Extraordinary Strides
Welcome to Extraordinary Strides, the podcast that celebrates the spirit of running and the inspiring stories of those who lace up their shoes and hit the pavement.
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Extraordinary Strides
Passport to Finish Lines: Destiny2Sport Helps You Chase Stars with Less Stress
What if collecting your stars didn’t require juggling hotel hunts, expo lines, and start-time puzzles? We sit down with Destiny2Sport founder Victor Ortiz to unpack a smarter way to run the world; from Berlin’s fast streets and Chicago’s walkable logistics to New York’s electric maze, Tokyo’s quiet precision, Boston’s legendary grind, London’s all-out roar, and Sydney’s shiny new major status.
As a former soccer player turned triathlete and marathon tour operator, Victor shares the practical moves that save energy when it matters most: stay near the start in Tokyo, arrive by Thursday in Berlin to beat jet lag, fuel for NYC’s long pre-race wait, budget for Boston’s premium finish-zone hotels, and time the London expo so you can enjoy the Tower Bridge crescendo without missing aid stations.
We get tactical about course profiles, pacing traps, and on-the-ground choices that make or break the weekend. You’ll hear how room blocks close to finish lines change everything, why a Friday shakeout is more than a photo op, and how flexible group itineraries let introverts and social butterflies thrive. Sydney’s expo lessons, smarter merch runs, and those finish-line photos by the Opera House? Covered. Plus, a peek ahead at Cape Town and Shanghai as likely new majors, and what that means for entries, pricing, and planning your next racecation.
If you want your training to show up on race day, cut the logistics noise and protect your focus. Tap into Victor’s blueprint, choose hotels that serve your legs, and surround yourself with a community that knows the route from lobby to start corral to the medal. Want to learn more about a tour package with Destiny2Sport? Head to their website here.
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Welcome back, extraordinary striders. I'm Coach Christine, your fairy runmother of finish lines and flight itineraries. Today we are going global. Because if you've ever dreamed of crossing the finish line under the Bratenburg Gate in Berlin, running through Tokyo's skyline, or taking your victory photo, kind of like I just did recently at the Sydney Opera House, you are in for the extraordinary episode that's going to help you do this. Because my guest today is Victor Orkez, founder of Destiny to Sport, one of the world's leading running tour companies specializing in the world marathon majors and the super halves. We're going to talk a little bit about that because you guys may not know quite as much about them. He's helped runners from every single continent earn their six-star medals and now beyond. He's helped them discover new destinations and create unforgettable race weekend experiences. I can say this from personal experience. Here's something extra magical too, though. Destiny to Sport also serves as the official international tour operator for all of my Run Disney fans, helping runners combine their love of travel with the most enchanting races on earth. Now, my friends, from the streets of London to the castle line miles of Walt Disney World, Victor has built a community that brings runners together across finish lines and continents. He's run these races. He has personal experience with them. So much great insight. I am going to shut up now and let this pro come on and give us all the tips. Welcome on in, Victor. Glad to have you here.
SPEAKER_04:Hi, Christine. Thank you very much for that introduction. Um I'm very glad to be here in your program. Thank you very much.
SPEAKER_00:I'm so excited. Victor, I just have to say, I've been wanting to have you on forever. You are so busy because you take care of your runners so much. You're always traveling, you're always keeping them on top of, keeping on top of all the different things. So thank you so much for taking time to share your wisdom with us.
SPEAKER_04:Thank you to you. We were planning these for a month ago, but I've been traveling a lot since since Sydney, I believe. Uh, but what now? I have uh a couple of days just before um I'm flying to Chicago this weekend that will be very, very busy and exciting for us.
SPEAKER_00:We're gonna talk a little bit about how you actually get some sleep because I'm curious about that. Because I don't think you get very much sleep, my friend. But first, let's let's start at the beginning. How did you first fall in love with running?
SPEAKER_04:Um, that was uh in 2009, 2010. I was I I I used to be a soccer player, and and and then in 2009 I got injured. Um then I was looking for another sport to practice, and then I started running just for um for fun and for help. Um and then I decided to do my first 5k in 2011. And then from from there I started practicing the sport. I get involved, then I did my first my first my first half marathon in Miami 2012. Uh, and since there I've done um 18 marathons, more than 30 half marathons. Oh yeah, so so that transition from soccer um to running um made me uh love the sport.
SPEAKER_00:I mean, I can see the tie-ins because football soccer are is such a there's such a huge component of running within that capacity. So I could see that transition. Um how did it feel though, going from a team-focused sport to more of a solitary sport?
SPEAKER_04:It's that's a good question. Um, is it's at the beginning is hard because when you're in in a team, is you is there's like more activity. Um you interact with other um um people and and and the competition is different as well as a team. And then uh when when you start running at the beginning is hard. Um doing it alone by just by yourself. Uh, it takes some time to enjoy um that sport. Um, it takes some time. Once you do your first race, 5k, for example, uh, then you start um um understanding uh how it works, uh, how you can um feel better practicing. But it's it's it's hard, the transition is hard.
