is where the running epic began. The Athenians needed help from Sparta – the Peloponnese city near the present-day town of Argos. Before they marched to Marathon the Athenians had sent the runner Pheidippides to beg the Spartans for assistance. He was a

marathons before. They weren’t fun. They were hard. Hard and unquestionably painful. Yet just from flicking through the official race guide it’s clear that the event certainly has a lot going for it. A short but impressive history dating back to 1990 - when

: Wolverhampton City MarathonFilling Up FastOK, so these two events aren’t in August but you heard it here first, places are selling like hot cakes... Carver Wolverhampton City Marathon (West Midlands, September 2) Expect vocal spectator support at this two

gravel trails through the 600-acre Arboretum site.--Closing SoonAsh Excellent 8 (Somerset, September 9) Now in its 11th year, this multi-terrain event takes runners along rough tracks, over stiles and up leg-busting hills rewarding them with breathtaking

the finish, so be sure to save something while tackling the continuously rolling contours that characterise the course. Hearty support from the locals lends the event a real community feel, while a concurrent five-mile fun run proves the perfect diversion

. Be prepared for a fair stretch of uphill running, though locals claim the course presents nothing too arduous for the 10K first-timer. Rotary Shakespeare Marathon (and Half-Marathon) (Warwickshire, April 27) Enjoy a dose of Olde England in this predominantly

another chance to see the inspiring views of the Fenland countryside from the summit of the course's 'big hill'.This UK Athletics bronze-graded event comes with supervised bag storage, tidy changing facilities and T-shirts for all entrants, as well

a runner could want – its tough, hilly course presents ample challenge, the memento is a specially designed technical top and to top it all off, the race finishes with its own justifiably popular beer festival back at race HQ.From Richmond’s charming

, sand and intensity of the MdS, but smart training will get you as close as possible. Nail down a long-term training plan and sign up for an ultra or two (there are a growing number of multi-day stage races on our events listings). For a pre-race multi

events had been organized to keep athletes entertained when they got tired of soaking up the sunshine. Michael Raelert seemed to enjoy the relaxed build up and said “as soon as I landed here I fell in love with the island and have been struggling to focus