Luck

MILWAUKEE — Blake Treinen’s first save of the postseason was hardly a memorable performance.

He threw more balls than strikes. He walked the first batter he faced and nearly hit the second. And he got the final out on a pitch that was well out of the strike zone.

But he did get the final out, preserving the Dodgers’ 2-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in the opening game of the National League Championship Series on Monday.

And for Treinen and the bullpen he’s supposed to be anchoring, that counts as major progress.

“We’ve been putting in a lot of work to try to get some things in a better place with myself,” Treinen said. “Today, I thought I executed almost every pitch.”

The fixes, he said, were simple mechanical tweaks that helped set up his pitches.

“Sometimes through catch-play and touching the mound a little bit, things start to click. And you’re kind of shocked at how a subtle tweak can change everything,” he said.

In the Dodgers’ World Series run last season, Treinen was as vicious as an ill-tempered Doberman, going 2-0 with three saves, a 2.19 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings.

This year, not so much. In his first four playoff appearances more batters got a hit than struck out and five of the 12 men he faced reached base. That followed a disastrous September in which he went 1-5 with a 9.64 ERA.

He wasn’t so much putting out fires as he was starting them. The poor performances began to build on one another.

“At times this year, when it hasn’t gone well, th[ings] can speed up a little bit in your mind,” he said. “That’s the hard part, to carry the thoughts and focus on what you’re good at.”

But manager Dave Roberts, who has had Treinen for the last five seasons, kept giving him chances to turn things around.

“I think the best way to for me to kind of view it is whether you’re a position player slumping or a pitcher maybe not getting the outs at the clip that you want, we all know what our abilities are,” Treinen said. “Dave’s seen me at my best and at my worst, and so when he calls my name, I’m grateful that he has confidence in me.

“And I have confidence that he’s putting me in situations for the team to win. So there’s a lot of peace in that.”

Treinen may have been at peace but he didn’t have much wiggle room when he replaced Roki Sasaki on the mound Monday with two out in the ninth and the Dodgers clinging to a one-run lead.

Sasaki, the team’s surprise playoff closer, had been lights out in the postseason, with just one of the 17 hitters he faced reaching base. Against the Brewers, he gave up two walks, a ground-rule double and a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the span of two outs. When Treinen entered, Milwaukee had the tying run on first and the winning run on third — and the right-hander immediately made things worse by walking William Contreras on six pitches to load the bases.

Treinen quickly got ahead of Brice Turang, the Brewers’ left-handed cleanup hitter, but courted disaster again when he sailed a 1-2 sweeper that nearly hit Turang. That would have forced in the tying run had Turang not instinctively danced out of the way, eliciting a groan from the sold-out crowd.

“It’s a natural reaction,” Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said. “When the ball is coming towards you, it’s a breaking ball, your natural reaction is to do that.

Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki delivers in the ninth inning against the Brewers in NLCS Game 1 on Monday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

“It happens. He’ll learn from that situation. But it’s hard.”

For Treinen, whose only luck lately has been bad luck, the break was one he quickly cashed by getting Turang to chase the next pitch, which was head high, to end the game.

That swing brought equal measures of joy and relief for Treinen, who has supplied little of either for the Dodgers this postseason. This time, he said it felt good to finally be able to contribute.

“Our guys have been playing great baseball,” he said. “Our bats are doing a great job. Our starters have been amazing. So [I’m] just doing my job to finish the game.”

He also did his job in picking up Sasaki, the hero of the NL Division Series win over the Phillies, who stood to be the goat if the Dodgers lost Monday.

“Any time as a professional, when you have the ability to pick up your teammates, there’s a lot of pride in it,” Treinen said. “You just want to do your part because it’s a team game.

“I’ve certainly had guys pick me up this year. To have the opportunity to pick someone else up, it feels good.”

And it’s been a long time since Treinen has felt that.

ASHLEY Roberts has risked multiple wardrobe blunders while sunbathing in an undone bikini.

Not only did she almost go topless while on the beach, but in another snap from her summer photo dump, the Pussycat Doll posed in a dress held up by luck alone.

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In the caption of the multiple sizzling snaps, Ashley, 43, penned, “Summer on film.”

The first snap saw Ashley walking across the sand while donning a green silk minidress as she beamed for the camera.

Next up, Ashley grinned while wearing a black dress that had blue embellishments.

