The Mount Kilimanjaro Marathon is one of the best marathon's I've done. The race director, Marie Francis, does an absolutely incredible job of putting on both the marathon and the climb up Mount Kilimanjaro. Be sure to do the climb as it is a lifetime experience.

I ran this race first in 2009 while finishing my graduate degree in Tanzania and Rwanda. Marie made every accommodation for me and did everything last minute. She even called me in Africa from her cell phone on the way to the airport to confirm my last minute registration.

The experience was literally so fun that I came back again the next year in 2010 with my father to run the race and climb Kili. It was a pretty cool father-son trip.

Other fun things along the way was a reenactment of the Ryder Cup (USA vs. Europe) at the Moshi country club. We each had our own caddy- all little kids that had a blast with us.

As you can tell I highly recommend this trip. Make sure to do this one (MOUNT Kilimanjaro Marathon) and not the big corporate one that takes place in January (Kilimanjaro Marathon).

You'll have an incredible trip and a killer story about how you were the tallest person in Africa the day you summitted Kilimanjaro.

I climbed the mountain and ran the marathon ten years ago; I was 57 years old and it was one of the greatest gifts I've ever given myself. Scenic, succulent, special. Don't miss it. Just spending time with Marie Francis is worth the entry fee, she rocks!