SPEAKER_00:I mean, I can now understand why I feel like it's so important when you do your tours, and we're gonna talk a little bit about that too. I do feel a really strong sense of community. There seems to be a very team-focused effort. Um, so I could see where your background likely ties into why you really create that team focus within your tour. Because again, that's kind of exactly what I felt that weekend at Sydney. So that leads me to the next question. How do we go from being a runner in 2009-2010, tackling uh Miami Marathon to creating the destiny to sport that focuses primarily on running and tours?
SPEAKER_04:Um, I did my first half in Miami. Then I at the same time I started doing triathlons. Items, half items, and then I was focused more in triathlon than running. Then I did my first marathon mayor in 2013 in Chicago, and I and I did it as a training for a full half for a full item. So I uh running it wasn't my my first sport. I did uh soccer, then I started doing running, then I started triathlon, and I started competing in triathlon. Uh and then running was uh uh like to help me to improve my triathlon triathlon skills. Right, and then I started traveling, doing triathlon items. I I went to I went to Miami, I went to Puerto Rico, I went to Monsey, Monsey, that's um that's a town close to Indiana. Uh and then um I started doing traveling with triathlons. Uh, and then I started um getting involved more in traveling, right? Uh and then uh uh I I I found out when I went to Chicago that there was like an opportunity because I saw so many people in that event compared to a triathlon. Triathlon, you you see 2,000 people, and then in a marathon, you have like five 50,000 people. And then I said, here's something because I have a hard time um finding out a hotel in Chicago in 2013. They said, there's something here that we I can do. That started in 2013. Okay, uh, and then um I start traveling, uh and then I then I say like 2014 and 15, I have to do on a business that makes tourist and a sport. I didn't know which sport, but I know that something could happen if I joined those two activities.
SPEAKER_00:I mean, I have to first of all say that I was there at Chicago 2013. That was my first marathon as well. Great, because it was 2013. Never did I think, as I'm looking around and I'm soaking everything, like, huh? I think I need to put together, like, there's a bunch of me here. So I love that your mind worked that way because yes, I can see it. Um, I think one of the things that I hear from folks when they're tackling the majors, and we're gonna talk a little bit about that, is how overwhelming the logistics can be because there are so many different aspects. So it makes perfect sense to think of how do you provide people with the opportunity where they can just focus on what they need to focus on, which is having a good, strong race weekend versus all of the anxiety of the logistics. And some, of course, and we're gonna talk a little bit about that, are definitely much more logistically taxing than others. Um, so I can't wait to get into that because again, as we had a chance to chit-chat a little bit in Sydney, you had some really incredible insights as to the experiences that you have had, both as a runner and now as really leading um thousands of individuals towards these finish lines. So, with that said, my friend, I love that we both start at Chicago. I think a lot of folks here do, but I would love us to kind of look at the majors from the angle of kind of how they would fall in race season. Um, except with Sydney, we'll talk about that one last. So, first up, of course, would be when I think of the traditional race season, I always think of it kicking off in the fall season. Um, and now that Sydney is at the at the helm of it, um, I do think that that one's very interesting. But I again want to leave that a little bit more. So let's start with Berlin. When did you tackle Berlin personally? And what do you think of it now as a tour operator?
SPEAKER_04:Well, let me tell you that Berlin was our first uh mayor as a tour operator in 2018. We we started in in uh as a marathon travel company in 2018. I started a company in 2017 doing sports, any sports, but I started what what what you saw in Sydney, I started in 2018 with 10 runners.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_04:So our company started in 2018 in Berlin Marathon with 10 runners, um, plus um me and Cindy, my wife, who who is uh my partner in the business. So we were 12 runners. Uh and then Berlin for me is is special um because it's the first one. I have run it twice in 2018 and in 2020 uh 22nd. And it was the first time that I uh break that three hours uh mark, it was in Berlin as well. So um it's special. The city for me is very special. The course is a really nice course. If you like to run, you can run very well. If not, it's it's not uh it's not a healy course, so it's it's very easy, it's crowded in the course. So it's the first one that I recommend. If somebody wants to start in a major, I always recommend um Berlin for the course because the course and because the pricing and the offer, you can get more, uh a better uh product with less uh price, and then um is it's a city that you will enjoy and you will will want to come back.
SPEAKER_00:So absolutely, absolutely. I I kind of think of it from the perspective of that Berlin's for me as a as kind of primarily focused in US, um, is the best one to start off with internationally because it does have the least amount of logistics. And while there is potentially a language barrier, everyone speaks English, it's much easier to kind of get around. Um, but again, I I love the course, I love the history there. Yeah. Um incredible that it has a very special place for you as the first to kind of kick off. I'm curious, since uh Berlin was the first probably for that fall season, was it the only one that you guys decided to tackle for 2018, or were you already like, we're gonna do Chicago next?
SPEAKER_04:No, no, it was the first one. Okay, so the only one in 2018.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, okay, so it was your first and only focus for 2018. Yeah clearly it was successful because now we're here in 2025 with many, many other races under your belt. What tip would you give someone that was going to travel or race Berlin that they should know or keep in their back pocket?
SPEAKER_04:Um weather, for example, um well, sometimes it's cold, sometimes it's hot. Um, but weather is an issue, so always be prepared and trained in in hot weather because you never know. Um so the weather is is is something that you have to consider in Berlin because the last five years. Um uh we have cold, rain, hot. So in your training process, you should be prepared for raining, or you have to be prepared. Um, because weather change in the last three years, for example. Have changed, have changed. So that's like the main thing that you you should um be aware in your training process before Berlin.