Going braless for the display, Ashley risked her first wardrobe blunder as she posed up a storm.

She then sqautted down while on a yacht as she wore a blue dress with a thigh-high split.

Ashley posed with her artist boyfriend George Rollinson in the next photo.

And in the next, she risked it all as she sunbathed on the beach.

Lying on her stomach as she sunned herself, Ashley wore a tiny pink bikini which she had unfastened, risking her second wardrobe blunder.

She posed in the black and blue dress again, before enjoying a night out in the green dress she also wore in an earlier photo.

The next offering then saw Ashley beaming while donning a plunging berry-colored bikini top.

Ashley also posed, seemingly braless, in a strapless dress that was held up by luck alone.

Fans were instantly stunned by the sizzling displays, with one writing, “Stunning outfits. You look amazing Ashley.”

“Always glowing and looking beautiful Ashley,” penned a second.

A third person swooned over Ashley’s “sexy figure”, while a fourth said, “What a woman!”.

“STUNNINGLY GORGEOUS,” added a fifth.

And a sixth gushed, “Omg you’re glowing.”

American girl Ashley is all loved up with British artist George Rollinson, who is 17 years her junior.

The couple have been loved up since November 2023.

Ashley previously gushed over how much she loves British men.

Speaking to MailOnline last year she said, “Yes, George is British. It’s funny because I have been here so long that when I go back to the States, I’m much more aware of the differences… 

“American men are, I feel bad saying this, but they’re overwhelming, they are too much. I’m like, you need to calm down.

“I think because I grew up in that culture, I didn’t necessarily think anything different but now I’ve lived here for so long and I’ve dated in the past, many years ago, European men… 

“But I don’t even imagine myself dating an American guy now. They have a different approach. Even in places like Vegas it’s all around you that kind of testosterone.”

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ANCHORAGE — President Trump made his expectations clear entering a summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday: “I won’t be happy if I walk away without some form of a ceasefire,” he said aboard Air Force One.

Yet he did, ending his meeting with the Russian leader with curt remarks, taking no questions from the press and offering no sense of a breakthrough toward peace in Ukraine.

It was an immediate success for Putin, who was greeted on the tarmac of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson with applause and smiles from the American president, offered a ride in his iconic vehicle. After years in isolation over his repeated invasions of Ukraine, facing an indictment from the International Criminal Court over war crimes, a red carpet awaited Putin on U.S. soil.

Both men referenced “agreements” in statements to reporters. But Trump implied the question that matters most — whether Russia is prepared to implement a ceasefire — remains unresolved.

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“We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to. There are just a very few that are left,” Trump said. “Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there.”

In a follow-up interview on Fox News, Trump said the meeting went well. “But we’ll see,” he said. “You know, you have to get a deal.”

Trump’s failure to secure a ceasefire from Putin surprised few analysts, who have seen him pressing Russian advantages on the battlefield and offering no indication he plans to relent.

The question is whether Putin will be able to sustain Trump’s goodwill when the war continues grinding on. On Friday alone, hours before the summit began, Russian forces struck a civilian market in the Ukrainian city of Sumy.

The Russian delegation left immediately after the press availability, providing no comments to the press corps on how the meetings went behind closed doors. And after sitting down with Fox, Trump promptly left Anchorage for Washington. The White House issued no statements, readouts or fact sheets on the summit. Administration officials fell silent.

“Putin is going to have to give Trump some kind of concession so that he is not completely embarrassed,” said Darren Kew, dean of the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego, “probably a pledge of a ceasefire very soon — one of Trump’s key demands — followed by a promise to meet the Ukrainians for talks this fall.”

“Both serve Putin’s goals of delay and appeasing Trump, while allowing more time for Russian battlefield victories,” Kew added, “since ceasefires can easily be broken, and peace talks can drag on for years.”

In brief remarks of his own, Putin said that points of agreement reached with Trump would likely face opposition across Europe, including from Ukraine itself, warning continental allies not to “torpedo nascent progress” in follow-up talks with the White House.

“I would like to hope that the agreement that we have reached together will help us bring us close to that goal, and will pave the path toward peace in Ukraine,” Putin said. “We expect that Kyiv and European capitals will perceive that constructively, and that they won’t throw a wrench in the works.”

It was an acknowledgment that whatever terms agreed upon bilaterally between Putin and Trump’s team are almost certainly unacceptable to Ukraine, a party to the conflict that has lost hundreds of thousands of lives fighting Russia’s invasion since February 2022.

