Where: London When: December 5 If you like dressing up, running and Christmas, the London Santa Run is the race you’ve been waiting for. The 6K course is just the right distance for most beginners, and the race is set alongside the Thames

Great Manchester Run 10KWhere? Manchester When? MayThe Bupa Great Manchester Run 10K makes for a great introduction to racing. Not only is the organisation as slick as you'd expect from a Great Run event, but the course is a beginner's dream -  flat

The Beginner and PB categories in this section have been put together using a slightly altered system to the other categories. While we still only used races that notched up 25 ratings or more, we tweaked the final selection to ensure that we

1. Mull of Kintyre Half-MarathonArgyll and Bute, May 30 This race makes it into the beginner category for much the same reasons as it made it into atmosphere and half-marathon top 10 – it’s just a race that’s really good fun to run, the vibe

into Strickland Country Fair. Although some of the sandy tracks and slight undulations may seem more challenging than a typical beginner's race, the friendly marshals and stunning coastal scenery are more than ample rewards. Once you finish the race, it's time

to its detailsAnd on our wishlistRate foreign races (high time we listed key overseas events)Search by rating (eg show the most beginner-friendly races in the North)And a few secret things...

. We've divided the top-rated races into the following categories: 10K; half-marathon; marathon; and other distances. Check out this page every day this week for a new countdown - and visit the site on Friday for a round-up of the best events judged

Welcome to the Runner’s World Races of the Year, your essential guide to the very best of British racing. Last year, the 680,000 members of runnersworld.co.uk placed 18,594 reviews of over 3,600 events. We’ve combed through them all to find

1. Southport MAD DOG Seaside 10K, MerseysideDate in 2012: February 12This year’s 10K top dog, a flat race taking in town, country and seaside scenery, also comes highly recommended for beginners. With chip timing, a medal, a techical tee memento (in

? Whizzing round two laps of the home of British motor racing are a wizard way to pass a spring evening, and while Murray Walker may not be on hand to cheer you round the chicanes, beginners could hardly hope for a flatter track, and for F1 fans