SPEAKER_00:So when I think of this, I automatically think of the fact that like don't skip those rainy runs, don't um don't necessarily plan all of your runs to be on the treadmill avoiding the heat, because all of those things can help. And I do think, and and you feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, uh, as to your opinion, I think it's always easier to acclimate if it's a cold weather run day and you've been training in the heat versus the other way around. Um, so definitely I would agree. I know that 2025 we saw some pretty, pretty warm temperatures in Berlin, um, which of course can make it a challenge for PRs, but still at least you want to be prepared to have a strong finish. So that's a fantastic tip. What other advice would you give, maybe specifically for like preparing for like maybe jet lag or maybe some of the course cutoffs that people are worried about with Berlin? Is there anything that you would think of from those perspectives?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, well, jet lag is is is always important, at least to be on Thursday. Um, don't don't don't fly. Some people arrive on Friday. Uh I don't recommend that. You usually arrive at least on Thursday so you can recover from the jet lag on Saturday. You you're gonna be ready. If you can get on Wednesday, actually, all our plans for Berlin start on Thursday. Yeah, because uh then you you and and then we do uh on a shakeout run on on Friday. You just you can be active yourself and be ready um um for the jet like jet lag. So yeah, I'll try to arrive um on Thursday. Uh that's a that's a good time to get there. Um, what was the other question?
SPEAKER_00:Course cutoffs and um navigating those course cutoffs that people uh can be concerned about for Berlin.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, Berlin, um the cutoff I think is like six hours and a half or seven hours. Um what we recommend is and if if you are like close to the to the cutoff, if you you think you're gonna do like six hours and a half or six, um try to uh when you're gonna register, register in a choral that you can start a little bit early so you can not be cut off.
SPEAKER_01:Right.
SPEAKER_04:Um we always when when we're gonna because we we have our own platform of registration, and then before um we're gonna send the link to our customers, we tell them to try to register, to register um in a coral, for example, in and put five hours or four hours and a half so they can be in a in a closer coral um and can avoid the cutoff.
SPEAKER_00:Got it. Okay, these are great advice. The great advice because I know people get very nervous about that. All right, my friends.
SPEAKER_04:For example, for example, in C in Sydney, we we have a group. Um they were runners of six hours and a half, and we all of them uh we recommend them to register in a four-hour, four hour, four hour and a half.
SPEAKER_01:Right.
SPEAKER_04:And they all of them they start in an early coral and they could finish their race um very good, uh, very good time. So it was very it was very good for them not to be pressured.
SPEAKER_00:It was successful, yeah. Because of course there is that you don't want that extra heightened anxiety on the course that day either. Um, okay, so this is see, this is again why when you go with someone who has this experience, you're able to have that opportunity of the wisdom being passed along to you. So again, this is why I had such an incredible experience at Sydney. So thank you again. Um, now, my friends, we're gonna make our way through the traditional travel season. You're heading off, you're packing your bags as we speak to head to the windy city of Chicago, where hopefully there is no wind on race day. Um, tell us a little bit about what your experience would be or what advice you would give for the folks that are heading to Chicago.
SPEAKER_04:Oh, Chicago is for me the like the easiest race to in terms of logistic, because everything is in in you know close to the Millennium Park. Uh, and our hotels are walking distance. Um, if you are flying from the United States or from Latin America, there's no more than three hours flight, so you won't have that jet like a problem. Right. So uh the weather most of the time is is good. Sometimes it could be cold, so you have to be ready just in the start when it's cold, be prepared with your clothes, but most of the time is like um it's a good weather for running, like 50s or 60s or like 50s. So uh and it's a flat course, like really it's the flattest course, I think, compared to Berlin. So um is is is is is you can enjoy it more than than other ones. So for for me, it's like the easiest in terms of logistic. Um and preparation um is flat, so it's not a hard preparation compared to other ones.
SPEAKER_00:I I do think it's Berlin for my first international was easy logistically, or easier logistically. Chicago for my first international was, I mean, for my first local domestic, was definitely, or my first race at all, my first marathon was definitely a little bit easier logistically because I had no clue whatsoever when I saw the Verizona Bridge and I decided I must run New York City. I had no idea what I was getting involved with logistically, my friend. So let's make our way to New York City. I think that this is one of those bohemoths of there's so many options. It's quite quite the day. So we're making our way to New York City.
SPEAKER_04:But you know, in Chicago, what what Chicago has is um that the hotels are very, very expensive in in the main area close to the starlight.
SPEAKER_00:You're absolutely right.
SPEAKER_04:Michigan Avenue, downtown, or uh Magnificent Mile. So that the hotel that's the main issue for runners in Chicago is to find a good hotel and close to the starlight in terms of price. So there's where we help runners because we have a good um hotels. We have the Marriott Magnificent Mile, and we have the Trump, the Trump Hotel. Um both they has uh they have a good location, and we can offer a good package so runners can be at as close as possible then the the of the starlight.