Trump told Fox that a Russian takeover of Ukrainian lands was discussed and “agreed upon,” pending Ukrainian approval — an unlikely prospect given vocal opposition from Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and provisions in the Ukrainian Constitution that prohibit the concession of territory.

“Those are points that we negotiated, and those are points that we largely have agreed upon, actually. I think we’ve agreed on a lot,” Trump said. “I think we’re pretty close to a deal. Now, look. Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they’ll say no.”

Europe and Ukraine have argued that conceding land to Putin is not enough. After invading Crimea in 2014, and successfully holding it, Putin came back for more territory in the eastern Donbas — only to launch a full-scale invasion of the country in 2022.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said this week that its war aims remain unchanged.

“We’re convinced that in order to make the settlement last in the long-term, we need to eliminate all the primary roots, the primary causes of that conflict,” Putin said, “to consider all legitimate concerns of Russia, and to reinstate a just balance of security in Europe, and in the world on the whole.”

“The root causes of the conflict,” he added, “must be resolved.”

England fans may had doubt but they did not show it at Stadion Letzigrund as those behind the goal to Wiegman’s right sang her name as they trailed 2-0.

When things eventually started going to plan, England still relied on plenty of luck.

The ball didn’t quite drop for Sweden on set-pieces, and as extra time wore on, momentum felt like it was with England.

But in the shootout, it was Sweden’s game to win. They had two chances to seal victory with penalties of their own and managed to squander both.

Sweden goalkeeper Falk wasted the first opportunity, blasting the ball over the crossbar, before Hampton dived low to save Jakobsson’s spot-kick.

As Sweden’s senior players missed their opportunities, England’s most experienced was ready to take her moment.

It was fitting that 33-year-old Bronze, playing in her seventh major tournament, delivered when it mattered.

Someone who epitomises England’s resilience, she stepped up, took a deep breath and thumped her penalty into the roof of the net.

A roar erupted from Bronze as she looked at the supporters behind the goal, ripping off tape – that she had put on herself during the match – in the process.

Around half an hour earlier, she had kicked the hoardings behind the same net – a release of emotion as she kickstarted England’s comeback.

“Lucy was chaotic in herself, right? There was a lot going on with her. She became a physio, she became a striker, she nailed the best penalty of the day,” said team-mate Mead.

“I think Lucy really showed her experience in those moments. She’s our most experienced England player and I think she was one of the players that very much got the determination out of us all today.”

Having failed to convert four penalties, Wiegman admitted she was “really concerned” that England were heading out.

But it was fitting that Bronze helped carry her team over the line.

“She is just one of a kind. I have never seen this before in my life. I have worked with so many incredible football players but what she does and her mentality,” said Wiegman.

“The penalty, the goal – that is not what defines her. What defines her is that resilience, that fight. The only way to get her off the pitch is in a wheelchair.”

When “Good Night, and Good Luck” arrived on Broadway this spring, it initially provoked a surprising amount of cynicism. There were complaints that the adaptation by George Clooney and Grant Heslov was basically a reproduction of the 2005 film, which chronicled CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow’s heroic crusade against Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s communist witch hunts.

The sky-high cost of tickets was another source of criticism. Was Broadway pricing itself beyond the reach of its core audience? Reports of “Good Night, and Good Luck” shattering box office records served to remind those who couldn’t afford a ticket that they were being left behind by a theater culture that was siding with the haves over the have-nots.

In a Broadway season that featured Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal in a rudderless “Othello” and Kieran Culkin in a “Glengarry Glen Ross” revival that might have been stronger without him, “Good Night, and Good Luck” was a convenient target for anti-Hollywood sentiment.

When I arrived at the Winter Garden for a Saturday matinee in April, I can’t say my expectations were especially high. I admired the film but hadn’t seen it in nearly 20 years. The broodingly elegant production, sharply directed by David Cromer and starring a quietly committed Clooney in the role of Murrow (played in the film by David Strathairn), was not only one of the most stirring offerings of the Broadway season but also one of the most necessary.

I left the theater wishing I could buy tickets for my friends and family. That won’t be necessary — thankfully for my credit cards — because CNN will be broadcasting a live performance of “Good Night, and Good Luck” from the Winter Garden on Saturday (4 p.m. PDT). It’s apparently the first time a Broadway play will be shown live on television, and the timing could not be better.

