Running

Drink. And. Run. At the same time. Or pretty much at the same time. It sounds like it wouldn’t work, and yet at the same time it sounds and is pretty awesome. If you’re not prepared for the prices of doing them abroad (Marathon du Medoc for instance) then have a look at what Britain’s got to offer. And let’s get boozy.

1. Choose an ATHLON

Gin-Wine-Ale-Pizza-Chocolate-Pie-Cake athlons are the choices. They’re not all boozy, but the boozy ones surely are the best. It’s a pretty simple concept: you turn up, often for a late-evening start, and run the course. It’s usually 6–8 miles, and there will be strategically placed (and questionably named) “aid” stations. These will ply you with whatever is in the offing during the race (one of the previous options) and make sure that by the time you cross the finish line you’re more than a little merry. Athlons happen all year round and mainly in Cambridge and Yorkshire, but have a look for the next one and see (The Athlons UK Web Page.) If you don’t live near, just think that you’d probably travel for less.

2. Tempo Relay Run Events

There’s the ‘Tempo run for cider relay’, the ‘Tempo run for beer relay’ and ‘Tempo run for gin relay’. A bit of a theme. The idea is to put on events that the organisers would want to do themselves, so they’re guaranteed to be good. And you only need to run 2 miles before you hand over to one of your team of four. Rules state dress up, and there’s no excuses to not go for it with full force — you can definitely afford to buy some new stuff after only paying a tenner to enter. And there will be prizes at the end for best dressed. It seems barely worth the regret to miss it, so find yourself a group and head to Worcester, Stratford, Cheltenham or elsewhere for a Boozy Relay Run. Find out more about event dates at Tempo Events.

3. Run The Bacchus Marathon & Half Marathon (and the 5 Mile or Fun Run) In Surrey Every September

It’s not exactly a series of events. But once a year there is the Surrey Bacchus Marathon and Half marathon (plus the 5 miler and free fun run for kids). It’s in a vineyard and is a must-do. You’ll try 6 English wines across the Half marathon course, and 12 during the full. And in case that sounds too indulgent there will be soft drinks and some food at the stations too. There will be, of course, the same again at the finish line, alongside a hog-roast and a good look at everyone’s fancy dress. It justifies a visit just for the course itself and the live music during it. So it’s no surprise that it’s a sell out every year even before you think of it as one of the best boozy races. Look it up now and if you can’t get tickets for this year, be bold and go for next at BACCHUS Marathon & Half Marathon

4. SECRET LONDON RUNS

CRAFT BEER RUNS (Secret London Runs Craft Beer Web Page)

If you’re looking for a craft beer run on a Saturday in January, May and July, you’ll find the ‘Craft Beers of the East End’ from Secret London Runs. You’ll choose your pace (on a scale of chilled to slightly less chilled to speedy) and do an 8k whilst seeing some of the sights of London. And there will be some pretty tasty beers to sample on your journey round and one pint at the end. If you’re not a Londoner or those dates aren’t for you, Google a beer run and you’re likely to find one nearby.

GIN RUNS (Secret London Runs Gin Web Page)

There’s also, of course, a 10k Gin Run. It takes about 2 hours — largely because it consists of 10 stops where you are required to take part in gin trivia and games. You’ll get a guide, a goodybag (which everyone has missed since their childhood days) and — to quote — ‘a lovely gin in a lovely gin palace’. Whether you’ve earned it or not is not important to be honest.

5. The Beer Mile

There are some official Beer Mile events in England. That’s where everyone joins together to run 4 laps, and to drink 4 beers — one before each lap. If you miss the actual event though, it’s still worth taking part in. Because it’s pretty simple to just make your own events and races. And then you can enter your time into the official Beer Mile resource where you can see your time, everyone else’s times, and the PBs that you’re going to break.

Let's Do This

When the clocks change and the temperature drops, most people will swap out their running shoes for their cozy duvet. Make the most of the colder, crisp weather with these winter running hacks

1. Head, hands, feet

Get yourself a good pair of gloves, some warm socks, and a beanie, and you’ll most likely come back from your run smiling. The rest of your body will warm up as you run, so if you do go out ready for a snowstorm, make sure you wear lots of light layers that you can easily take off and carry when you’re running.

2. Warm up before you leave the house

The first five minutes of a run in the cold are by far the worst. Do your warm up indoors to avoid this altogether.

3. Short and sweet

Don’t go crazy on distance when it’s particularly cold out, and, if you do, find a route that stays relatively close to home in case you need to cut it short. If you start feeling cold half-way into your run, don’t be afraid to take a shortcut back — you aren’t going to do yourself any good by pushing through that.