SPEAKER_00:So I'm gonna make a little caveat right here and say that one of the reasons why I particularly wanted to go with your tour group over the other tour groups that specialize with running as well, is that you choose hotels that if I was booking this on my own, would be the hotels that I would be choosing. Um and for the and for the record, I also will say, and this is that was just like the one of the preliminary before I really got to know all the things that you offered. But friends, when you're thinking about these majors and most of these hotels that are the ones that Victor is able to um obtain for these tour packages, they could book up a year in advance. I remember for Tokyo having to have like all of these different reservations, even before I knew whether I was going to be able to get into Tokyo and do it. So navigating that extra stress um is definitely not, uh it's just it's why do it when you could go with the tour operator that can handle all of that, that has those connections, that's able to take care of that with the room block. So yeah, absolutely. I would agree with that. I I remember with Chicago, even back then, how expensive it was was a little bit of a shock for me, a price sticker shock. That's absolutely true. Um, so thank you for that reminder. Um, as we talk about New York City, though, I do I will say that it is one of the most exciting of, I would say it has a great energy. Chicago does too, Berlin does as well. But New York City is kind of has its own little bit of energy, but it is exhausting to think of all the different logistics in different boroughs and the starting lines and all those different facets in logistics. So tell me a little bit maybe about your experience running New York City. Did you do it as a tour operator or did you do it before you became a tour operator?
SPEAKER_04:I do it, I did it as a tour operator. Okay. In 2019.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_04:I run it um in my first year as a tour operator.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_04:Um and New York, New York, I don't know what what does uh New York has, but it's people want to repeat it. And when they finish, they they say that that's the best race. In terms of logistics, it's complicated. It's complicated to get to the star line, and it's complicated to get out from the finish line to come back to the hotel. All that is is not easy compared to Chicago, compared to Berlin. But in the race, the start in the Verasano bridge with uh with the music and all that is that special. And all the course is uh also special, um, because crowddy and the the the uh the you you cross um Brooklyn and Bronx and Queens and then the Fifth Avenue and then the Central Park, so there are like emblematic uh landmarks that make New York special. And actually the that weekend um you can feel in Times Square, in non-Mhat Manhattan, midtown, um runners in everywhere um that you don't feel that in in other cities uh like New York. And international, especially from Europe, um Europeans they love New York. They can't they come to New York for five, six days, and then you can feel that in the city during the weekend. So it's it's I don't know, it's like the more it's electric.
SPEAKER_00:It's electric.
SPEAKER_04:It's electric, that that's great.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I it's such a fantastic experience. Um, you know, I always say though, whoever I'm talking to that day in whatever race they're working for is my favorite because they all have so many special experiences that you can really take away. So with New York City, it is a logistical behemoth. My friends, if you are at all a little bit of an anxious traveler, um, it is incredibly hard to get into any of these. New York City is just one of those that is and just do yourself a favor and navigate, skip all the stress and have these issues navigated by Victor and his pro team. Um, but maybe for the runners, what would you give them? Let's just say they're all already getting ready, they're heading to the race morning. What would you suggest as a good tip that they should be prepared for on race day of New York City?
SPEAKER_04:Oh yeah, on the race day, um the race starts very early. Um you have you have to take the bus at 5 p.m. So um take the breakfast, a good breakfast before you leave and take and take also um some food for the waiting time because it's you have a long waiting time before the races start. You will you will get there like um at 6 a.m. or 6 30 a.m. in in the stated island, and you will have to wait all some some people will will have to wait until 11. It's the the last people.
SPEAKER_00:I remember specifically thinking, I've never had, because again, that was my first really big experience like that, where I was breakfast, lunch, and dinner were essentially all during the marathon time frame from the start to the actually running the race to afterwards, you know, walking after the finish line is such a long finish line shoot and getting back to meeting my um significant other. It all went through all three mealtimes. So I love that you're telling people this. This is such a great, great, great tip. Do be prepared with that extra fuel for that day.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's is is is uh it's a long journey. It's worth it though. Yeah, and then you will finish at 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. It depends, uh, depends off of your pace. But talking about uh if if you are a six hour or six hour and a half runner, you will finish at like a five. So our our we do a pasta dinner the night before. And then the pasta dinner start early, 5:30 p.m. from 5 30 to to 9 p.m. So you can have a good recharge of pasta and then you can sleep early because you have to wake up early, and then we have breakfast in the hotel early as well at 5 p.m. So you can uh have a good breakfast and then be prepared for the waiting. Um, so all of that's the the issue in in your that's the start, all the start process.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. I think it's one of those um where again, navigating all these different logistics from how do you get from your hotel, well, even what hotel to choose, or how do you navigate getting the start line, how do you navigate getting back, and having you take care of that after the race is so fantastic. But I love that tip because I don't think that people realize how long of a day. Actually, New York City was the first time that I could say that I quote unquote got an ultra day worth of running in um because from navigating, getting to the start line and the finish line, I think that at the end of the day, my garment said it was like 32, 33 miles. So it was it was a very, very, very long day. Um okay, my friend, we're finishing up uh the official, like the original six majors of Berlin, Chicago, New York City for the fall season. We're making our way through the holidays into spring. And then the first one up right out of the gate in spring is another one that I think can be a little bit challenging logistically, is Tokyo. Yeah. Um, so what is your experience and what is your tip or advice for folks that are tackling Tokyo?