As media companies face a campaign of intimidation from the Trump administration, the figure of Murrow, standing tall in the face of demagogic adversity, is the courageous example we need right now.

I don’t know how different the experience will be watching at home, but “Good Night, and Good Luck” made me reflect on what theatergoing might have been like in ancient Greece. Athenian citizens would gather at an open-air theater as a democratic privilege and responsibility. Playwrights addressed the polis not by dramatizing current events but by recasting tales from the mythological and historic past to sharpen critical thinking on contemporary concerns.

Clooney and Heslov aren’t writing dramatic poetry. Their more straightforward approach is closer to documentary drama, but the effect is not so disparate. We are affirmed in the knowledge that we are the body politic.

CNN will broadcast the penultimate performance of “Good Night, and Good Luck” on the eve of the Tony Awards. The production is up for five Tonys, including one for Clooney in the lead performance by an actor in a play category. But however the awards shake out, Clooney is already a winner. Like Murrow, he reminds us that conscience can still be a defining feature of the American character.

Saturday afternoon out west and evening back east, as citizens faced off against ICE agents in the streets of Los Angeles, “Good Night, and Good Luck,” George Clooney’s 2005 dramatic film tribute to CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow, became a Major Television Event, broadcast live from Manhattan’s Winter Garden Theater, by CNN and Max. That it was made available free to anyone with an internet connection, via the CNN website, was a nice gesture to theater fans, Clooney stans and anyone interested to see how a movie about television translates into a play about television.

The broadcast is being ballyhooed as historic, the first time a play has been aired live from Broadway. And while there is no arguing with that fact, performances of plays have been recorded onstage before, and are being so now. It’s a great practice; I wish it were done more often. At the moment, PBS.org is streaming recent productions of Cole Porter’s “Kiss Me, Kate!,” the Bob Dylan-scored “Girl From the North Country,” David Henry Hwang‘s “Yellow Face” and the Pulitzer Prize-winning mental health rock musical “Next to Normal.” Britain’s National Theater at Home subscription service offers a wealth of classical and modern plays, including Andrew Scott’s one-man “Vanya,” as hot a ticket in New York this spring as Clooney’s play. And the archives run deep; that a trip to YouTube can deliver you Richard Burton’s “Hamlet” or “Sunday in the Park With George” with Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters is a gift not to be overlooked.

Clooney, with co-star Anthony Edwards, had earlier been behind a live broadcast of “Ambush,” the fourth season opener of “ER” as a throwback to the particular seat-of-your-pants, walking-on-a-wire energy of 1950s television. (It was performed twice, once for the East and once for the West Coast.) That it earned an audience of 42.71 million, breaking a couple of records in the bargain, suggests that, from a commercial perspective, it was not at all a bad idea. (Reviews were mixed, but critics don’t know everything.)

Like that episode, the “live” element of Saturday’s broadcast was essentially a stunt, though one that ensured, at least, that no post-production editing has been applied, and that if anyone blew a line, or the house was invaded by heckling MAGA hats, or simply disrupted by audience members who regarded the enormous price they paid for a ticket as a license to chatter through the show, it would presumably have been part of the broadcast. None of that happened — but, it could have! (Clooney did stumble over “simple,” but that’s all I caught.) And, it offered the groundlings at home the chance to see a much-discussed, well-reviewed production only a relatively few were able to see in person — which I applaud on principal and enjoyed in practice — and which will very probably not come again, not counting the next day’s final performance.

Glenn Fleshler, left, plays Fred Friendly in the stage production, a role that George Clooney performed in the film version of “Good Night, and Good Luck.”

(Emilio Madrid)

The film, directed by Clooney and co-written with Grant Heslov (who co-wrote the stage version as well), featured the actor as producer and ally Fred W. Friendly to David Strathairn’s memorable Murrow. Here, a more aggressive Clooney takes the Murrow role, while Glenn Fleshler plays Friendly. Released during the second term of the Bush administration, the movie was a meditation on the state of things through the prism of 1954 (and a famous framing speech from 1958 about the possibilities and potential failures of television), the fear-fueled demagoguery of Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy, and Murrow’s determination to take him on. (The 1954 “See It Now” episode, “A Report on Sen. Joseph McCarthy,” helped bring about his end.) As in the film, McCarthy is represented entirely through projected film clips, echoing the way that Murrow impeached the senator with his own words.

