such a buzz on our forums. In fact, the race route forgoes the tarmac promenades, and instead remains inland, twisting along rural country roads, farm tracks and the odd bumpy bridle path through the Great Wakering and Stambridge area. Its predominantly

average coastal fixture. Sea tides dictate a tough three-hour cut-off time, though organisers promise runners won't be pulled from the course after this deadline. Instead, they'll be redirected onto the tarmac promenade to complete the race, ensuring

and the Old Deer Park. Run over a mix of tarmac and track, the tree-lined towpaths make for a cool and shady jaunt, though conditions can quickly turn muddy underfoot. An opening lap of a local sports field serves to scatter the 600-strong field within

Stornoway Half-Marathon (Western Isles, May 24)Mull of Kintyre Half-Marathon (Argyll and Bute, May 25)Sevenoaks 7 (Kent, May 11) For those who want to give their legs a rest from the tarmac, this trail number – now in its 15th year – is ideal. Comprising two

Marathon, Half-Marathon & 10K (October)2009 Date: tbc The Foot takes its name from Cape Agulhas, the southern-most tip of the African continent. The marathon is run off-road for the first half and on Tarmac for the second, with the first half featuring

through the beautiful Kent countryside, the Harvel 5 covers tarmac, woodland, rocky slopes and all the mud a keen cross-country competitor could wish for. Tired finishers will be revived by the beer, burgers and ice creams on sale at the finish, plus

. Increased power output on the bike - with every revolution you will be able to put down more power, which will translate to higher speeds on the Tarmac.2. Power up those hills - there's no such thing as a fast flat course. The sight of Fraser Cartmell

to do is correlate those numbers with distance on the ground. The way you find the distance is by measuring it with a steel tape measure or laser or whatever equipment you have, on a long straight piece of tarmac, preferably a bike path where you don

So long as you’re well organised, come marathon day you’ll have nothing to worry about except the few miles of Tarmac linking the start to the finish. Here’s the seven-day countdown that no runner should be without – plus the tried-and-tested route

many different surfaces you can run on in a week: Tarmac, gravel, trail, grass, track, treadmill. Each stresses your leg muscles in a slightly different way, helping to prevent overose injuries. If possible, avoid concrete, the hardest and least