the Brathay Windermere Marathon (May 16) or the Yorkshireman Off-Road Marathon (September 12), or try out two new big-city fixtures - the mbna Chester Marathon (May 31) or the Bradford City Marathon (October 17).With dozens of races taking place all over

)Bestwood Country Park 10K (Notts, October 9)Denmead 10K (Portsmouth, October 23)Bronte Way 8 (Keighley, October 9) Don’t let the fact that the Bronte Way 8 is classified as a fell race put you off – the off-road course is entirely runnable. If you do need

over the ankle collar, but it does make the Crested Butte pretty warm in all but the lowest temperatures.In short The new Crested Butte is a sign that Nike is thinking about grip again when it comes to off-road shoes. But unless you really want its Gore

, and the underside of the forefoot is slightly bevelled on the medial side, which could cause you to toe-off at an angle if you already have a stability problem.In short The Terra Tupu is a pure off-road trail shoe in the mould of Nike’s old Air Terra Albis

conventionally or across widely spaced straps, to give excellent fit and support. The grip is fine: not made for deep, slippery mud, but confident on a range of loose and uneven surfaces. The Ultra 100 also has a removable gaiter.In short If you want an off-road

runners off the Jazz. It keeps some key things the same: mainly an outsole with deep, triangular lugs that makes it good for both on- and off-road; and reasonable stability for a neutral shoe. (This has a cutaway midfoot and a plastic shank, which makes

Weight 362gEvaluation The Thielsen is from Nike’s ACG rather than its core running range and was designed with the trails around the firm’s Oregon HQ in mind. These trails are not unlike British off-road conditions, which is why this is a pretty

. The participants seemed to love almost everything about it - the off-road route, the views from the top of Leith Hill, South-East England's highest point, and a mass rendition of William Blake's rousing Jerusalem at the start line. Now, that's a nice touch

are softer on your legs than the road, thus serving as a handy ‘off-road’ alternative. I've never understood how anyone can claim to get bored on the treadmill. When I'm on it, I’m 100 per cent focused on keeping going at the pace I'm going at, so boredom

is not the place to be precious about your kit getting muddy! More off-road highlights... Tadley Runners Christmas XC 5.3 (Hampshire, December 7) Forest of Dean Trail Series (Gloucestershire, December 14) Wedgnock Winter Mud and Mayhem 10K (Warwickshire