SPEAKER_04:Oh Tokyo, that's um that's a very um uh nice race. Um, because the city, because the culture is different. Um, Tokyo is is especial in terms of of the culture uh and the city. And the race, and the race is is is a flat, it's it's not a hard course. You have a lot of turnarounds, so for some some people that's hard um to see people running uh in each way. Um so and then you have the start in one point and the finishing another point. Some people ask where I should stay, if I should stay in the start. Um the start is in Shinyuko area, or the or I should stay in Finnish that is close to close to Tokyo Station, uh, Jinsa area. Um we stay in the star area. We stay in Shinyuko. We have a nice hotel there. It's a Keo Plaza, it's just um this is in front of the star line of the Metropolitan Building. That's our hotel. So we we um we don't have to wait too early. Um we get to the star line very quick. So uh I prefer to stay in, especially in Tokyo, close to the star line. And then in the finish, you can come back. That metro, the metro and the train system in Tokyo is amazing. Um, you have so it's easy to to trans the transportation is very easy in Tokyo. You so um um I recommend to stay you know close to the start, but it depends of the of what you want as well.
SPEAKER_00:So friends, I promise we did not, this is not like where Victor and I sat for 45 minutes before we came on to this interview to discuss how we all agree on all the different points because you guys know if you've been listening to any of my episodes, specifically when I talk about navigating the majors, that that is exactly what I say is stay close to the start line while the transportation system is fantastic in Tokyo. It's also another layer of stress that you don't want to navigate specifically before you get to the start line. Afterwards, you're happy, you have your metal, maybe you're a little sore, but who cares? You can make your way back to your original hotel. That's great. But the start line, you just want to minimize any of the stress that you possibly can have. And again, talking about the hotels that are hard to get specifically, I'm not kidding. I had the Tokyo the minute I had it on my calendar as to when they actually would open up reservations so I could start holding rooms before Tokyo would even have their lottery or charity bids, anything of that sort, because they are so hard to get. Um, so again, not navigating or having to worry about navigating the metro system or navigating how to get to the start line, how to maybe like how to really appropriate appropriately attend the different cultural offerings with uh Victor. He can help you navigate those things. I am kind of curious, what would you say is a little different besides the culture? Um because when I'm and I'm even going back to Berlin, one of the things that I love about Berlin is the friendship run that they have the day before, um, or like the difference with New York City and like the kids in the borough of Brooklyn, like those the kids there just have such great energy. What would you say about Tokyo that maybe kind of sets it apart that we wouldn't be able to find in some of the other majors?
SPEAKER_04:Well, Tokyo, they have the friendship run uh on the day before. Uh they have like different start time, and that's that's more like uh uh uh community involvement or or nations involvement, uh just 5k in a in an area that is um is not close to the to the chingyuko ginsa. Uh it's like where this the tower, the sky tower, I believe. Uh did you did did you did you do the friendship run?
SPEAKER_00:Okay, so I'm sorry, I called it the friendship run in Berlin. It's not called that, it's the shakeout run that they have officially for Berlin where you fetch in the Olympic Stadium. I did not get to fit do the Friendship Run in Tokyo. I did Tokyo after the second year after it came back after COVID. It didn't it went it went so fast I couldn't, I wanted to, but it just went so fast.
SPEAKER_04:Okay. But um that it's not that crowd. Well, you know, Japanese culture is more quiet, so uh they are they are on the street, but you won't feel that energy that you feel in New York or Berlin. Um it's more on a in a spread city. Uh it's very it's you have com uh like you have like districts or communities, but it's like very spread, so you don't feel that energy that New York thing like like New York.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it was. I I I was not sure if it was because it was post-COVID when I did it, or if that was actually just more of the typical cultural experience, but it is definitely much more of a respectful, quiet atmosphere. Um, still beautiful, still fantastic. Still I'm very glad that it's part of the majors, but definitely it does feel very different. It does have a different energy. Yeah, I run it.
SPEAKER_04:I I run it in 2023.
SPEAKER_00:Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_04:Yes, after COVID. Actually, it we we need to use the mask to get into the corral.
SPEAKER_00:Yep.
SPEAKER_04:And then in 2000, I run it this year, um, and it was almost the same.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, was it? Okay, okay, that's that's good to know. Okay, well, good. Because I was like, huh, I wonder if my experience, because I was supposed to do it in 2020, when of course they were the first major that started to kind of shut down because of COVID. So I was like, I don't know if my experience would have been different in 2020. So thank you for letting me know that it wouldn't have been that different.
SPEAKER_04:Um and the ex and the expo, well, the expo is is is far from from the start, you know. Um, and the expo is not well organized as US or or Berlin, but as New York, for example, or yeah, New York City. Very Japanese, it's very Japanese outlines and waiting, and there they don't have too much stock in the in the official um merchandise. Merchandise. So it's different.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I agree. I do agree with that. Um that's another great point, and we're gonna talk about that little with Sydney. How again, I know that you help folks navigate the expo, because that can be that can be really frustrating and difficult for folks, especially people who are really into merch. So I can't wait to talk about how you help people with that as well. I do want to talk about as we continue going through the season, of course, the Unicorn of Unicorns, Boston. Um, I do want to make sure right out of the gate that folks do know as a US entry, you cannot help folks obtain a bib for Boston, correct? They would have to be Latin American or a global international runner.
