (runway runs are bucket-list experiences)
• Architecture fans (tower climbs reveal building design from hidden angles)
• Social runners who want great stories and photos
• Brewery and wine lovers (tasting routes are self-explanatory)

Fitness requirements vary dramatically. Airport and tunnel runs are essentially flat road running in unusual locations, accessible to beginners. Tower climbs demand specific stair-climbing fitness and strong legs. Tasting routes prioritize experience over athletic challenge.

Your First Unique Venue Run: What to Know

Book early: Limited capacity and annual schedules mean popular unique venue runs sell out months ahead. Milano Linate Runway Run and Great Tunnel Run Liverpool book completely within weeks of opening registration.

Check requirements: Airport events require government-issued photo ID. Some require advance security registration. Read all event communications carefully.

Understand the challenge:

• Runways and tunnels: Flat running, unusual environment
• Tower climbs: Pure vertical challenge, completely different from road running
• Tasting routes: Social experience prioritizing fun over speed

What to wear: Normal running gear for most. Tower climbs may restrict bags or loose items in narrow stairwells. Tasting routes encourage festive attire.

Training for tower climbs: If attempting vertical tower run, train specifically with stair climbing. Running fitness doesn’t directly translate to stair endurance. Practice in tall buildings, stadium stairs, or repeated hill climbs.

Photography: Bring phone or camera but secure it safely. Airport and tunnel environments have nowhere to stop without blocking others. Plan photo stops carefully.

Timing expectations: Unique venue runs often have strict cutoff times due to infrastructure scheduling. Tunnels must reopen to traffic. Airports must resume operations. If you can’t maintain minimum pace, choose different event.

Travel considerations: Many unique venue runs attract tourists. If traveling for the event, book accommodation early. Events like runway runs may schedule around airport operations, sometimes requiring very early starts.

Finding Unique Venue Runs Near You

These events are rare by nature. Most cities host at most one or two annually. Discovery requires actively searching for “runway run,” “tower run,” “tunnel run,” or “bridge run” combined with city names.

Airport runs exist at select European airports including Milan Linate and Gdańsk. Tower climbs happen in cities with tall buildings. Frankfurt, London, and other major cities host annual vertical races. Tunnel runs are rare, with Liverpool’s being one of Europe’s most established.

Bridge runs often double as charity fundraisers, with organizations periodically closing iconic bridges. Budapest’s Maratonman Charity BridgeRun series hosts six annual charity runs or corporate events each year.

Brewery and vineyard routes cluster in regions known for these industries: Belgium for beer, France and Italy for wine. These events feature multiple fun run formats and market to tourists as much as runners.

Ready to run where you’ve never run before? Browse unique venue events and discover extraordinary infrastructure from the inside. Your most memorable finish line might be on a runway, in a tunnel, or 58 floors up.