It’s a combination of political and backstage drama — with a soupcon of office romance, represented by the secretly married Wershbas (Ilana Glazer and Carter Hudson) — even more hermetically set within the confines of CBS News than was the film. It felt relevant in 2005, before the influence of network news was dissolved in the acid of the internet and an administration began assaulting the legitimate press with threats and lawsuits; but the play’s discussions of habeas corpus, due process, self-censoring media and the both-sides-ism that seems increasingly to afflict modern media feel queasily contemporary. “I simply cannot accept that there are, on every story two equal and logical sides to an argument,” says Clooney’s Murrow to his boss, William F. Paley (an excellent Paul Gross, from the great “Slings & Arrows”). As was shown here, Murrow offered McCarthy equal time on “See It Now” — which he hosted alongside the celebrity-focused “Person to Person,” represented by an interview with Liberace — but it proved largely a rope for the senator to hang himself.

Though modern stage productions, with their computer-controlled modular parts, can replicate the rhythms and scene changes of a film, there are obvious differences between a movie, where camera angles and editing drive the story. It’s an illusion of life, stitched together from bits and pieces. A stage play proceeds in real time and offers a single view (differing, of course, depending on where one sits), within which you direct your attention as you will. What illusions it offers are, as it were, stage magic. It’s choreographed, like a dance, which actors must repeat night after night, putting feeling into lines they may speak to one another, but send out to the farthest corners of the theater.

Clooney, whose furrowed brow is a good match for Murrow’s, did not attempt to imitate him, or perhaps did within the limits of theatrical delivery; he was serious and effective in the role if not achieving the quiet perfection of Strathairn’s performance. Scott Pask‘s set was an ingenious moving modular arrangement of office spaces, backed by a control room, highlighted or darkened as needs be; a raised platform stage left supported the jazz group and vocalist, which, as in the movie, performed songs whose lyrics at times commented slyly on the action. Though television squashed the production into two dimensions, the broadcast nevertheless felt real and exciting; director David Comer let the camera play on the players, rather than trying for a cinematic effect through an excess of close-ups and cutaways.

While the play generally followed the lines of the film, there was some rearrangement of scenes, reassignment of dialogue — it was a streamlined cast — and interpolations to make a point, or more directly pitch to 2025. New York news anchor Don Hollenbeck (Clark Gregg, very moving in the only role with an emotional arc) described feeling “hijacked … as if all the reasonable people went to Europe and left us behind,” getting a big reaction. One character wondered about opening “the door to news with a dash of commentary — what happens when it isn’t Edward R. Murrow minding the store?” A rapid montage of clips tracking the decay of TV news and politics — including Obama’s tan suit kerfuffle and the barring of AP for not bowing to Trump’s Gulf of America edit and ending with Elon Musk’s notorious straight-arm gesture, looking like nothing so much as a Nazi salute — was flown into Clooney’s final speech.

Last but not least, there is the audience, your stand-ins at the Winter Garden Theatre, which laughed at the jokes and applauded the big speeches, transcribed from Murrow’s own. And then, the curtain call, to remind you that whatever came before, the actors are fine, drinking in your appreciation and sending you out happy and exhilarated and perhaps full of hope.

A CNN roundtable followed to bring you back to Earth.

Searching for patio furniture that is attractive, affordable and long-lasting is like seeking the holy grail: We want to believe it exists, but we’re not entirely sure.

“Outdoor furniture is tough,” said Tatiana Tensen, co-founder of the Eastside Staging Company that has been staging homes in L.A. for a decade. “While we look at the majority of our inventory as an asset, we understand that most patio furniture has a shelf-life of one, maybe two years. After that, most of it ends up being gifted to our local Buy Nothing group.”

Still, Tensen, who shops for furniture as part of her job, was able to offer a few tips on what to look for when investing in outdoor pieces.

“Certain brands like Salterini, Brown Jordan and Eames made outdoor furniture that lasted decades,” she said. “Materials also matter in terms of longevity. Powder-coated metals and well-patina’d teak will stay fresh and current for years.” She added that investing in good outdoor fabrics is also key. “There is a reason why Sunbrella is so popular,” she said.

Many people purchase patio furniture online from chain stores like Crate & Barrel, Restoration Hardware, Ikea, Costco and Home Depot or online retailers like Article and Wayfair. Others have had luck with Facebook Marketplace, where they say getting a deal is like finding a needle in a haystack but can yield a huge payoff if you’re willing to put in the time and energy. The list below is for people like me who prefer to shop at brick-and-mortar stores, aren’t afraid of vintage items and like supporting local businesses.