SPEAKER_03:That's correct. Okay. That's that's correct, and not for US.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. However, you can still help to navigate because Boston, again, is another one where those hotels are expensive if you want to stay close to where every everything is happening. It can be a little difficult to navigate. Most people aren't staying near the start line at Boston. So you tell me what your thoughts and advice would be for Boston specifically.
SPEAKER_04:Boston is the hotels are the more most expensive um in the seven majors. Boston, they have the more expensive hotels in the start area, close to common, to the common park and to the um to the main the Boston Street at the convention center. So the staff hotels there, you can you you maybe could pay$800,$1,000 per night. So they are very, very expensive. You want to stay there. Um, everything happens in that area. Everything close to the convention center, to the expo, and to the finish line, um, and complete area. So that's the if you wanna if you run Boston, if you stay in that area, you will really feel the energy of Boston. For me, Boston is like the world championship of runners of runners, and you can feel when you go to the expo and you go to the street, and you you can feel everybody proud to be there with their jackets. Um, so but if you can stay in that area, that will be good. And then tour operators, we have better rates. Actually, you can if you can get a package to us, accommodation package through us through us uh in a better price than uh booking the hotel by yourself. Yeah, we we we can get a really competitive rate from hotels. We actually we stay in the western company and that is just a couple of blocks from the finish line and from the expo.
SPEAKER_00:We're us mere mortals, if you're just trying as a typical runner to get in again, if you didn't already reserve it, then likely you're not gonna find it. If you do reserve it ahead of time, because my personal experience is that I started to reserve things ahead of time and I was I couldn't find anything. But when I finally did find something, I ended up going to Airbnb, and then I had all of my hosts start to cancel one by one because they realized that they would they were much more able to inflate the pricing that they had provided for me. So Boston for me, because of the hotels, was not the same experience that I think anybody who was able to stay in that area that they would have had. Because as you said, it is that is where it's at, right there. You want to be in the hub above it, you want to be where it's where um the people are, essentially, to quote a little mermaid. And so it is magical. It does have that unicorn energy. If you stay there, very difficult to navigate that on your own. So this is definitely even if you um have your Boston qualifying bib, even if you went through charity, I would suggest that you look at working with Victor because he is able to get you those hotels and get those logistics down in a way that you wouldn't be able to do on your own.
SPEAKER_04:So I used I excuse me, I stayed in 2023 in Cambridge, yes, in the other side of the river. It was like um a mile from from Common from that from that the main area from the com and it wasn't the same spielings.
SPEAKER_00:No, I know I can't.
SPEAKER_04:I stay in and then this year we stayed with our group in the Sheraton. The Sheraton Hotel is connected to the convention center where the expo is, and there's and this the uh the providence, uh Providence um um commercial center well in that area, and the screen was completely different. You have the restaurants, you have people around, you have uh the bars, you have uh all the energy, uh, and and you can have a better better experience as a runner, uh and as a as a tourist in that area compared to being uh just in Cambridge or just a uh a mile from from this area.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, 100%. And it's almost like the minute you start to walk away from that area, it doesn't even take a full mile before you start to feel the energy buzz kind of start to come and come down because again, that's where everyone's at. So definitely highly, highly, highly recommend that this is not the time to try to look at alternatives. You definitely want to stay again where the people are at. So that that would be my biggest tip for Boston. The other big tip that I would have personally, I'm curious if you agree, is that because it's a net downhill race, um make sure that you don't go out of that first that first 10k a little too fast, which is very hard for us runners to do.
SPEAKER_04:They they when they get if you do that, when you get to the mile 16 or 18, you will have a hard, hard time to get to the to the finish line. Hard time.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, um, that could be why I cried during that time, Victor. It could be.
SPEAKER_02:You cried uh break your heel.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, no, you know, heartbreak heel didn't actually make me cry. Um, because at that point I was so over it. I was let's like, ah, it is what it is. I have no more tears to give. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, that's the start of Boston is is very fast. You're going down, uh, and then you you you think that everything is okay. I will do my best, but no, it's you have because that from mile 16, from Lile 16 to 20, I think, is healed.
SPEAKER_00:That's really where it's at. That's where I would say that Boston gets that that um title of being tough, is because those hills do come at a point where it's already hard to do that point of the marathon, regardless. So um, yeah, it's it's a great experience, though. So love that. Let's make our way to London. Um so finishing up for the spring races, tell me what your thoughts are on London.
SPEAKER_04:Oh, London is I compare London with New York. It's like in terms in terms of energy, they are like this. They are very, very tired. Um, but London City is special, it's a nice city. Um we stay um close to the finish line there in St. James Bay area, and it's close to Buckingham Palace and St. James Park, the Hyde Park. So um London as a city is is um and and in terms of logistics to get to that to get to the star line and to and when you finish to get back to the hotel is easier than New York and then other ones. Um so uh in logistics is um to get hotels also is not easy. It's very, very expensive to get hotels in the finish area, what where are the best hotel properties and close to the finish area, so and they are very, very expensive. And then if you move from that area to in uh in other places, then you won't have a nice, nice experience.
