Having first fired its starting pistol in 1946 in Osaka, the Lake Biwa Marathon is considered to be the oldest marathon held in Japan. In 1962, this prestigious marathon has since been renamed the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon and moved to Otsu city, home to Japan’s oldest and largest lake, Lake Biwa.

Whether you travel frequently for work or are just vacationing for the holidays, travel and hotel overnights can wreak havoc on your waistline, energy, and endurance when it comes to meeting and maintaining your fitness goals and runner’s body. However, with minimal planning and equipment you can battle the bulge and keep at the top of your running game even in the small confines of a hotel room. Below are five workouts to keep you on the fast lane, even when you’re away from home.

When Alexis Lee Man Lin and John Low Zhong Heng traverse the Gobi Desert in China’s Xinjiang Province, they expect to do more than challenge themselves (and each other)! The Gobi March is comprised of 250km of rugged terrain guaranteed to test every entrant. To conquer the Gobi, Alexis and John will run across beautiful, harsh but exotic landscape and they may meet the Hui, Kazak and Uyghur peoples of the Gobi region. But the most profound aftermath of this event may be the emotional and spiritual impact on John and Alexis after they visit this mysterious corner of the globe. We’re curious what surprises await this dynamic duo in May and couldn’t wait to interview them!

Step right up ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages! Get ready to have your senses of sound, sight and touch bombarded. Debuting for the first time in Malaysia, Heart Foundation of Malaysia (Yayasan Jantung Malaysia) will collaborate with Great Eastern Life Assurance (Malaysia) Berhad for the Great Eastern Colour My Heart Run 2015.

Quick: When you see bananas, what comes to mind? If you’re a runner, you know this fruit is loaded with potassium to keep your body firing on all cylinders. If you’re a race observer, a cold banana smoothie during the hot Malaysian summer makes an ideal refresher. But one group of event planners found a more ingenious use for the iconic yellow fruit—you’ll be seeing bananas everywhere if you decide to participate in the 2015 Pisang Relay Penang where standard relay batons are replaced by the tropical fruit! Hand-offs can get messy if runners don’t keep that grip light enough to keep skins intact, but perhaps that’s where the most fun lies. Just don’t be surprised to spot competitors licking their fingers at the finish line!

The Silent Thief of Sight, or Glaucoma, is now one of the world’s leading cause of irreversible blindness! Already afflicting more than 70 million people worldwide, this figure is expected to swell to an overwhelming 88 million by 2020 according to WHO. In Malaysia, more than 100,000 people are estimated to be affected by Glaucoma.