Five years ago I was excitedly planning my first middle-distance triathlon. Training was going well but then an incident in a deep lake left me in such a state that I was unable to race. The event involved a sea swim at Weymouth, Dorset, in the early summer, so in spring I decide...

Our priorities are all out of shape. When we worry about fat, we focus on the stuff you can pinch between your fingers, the stuff that droops over waistbands and sabotages the silhouette. But something far more sinister is going on beneath the slightly wobbly surface. When it com...

Where and when?Sunday, November, 9, BristolWhat is it?Comprising eight heart-stopping, lung-busting and back-breaking 'country' miles, The Easy Runner Sodbury Slog is anything but 'easy'. Starting with a long road section, the course is run across some of Bristol’s most scenic si...

Where and when?Sunday, October, 12, DurhamWhat is it?The Inov -8 kicks off a new form of trail running in the North East. Inspired by the Karrimor International Mountain Marathon, the event route will change every year, offering competitors the best locations the Durham Dales hav...

Where and when?Sunday, October, 26, HampshireWhat is it?Fire stations and road races aren't natural bedfellows. But the Fordingbridge 10 proves that big trucks with sirens and country lanes do in fact work in harmony when it comes to events.The Fordingbridge 10 is a one-lap cour...

The RulesRunners know that the miles they log on the pavement, trail and treadmill are great for keeping them fit. But another thing that’s high on the list of the sport’s many virtues is that it’s an amazing weight-control tool. But weight loss is a different story.Runners often...

I first saw a version of this shoe at a Nike presentation in February 2012. Nike were so confident their Flyknit technology was going to be a ‘genuine game-changer’, as they put it, that they flew several hundred journalists to New York from all corners of the globe to see a pres...

Where and when?Sunday, October 26, WorksopWhat is it?Worksop is not just famous for producing such illustrious stars as Graham Taylor and that stout bloke from Iron Maiden. It also produces some fine races, including a smashing half-marathon. The race kicks off with an ingenious ...

Where and when?Sunday, November, 16, LeicesterWhat is it?Now in its third year, the Everards Leicester Marathon is set for an even bigger and better return. Expect a field of around 1000 with competitors running either the half or the full version.With a half-hour aerobic warm-up...

Where and when?Sunday, November 30, East SussexWhat is it? You would think that this being the last round of the Sussex Grand Prix, the organisers would pull out all the stops to give the series a great send-off. Thankfully that’s exactly what you get. The Crowborough 10K is two-...