5. Don’t worry about pace

It’s not easy getting speed-work in during a cold run. Don’t worry if your average pace is slightly slower than usual, and just enjoy keeping up your mileage.

6. Ease into intervals

If you are going to run intervals, make sure you’re properly warmed up before starting those sprints. It might also be worth reducing your interval pace, especially for the first few intervals.

7. Finish with a hot chocolate

Dreaming of a reward during a run does wonders to motivation. Get your hot chocolate ingredients ready before you set off so that you know what you’re coming back to. Even better, ask a flatmate to heat it up for when you arrive…

8. Get warm and dry quickly

When you get home, make sure to get out of your sweaty clothes and into something dry as quickly as you can.It’s always easier to stay motivated when you’ve got a challenge coming up. Find your next challenge on Let’s Do This

Either your children are super enthusiastic and keen to get out and about, or you’d love to encourage them to take part in a bit more sport. These running events are perfect for either — they cater for all abilities, and they’ll even help you sorting out long school holidays whilst making sure your kids are being as active as possible.

1. Junior ParkRun

Everyone knows about ParkRun. The 5k event happens every Saturday and pretty much everywhere. But if you’re between 4 and 14, there’s also a very achievable Junior 2k event too. It’s free, easy and everywhere, and could even get your kids into running events on a weekly basis. Get the whole family to come and support and you’ve got a great activity to start off the weekend.

2. Kids’ Virtual Challenges

Virtual running challenges really are the easiest way to get your kids out and about without having to put in a massive organisational shift. Sign up your child (or children, if you want to make it competitive) to a challenge in time for the beginning of the month. They’ll then have the next 4 weeks to make sure they complete whatever the challenge is, and you’ll have a medal to give to them at the end. It’s really that simple, and could absolutely be the start of a love of running, competition and activity.

3. Race For Life Schools

‘Kids today will beat cancer tomorrow’.

The Race For Life raises awareness and funds for Cancer Research UK. The Kids edition (surprise, surprise!) does the same. But this time it gives you that perfect school event for the end of the school term. Fitting into the term calendar, it organises running events for all students, all ages, whether in primary or secondary school, and all genders. So do an amazing thing and fundraise whilst also encouraging the next generation to beat cancer sooner.

4. Any Fun Run, Color Run, Inflatable Run, Bubble Run & Mud Run

There are so, so many fun run races to do on the weekends and in the holidays. They’re not just for kids. They’re utterly unique and give an amazing experience to everyone, so it really is a win-win. They’re usually untimed and very relaxed, a way to get a bit messy and have fun as a family. Look up any of the above and see which one you’ll sign up for first .

5. Great Run: Kids Running Events

In most major UK cities you can choose from usually several running events a month. There are ‘Junior And Mini’ runs to join (alongside others like Family and Canine runs). There may not be anything particularly stand-out about these events — but(!) they are many and often, far-reaching, and are easy motivation for a child who’s keen.

It’s no easy feat running a half marathon. That’s even when you might hear about lots of your friends training for them. But there are many good reasons why completing a half marathon is worth the effort, apart from the fact that you’ll most likely feel great afterwards even if you didn’t during it!

1. It’s a new challenge

It’s new, and it’s a challenge. It’s also the obvious next step after you’ve completed a 10k, and yet it’s still very much manageable. Whether you’re keen to keep up your fitness, keep up the habit of running, or just keep on hitting standards that impress your friends and family, you can achieve it by signing up for a half marathon. It will also make training a bit more interesting for you as you’ll need to think about both the speed and endurance requirements a half marathon needs.

2. Not ready (yet) for a Full Marathon

It’s best to take these things one step at a time. Mostly from an injury prevention point of view, but also for your own sanity. Building up gradually will cut up the ultimate challenge into achievable segments.

3. Body fitness

Half marathon training will just make you feel that little bit better. Running probably won’t just be a side hobby anymore, but will begin to take up a bit more time. With it though you’ll see and feel the results. Your body well being will hit the roof, and you will likely feel leaner and cleaner for all the extra exercise.

4. Life structure

You can’t wing a half marathon like you might have tried for a 10k. Even if you use a running training plan just as a rough guide, you will still be committing time and energy to long runs. The rest of your life will naturally become that little bit more organised. You might even become a little more productive — work expands to fit the time you have for it after all.

5. Still, it will fit in

Even accepting that, half marathon training doesn’t need to take over your life. It is utterly compatible with normal life schedules — just maybe life schedules with slightly earlier wake-ups and busier weekends.

