before embarking on a challenging chase. There are a few undulations along the way as you leave the city and head through the picturesque villages of Cumwhinton, Wetheral and Scotby before a rather more modern finish at Sheepmount athletics stadium

of the big day. Race hard to be London's speediest Santa or just enjoy taking part in this feelgood event. Enter online now.Liverpool Santa Dash 5K (Liverpool, December 5)In Liverpool they don't do things by halves. Not content to be the largest festive race

.30am. Get there early for a good spot and you’ll also catch some of the world’s best athletes tackle the Great North Sprints and the Great North Mile Races later in the day (11.30am, 1-2.15pm). Children aged between nine and 16 are also catered

after sessions...From complete swimming beginners like Suffolk Punch and Ratbag, to PB-chasers such as Monique and Andy, we've followed the bunch as they jumped aboard and transformed themselves into IM Zurich athletes. Some kept online training diaries

Klagenfurt to take on Ironman Austria. This was to be the biggest and most successful Pirate expedition yet.Many people see the Ironman triathlon as the ultimate one-day endurance event. A 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride, finished off with a

professional military messenger and must have been quite an athlete; able to cover dangerous ground alone, look after himself, commit accurate messages to memory and answer questions when he arrived. If the situation was so desperate why didn’t he use a horse

: the Rotterdam Marathon is, quite possibly, one of the fastest courses in the world. The nearest you will come to a hill are the underpasses and occasional bridges, It’s the largest one-day sporting event in the Netherlands and also attracts a large number

of the river Thames from Kingston’s historic marketplace to Hampton Court Palace. Sheffield Half-Marathon (South Yorkshire, May 20) Feel like an elite athlete in this urban half, which boasts a stadium start and finish, an out-and-back city-centre course

- such is the popularity of this flat, fast course that places are going like hot cakes.--National Highlights North Downs 30K (Kent, June 10) Kent: the garden of England, June 10 Few races in our event listings receive such consistent and unanimous praise

has even attracted international track athletes keen to secure a racing victory. Chicks’ Chase 5K and Men Only 5K (Buckinghamshire, August 30) It’s rare to find an event that ticks boxes for both nervous first-timers and experienced racers in equal