SPEAKER_00:Um again, same same experience that you're describing. I wasn't able to get a finish line hotel, I ended up staying somewhere actually around Tower Bridge. And while the property was beautiful, while it was something that I loved, I wasn't able to get into the London after party feel. And like you said, the entire race is a is a party. So why cut yourself off from the experience? Um, if you're able to get in closer to where you really should be staying at. I I it's such a fantastic race, but one thing that kind of that I take away is exactly what you're saying. It's like New York City in terms of the energy. I personally think it's even bigger energy. What do you think about that?
SPEAKER_02:They are they are they are really tied with.
SPEAKER_00:Those are the two quiet points of New York City. There is no quiet parts of London.
SPEAKER_04:That's correct. In London, you have no quiet place, and then uh uh we have our shear point in the tower bridge, okay, mile 13. Yeah, there we have our, and I think that that's the more the most exciting point of the race. Everybody is in the bridge, beside the bridge. Uh, and when the runners they come into the bridge, you can see their face. They are really, really happy. They are excited.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, well, they just did a half marathon, that's why they're really, really happy, my friend. They still have a whole half marathon to go. No, it is incredible. I always say that London, the crowds were so big, and this is actually 100% true. I kept missing the water stops. I was taking in so many things. There were so many big crowds, so much of a party, that if it wasn't for the fact that there was the kindness of what I call stranger danger aid stations, I kept missing all of the aid station stops because it was just such a big atmosphere. Yeah, definitely definitely goes down as one of my favorite experiences. I think everybody should have that experience. I did not, again, use a tour group at that point, went with a charity. In retrospect, if I was to go back and do these, I would absolutely go with a tour group and negate the aspect of all of the different details of things that I don't want to deal with, which is trying to get these hotels, um, trying to navigate the expos. Because even the expo for me at London was a little bit, while it was easy to get to, it's still a little bit more challenging logistically, which I know that you do for your folks. We have just started touching that like all the little things about all the majors. We haven't got into super house, we haven't got into Run Disney. So I wanted to make sure that we get into Sydney and then we're gonna talk a little bit about Cape Town and Shanghai. And then maybe, my friend, we may have to discuss you potentially coming back to talk about the Super House and a bit more about Run Disney. Um, so let's make our way to Sydney. Sydney, of course, is our newest world marathon major. Officially, last year it was the candidacy race. This year it was the official major. They were very proud. The city was fantastic and excited, and there was a lot of energy regarding it. What is your takeaway and your tip for Sydney?
SPEAKER_04:Well, Sydney, I went last year to Sydney when it was a um a candidate. It wasn't a major. Um, it was um 25,000 people, a smaller uh expo, and it was bad as well. Um but this year I I they did a great job uh in terms of uh all the the race and all what they create. And I felt uh that it was a major. Um many runners, uh international runners, as um you were you were part of our group, so you you uh you are a good testimony of of what the race and what um the event uh what we do with our runners. Um they have to improve the expo a little bit. Um we we didn't we didn't have a hard time. We we take our runners in in our private bus on Friday. I I know I knew that on Thursday it was the it was the first when when they opened the expo, they have a really hard time, I believe that trying to find out how to do it. Uh but that that uh on on Friday it was much, much better. We can get into the expo very quick, it was well organized. We get we got our bits. We spent like an hour and a half in the expo, and most of our runners they found uh merge. They bought the jackets, so uh it wasn't that full, so it was pretty good. We arrive at four, like 4:30 p.m. We like to we don't we we like we prefer to go in the afternoon than the morning, in the morning, and so you're not having to deal with the craziness, yeah. It's it's too crowd. So we what we do is we do our uh uh city uh like a sizing tour and then we stop in the expo. Um, but it it was very good for us to do that.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so exactly that, Victor. I didn't feel like I saw all the social media posts about how horrible the expo was. I didn't think it was horrible because again, um the Friday going on Friday versus Thursday, it felt like it was a night and day different experience. Do I think that there needs to be better organization, even little things like how they cue up the lines? Yes. Are they still a very brand new major? Yes. Do we have to give a little bit of allowance for the fact that there's gonna be some learning experiences? Absolutely. I mean, goodness gracious, I still learn something every single time I go out for a run or anything that we try to do. So there I do believe that it will improve, but I do appreciate how you helped us to navigate that aspect and minimize the headaches that I think a lot of other runners experience. There was plenty of merch, um, there's plenty of still a race day experience or expo experiences that I wanted to do when we went. So had no difficulty with that. I love so if we're folks that are maybe more introverted, there seems to be a concern where if I go with a tour group, I'm not gonna know anyone, or if I don't know anyone, um, I don't want to have to do all these things. And I want to just right out of the gate stress that that is not how Victor rolls. He makes it where I call it kind of almost a buffet style, like Disney, like take as much as you care. There is an experience for everyone on his itinerary, and it's take as much, come and participate as much as you would like or not as like, or kind of go with the flow of it. Um, but definitely Victor and his crew and his team do make everyone feel very welcomed. I love the fact that you guys even somehow figured out how to navigate, getting all the different starting groups to the start line, because I think that was a little child. I would I would assume that'd be challenging for people to be able to navigate, and you made sure that that happened as well.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, yeah, yeah. We we try we try to make it easy for all um the runners in our group. Um, we try to um um connect, make make like a group um to connect, to make a community, to they connect each other, yeah, they can make friends. We we organize activities so you can participate if you want to. If not, you can do it on your own. But all the activities are uh organized for uh in in a moment that I I know that will help you. For example, a shakeout run is a good moment and a good time to do it. Um the time to go to the expo, you are not in touch. You you can take your breakfast and then you can come in the bus. I always recommend not to go on Thursday. I I what I recommend is uh is you get to the hotel, stay relaxed, go out, enjoy the city, and wait for us that we will take with in a private bus. You will get your bid, and the time is like organized so you can um take advantage of the week. Uh and you are you are not in brutch. We have a like uh we have our our cruise at at evening after after the expo, and you have like three hours to do whatever you want, and we go by walk. The location of our hotel is is I think is one of the best locations in C.