6. Recovery time is quick

You are much less likely to get a running injury running a half marathon than you would be for a full — whether that’s on the day or in training. You’ll also not have to close down the couple of days afterwards as given for ‘running recovery’ time.

7. There are lots of them

Half marathons come about more often than fulls. So even if you foul up one, you can just do another. Thanking the quick recovery time it’s not so infeasible.

8. You could travel

Running a half marathon abroad sounds that little bit more legitimate than doing a 10k in another country. So you can justify buying some flights and exploring a new place (and it still be pretty well disguised).

9. It’s charitable

Again, if you’re not sure you can ask your friends and family to sponsor your 5k or 10k run, you might be a bit more willing to ask for a half marathon. So you can hit two birds with one stone — feel great and raise some money at the same time.

10. It’s impressive

Not everyone can run a half marathon. It’s a pretty cool achievement and something you are allowed to tell other people about (more than once).

Check out these tips to help you train for your next swimrun challenge.

Swimruns (or aquathlons), typically undertaken as a team of two, add a whole new challenge to training for event day. For swimrun events you run and swim in the same kit through multiple swim and run sections so practising with all your kit and with your partner are pretty key. The following are some top tips to help with your training for event day.

Run training

Start your running training by getting your endurance up and achieving a solid base of fitness. Once you’ve got that, you can change up your routes, distances and importantly, the terrain you’re covering so that you practise dealing with the different challenges a swimrun course will throw at you.

Swimming training

Similar to your running training, try and build up your endurance for swimming and add in some speed work. If you can do some open water swims too, then that will definitely give you a good idea of what to expect on event day and will be a good opportunity to practise swimming with a wetsuit and trainers.

Get used to the equipment

Having the right kit and getting comfortable with it is a key part of swimruns, especially considering you won’t be changing at all and have to carry any kit you’ve got for the entirety of the event. Try to practise with all your kit in event day simulations so that you can deal with any problems before the event itself, such as rubbing wetsuits or constantly loose laces. Also practise the transitions in full event kit as you might find these more difficult when you’re all decked up.

Practise running as a team

You can do a lot of the training on your own, for the fitness side of things, but the majority of swim run events require you to be in pairs and to remain within a certain distance of eachother. If this is the case for the event you are taking part in, make sure you’ve trained and practised with your partner before event day. Try and master the team dynamic and where your strengths and weaknesses lie, so that on event day you can support and push eachother to achieve your best.

Enjoy it

Swimrun events are challenging but fun, so make sure you relax and enjoy yourself. You’ll be surrounded by some stunning scenery and swimming and running in the wild should give you a real sense of adventure and achievement.

You’ve done all the training and all the preparation. The marathon that you’ve actually been working for is almost upon you. Whether it’s your first ever marathon or you’ve tackled marathons regularly, it’s important to pack for race day well in advance so you have plenty of time to tick off everything on your list. So what do you need to pack to ensure an organised and smooth race-day?

Essentials

1. Running shoes

2. Running clothes (weather appropriate)

3. Bib number

4. Race entry information (location, bib number pick-up, etc.)

5. ID (passport or driving licence)

6. Money (cash is always useful as there may not be a cash machine near to the race)

7. Mobile phone

8. Any prescription medication

Marathon Running Gear

Check the weather in the area that you’re running as this will decide what clothes you wear on race day. Make sure you pack some extra layers so that you have options if the weather suddenly changes.

9. Running shoes

10. Socks

11. Shorts or leggings

12. Running top (short and long sleeve)

13. Jacket

14. Safety pins (to pin on your bib)

15. Running underwear (sports bra/running boxers)

16. Cap

17. Gloves and warm hat (to wear at the start or during the race if it’s cold)

Extras

Extra items can make the difference between running around trying to find a spare hair band and relaxing and preparing before your race starts. Make sure you have a few spares of anything you may need on race day.

18. Sunglasses

19. Sunscreen

20. Lip-balm

21. Running gels

22. Running watch

23. Running belt (to hold any running gels and other items)

24. Water bottle

25. Hair band (and extra in case you lose one)

26. Vaseline and other anti-chafing products

27. Tissues

28. Plasters

29. Pain relief

Before and after the race

Making sure you’ve got some extra clothes to change into after the race so you can celebrate in comfort can make the whole day that much better.

30. Warm clothes to put on at the race finish

31. Rain coat

32. Towel

33. Music player and earphones (especially if you use these while running)

34. Flip flops/spare shoes to slip on after the race

What distinguishes a Marathon running event from all the other hundreds you might be able to take part in? Why bother with the whole slog of training? Why not choose the more manageable race sizes that can actually fit into your schedule without changing anything? These may be three good questions. But they have easy answers all of which testify to how and why a marathon is worth every second.

