The day after flying into Rome, I woke up at 7 a.m., took a cab to the stadium at the Baths of Caracalla, and ran in the Roma Urbs Mundi 10K race. I was probably the only foreigner running, but no one could tell; Romans and tourists cheered when I passed the coliseum.

A few minutes later, I glanced up from the irregular cobblestone sidewalk and realized I was passing “the typewriter,” the monument erected in memory of Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of unified Italy. Toward the end, another woman and I exchanged looks as we approached one of Rome’s seven hills, basically saying, “this is going to be hard.”

Finally, after crossing the finish line, I returned to the stadium steps to rest. A runner’s young son saw I had no water, and timidly offered me his cold bottle of frizzante. The gesture was completely unexpected, and I felt a sense of accomplishment.

Urban skylines, harbor waters and rugged mountains serve as the backdrop for Hong Kong’s Harbour Day Run.

The event took only one morning out of my weeklong vacation, but it let me tour Rome in a way that out-of-towners usually don’t. Running in a locally organized race allowed me to feel like a resident, even though I don’t speak Italian. I simply needed to wake up early and don my sneakers.

Other travelers and running enthusiasts throughout the world are doing the same. Last year, more than 87,000 people worldwide applied to the New York City Marathon alone. Visit Websites such as www.active.com, www.RunnersWorld.com and www.RunThePlanet.com, and you’ll find links to races held in almost every nook and cranny of the world, even Antarctica.

More and more, runners travel in order to run, and tourists run in order to travel. Below is a roundup of five races held on five continents, rated by difficulty. Run one of these, and you’ll get a glimpse into the local life of your travel destination.

Harbour Day Run (3.1 miles; 5K), Hong Kong, China

Last year, Hong Kong threw its first Harbour Day festival to celebrate Victoria Harbor, one of the world’s busiest and most admired ports. This November, 300 to 400 runners are expected to run in the races, which are held on the Oriental Golf City golf course and driving range. Oriental Golf City is situated on the Kowloon Peninsula where the old Kai Tak airport runway was once located.

The course looks out onto rugged mountains, the harbor waters and Hong Kong Island’s towering skyline. Not only is the course flat and relatively easy, but November is when temperatures, humidity, pollution levels and hotel rates drop, and plant life, such as the Hong Kong orchid tree (which appears on Hong Kong’s flag and coins), comes into bloom.

This year, there will be music to psych runners up at the start and end of the races, and registrants will receive free T-shirts, food and other giveaways. The festival also includes sailing, rowing, windsurfing, golfing and rugby events. For more information, visit www.harbourday.hk. Photos: www.revolution-asia.com.