SPEAKER_00:Exceptional, it's exceptional. It would have literally been the exact hotel that I would have chosen on my own, without a doubt. If I could have gotten a reservation there, I should say, because again, they all book out. Um yeah, absolutely exceptional because it was you put us in the middle of everything, it was at the finish line, very easy logistically to get to the start line. Um, I think that if you on your own are trying to create an itinerary, thinking of, I want to make this as good as I can of an experience of both touring the area and being prepared for my race. That's exactly the way that I would say that you set up the itinerary because it's stuff that while you're able to get in some circulation, you're able to get in some movement, you're not like over tiring your legs, you're not necessarily over stretching anything, you're allowing for a lot of time for downtime for people to relax and get into the group so they can rest up and be ready for race day. Um, so fantastic with the itinerary. By the way, your swag, maybe some of my favorite swag that I've ever had in that backpack has now gone to hiking with me in Milford Sound. It went to the Aroki National Park in New Zealand. I just took it on my Ragnar. So thank you so much for the fun swag because I did not expect that much fun. Um, it was it was a fantastic swag back. So thank you. My friend, I want to talk about Shanghai and um and of course Cape Town, but I do know that we are kind of needing to wrap this up. So let me ask you really quick, how can people get a hold of you if they are thinking that they want to do Cape Town, which we know, right? Let's be honest, it's gonna be a major next year, isn't it? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's gonna be a major. Yeah, that that's it's a major. We are just waiting for the announcement, but it's it's a hundred percent. It's a hundred percent.
SPEAKER_00:So you may as well look into if you're already thinking if you have your six, your seven stars and you know that Cape Town's gonna happen, don't wait for that lottery. Just go ahead and make your deposit because it's I mean, there's just no, there's no reason. If it means a lot to you to have the stars as soon as they come out, just go ahead and do that. Victor already has that uh tour package available. I definitely would highly suggest that. What do you think about Shanghai?
SPEAKER_04:Shanghai is gonna be a mayor as well.
SPEAKER_00:Okay.
SPEAKER_04:Uh, it's gonna be a mayor. That's that's for sure. Actually, we will be in in Shanghai this year. Uh, on November, we have a meeting there with other tour operators and with organization just to get ready for 2027. Um, that it's gonna be a mayor as well. Um, they have everything um just waiting to uh their their moment that will be next year. But Shanghai will be a mayor as well. We have been working with the organization. We have we have um we we have meetings with with um Shanghai organization in Sydney, uh in Berlin. They will be in New York as well. Then we will go to Shanghai to meet them. Um but they they are in the in the right track to be a mayor.
SPEAKER_00:So, what I'm gonna suggest, friends, is head to destinytrisport.com. I'm gonna have that link in episode notes. There you can um click entry, whether you're a US runner or Latin America, um, because the website is fully bilingual. From that point, you can look at all the different options. This is where I actually learned about the super halves, was because of all the information you have on the super halves, which we have to talk about at some point. So I have to have you, I have to squeeze you in between all of these really important meetings somehow, my friend, to come back. One last question before we go um and officially bid you adieu so you can catch all those important things that you need to do. You have one last bid that's been given to you, and it's magical because it's a golden ticket and you can choose to do any race in the entire world. What are you using it for?
SPEAKER_04:Um, sorry, well, sorry again, the good question.
SPEAKER_00:One golden ticket, one magical bib that you can use for any race in the world. What would you use it for?
SPEAKER_03:Um London.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, my friends, you heard it here. That is the party. You have to you have to make this happen, friends, if you're thinking about London. Okay, Victor, I cannot express enough appreciation for you taking time to talk to us and to give this much insight to folks. So we really would love to have you back on. Thank you so much for joining us, and thank you for helping runners to really chase these finish lines around the globe. So, friends, if you're listening right now and your wonder lust is officially activated and you're like, I have some bucket list items I need to check off, you're gonna go to destinytosport.com, you're gonna follow them on social, you're gonna find everything from the majors to the super halves, and yes, of course, that really exciting new Cape Town package that we talked about. If you want to hear more about Victor and what he has, you could also sign up for his newsletter. And with that said, Victor, thank you again so much.
SPEAKER_04:Thank you, Christine. Thank you for for your time. Thank you for this um opportunity. Um, and I hope to be with you uh talking about super half around this thing.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, let's do it.
SPEAKER_04:Thank you.
SPEAKER_00:Until next time, friends, remember the world is full of finish lines waiting for your footsteps. So keep moving, keep dreaming, and as always, stride extraordinary.
