importantly it instilled within her a love for competitive running. Close friends and family may well have foreseen such an outcome. Beneath her soft-spoken, poised exterior lies an incredibly self-driven, fiercely determined character, who thrives on working

post-event party, you could be forgiven for thinking it is more an excuse for a social jaunt than a competitive fixture. But you’d be wrong. Three laps of Victoria Park, run along wide park roads, make for a fast and furious course that in past years

-Marathon (Kent, October 21)Worksop Half-Marathon (Nottinghamshire, October 21)City of Salisbury Half-Marathon (Wiltshire, October 28)Lee Valley Athletics Centre 10K (Middlesex, October 14) Earlier this year London unveiled one of the first new training

, November 10) Canal locks and bridges comprise the only inclines in this otherwise flat, point-to-point race along the towpaths of the river Lee.--Filling Up Fast…Luton Marathon, December 2Luton Marathon (Bedfordshire, December 2) This three-lap course

been through my regime. The 'cool down' is more or less the reverse, always finishing with a few stretches. – JNThere is no right or wrong answer The jury is out on the benefits of stretching. Having run competitively for 42 years I have experienced

-raising fixture, held in association with The Week of Peace, a seven-day itinerary of events promoting community cohesion and safety across the capital. Participation, rather than competition, is the order of the day, with both beginner runners and family groups

. With participation (rather than competition) at the top of the morning’s agenda, both beginners and family groups can expect a warm welcome, and there’s no doubt the seasonal camaraderie will rub off on spectators too. Suits and beards are included in the entry fee

of the competitive clock-watcher. Most though, are sure to enjoy the excuse to take a momentary breather and soak up the view. Plus, with plans afoot to re-use the Green Circular the following day for a family-focused cyclathon, the weekend should shape up to be a

toes, the course otherwise promises to be a relaxing, rural affair, unless that is, you find yourself at the front of the field. One of seven fixtures included in the new Eastern Region Grand Prix Road Race Series, expect stiff competition among those