With help from designers, prop stylists, set decorators and the always informative Atwater Village Mom’s Facebook Group, I’ve assembled this road map to help you find whatever the patio furniture holy grail means for you. Maybe it’s a gorgeous teak peace that’s pricey but will last forever, or a mosaic tile table made by hand. Perhaps you can tolerate a little rust on a midcentury piece if the price is right, or you’re willing to shell out for a perfectly revamped chaise with new powder coating and fresh vinyl straps in the color of your choice.

Whatever it is you hope to find, I’m wishing you best of luck on your quest — and plenty of outdoor lounging.

The parallel rise in run clubs and active holidays has sparked a new travel trend: mara-cations. Budget-friendly and fitting for both group and solo trips, marathon tourism is quickly gaining ground

The competition to secure a spot in the London Marathon has become more heated than the race itself, prompting runners to expand their horizons. Less than a week after the 2025 London Marathon wrapped up, event organisers received a record-breaking 1.1 million applications for next year’s race.

But with over 1 million applicants and typically 17,000 to 20,000 runners successfully securing a spot through the ballot system, the chance of getting a spot can fall under 2%. That’s why many would-be runners are looking abroad to get their fix. In fact, they’re making a trip of it.

Britons’ newfound passion for running has shaped every facet of life, from dating to fashion to travel. Given the high rejection rate of the London Marathon and the increasing appeal of run clubs and active holidays, mara-cations have been rising in popularity.

READ MORE: Running is taking over the UK but do marathon runners know they don’t have to

The travel trend is a holiday hybrid, combining fitness with local and natural exploration. Avid runners in the UK are opting to take on the challenge of marathons in Germany, France and further abroad as a way to enjoy the UK’s new favourite pastime.

A study by Travel Republic found that the demand for “fitness holidays” increased by 84% in April, while Google searches for “European marathons” spiked by 403%. Travel companies are even sponsoring marathons around the world. TUI, for instance, is a major sponsor of marathons in Rhodes and Palma, and recently announced it will be the title sponsor for the March 8, 2026 Cyprus Marathon in Paphos.

The shift from party holidays to active adventures – especially for millennials and Gen Z – has also influenced the classic group trip. Marathon tourism lends itself well to group holidays, an opportunity not to just train and travel together but complete a shared goal.

The World Marathon’s 3 Country race in October offers friends the chance to relay across international borders. Starting in Lindau in Germany, passing through Switzerland and finishing in Austria, runners will get to enjoy scenic views and will be cheered the whole way through.

It can be a financially savvy move for marathoners as well, considering UK races can be pricey. While it’s free to enter the London Marathon ballot, if you are successful you need to pay an entry fee of £79.99 (£49.99 if you choose to donate your fee to the London Marathon Foundation at the point of entry).

List of 2026 marathons to register for now

While less cut-throat than London Marathon entry, aspiring mara-cationers will still need to plan ahead as registration for big 2026 races have already opened. Here is our list of some marathons that should be on your radar for next year.

Italy, Rome Marathon – March 22, 2026: The Rome Marathon (aka Run Rome) brings more than 25,000 participants to run in the City of Seven Hills. Some of the race options include a 4-person relay and a 5km “Fun Race” if you’re looking for something to do with friends.

France, Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris, April 12, 2026: Early bird entries for the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris have already opened. One of the largest marathon’s in the world, this is a great alternative for London Marathon regulars that want a change of scenery.

Germany, Generali Berlin Half Marathon, March 20, 2026: Next year will mark the 45th anniversary of the Berlin half marathon, making it the perfect time to participate in the fun. The organisers’ lottery system means that all interested athletes have an equal chance of getting a race entry during the registration period, which is open until May 22, 2025.

Spain, Seville Marathon, February 15, 2026: The Seville Marathon is the third largest in Spain and is the perfect setting for a post-race wind-down. The coolness of Andalusia in February means you will be able to recover comfortably and, best of all, it’s for a charitable cause.

Sweden, Ekerumsloppet, October 4, 2025: There’s still time to register for this 10km autumn race which takes you through scenic off-road trails in the stunning landscapes of Ekerum and Rällaskogen. Tickets are between €14-27 (£12-23).