1. It’s a really special run

There is something really incredible about marathons. It is utterly filled to the brim with an atmosphere of achievement, happiness and support. There is something wonderful in the endless supply of people who are there for others — whether it’s runners fundraising for charities, spectators cheering from the sidelines, or strangers simply being friendly, the whole community seems to come together to celebrate every gruelling hour you’ve spent working your way to that start (and finish) line.

2. It’s an amazing (CV worthy) life achievement

Completing a marathon is the ultimate life goal. You’ll always remember that you did it, how hard you worked for it and the sense of achievement you had after completing it. Demonstrating quite a few of the qualities employers no doubt look for, it makes for even a completely legitimate thing to have on your CV.

3. You’ll feel fabulous

Marathon training will clean you out and up. It will tone you massively, you’ll likely lose excess weight, feel lighter on your feet and you will just be that bit stronger. You’ll find everything from walking up stairs to dancing slightly more pleasurable as you exist with a general level of fitness that just makes life easier.

4. It is just generally healthy

Running will lower your cholesterol. It will strengthen your heart. It will deal with high blood pressure. And it will harden your immune system. All in all you’ll be a healthier you without even paying for it in butter-less toast.

5. It will give you an absolute life focus

Either you’re in need of something to kick your life into a bit of structure, or you need a break from the monotony of your very structured office work. Marathon training can be the ultimate remedy — true, it’s time consuming, but not unmanageably so. You can absolutely fit it in to ordinary days in a way that simply forces you to be more efficient and productive with your time. There are definitely more hours in the day that you think, and training for something as momentous as a marathon will force you to realise (and enjoy) that.

6. You’ll sleep better

It’s not just the night after the race that you’ll (well-deservedly) sleep like a baby. The runner’s privilege is being able to fall into bed and that being the end of it. To be physically rather than mentally tired serves as the ultimate gift— you’ll wake up more refreshed, work more productively and hopefully won’t need the routine morning double espresso anymore.

7. You’ll improve your diet

Eating a little better when running or feeling fit is a natural progression. You no longer fancy the greasy burger in the same way as you did before. But you also don’t have the guilt if you do. You’ll probably end up eating food that keeps you feeling great, and not feel it as any kind of sacrifice (it really is one of life’s biggest mysteries).

8. You’ll even explore your local area

Running around your local area for marathon training is one of its perks. Training is too long to do in the gym on the treadmill, and you’re forced outside for a little variation at the very least. You will probably find that you don’t ordinarily seem to have the time to explore your city, and be amazed by what you see — including realising how short the distances you travel on the underground travel system really are. It’s a pretty amazing wake-up to how little you knew about the place you live before.

9. It will give you a love of running

You might swear off all marathons as soon as you’ve completed one. But you will also be fit enough that running shorter distances will seem easy and you’re unlikely to give up running altogether. Once you’ve achieved a certain level of fitness, you’ll find that the hard-work of running is no longer the painful experience it always was. And usually you need a goal to motivate you to get to that point. So if you want to set yourself up as a runner, booking onto a marathon is a pretty good place to start.

Even though you’ve run further than it before, there’s no reason why you should forget the 5k.

1. Running faster is (more) fun

If you’re used to long-distance running, it could be a nice break to just go for it. Running flat out (or just at speed) can be the most exhilarating thing and is something that longer-distance runners never get the chance to do in the same way.

2. It’s still great for longer-distances

You don’t need to be training for a 5k for it to be beneficial. Running faster and shorter helps build up endurance speed. Even though you will never run that fast in longer distances, it might make the difference between beating your PB and not if you can go faster for longer.

3. It’ll get you out running

If you can’t be bothered or don’t have the time to go out for a long run because you’re busy or have a family, then you don’t need to do no run at all. So it can get you out and about — something is better than nothing.

4. It’s often competitive

Marathons, half marathons, and even 10ks are sometimes more about actually crossing the finish line. What’s great about them is that you’ll achieve something amazing however fast or slow you run it. But there’s also something exciting about feeling the competitive edge too. And if you’re running 5ks seriously will definitely be competitive.

5. It’s cheap

Running events can be pretty expensive. You might not be able to afford participating in longer-distance races on a routine basis. But not only are there hundreds of incredibly cheap 5ks around, but there are actually also free ones too. You can feel the atmosphere and thrill of a running race on a weekly basis without even really thinking about it.

6. They’re so easy to fit in

They’re everywhere. They’re short. You don’t have to be gone from your family for long to take part. Your training will hide itself in your life schedule so easily that you’ll barely even notice that you’re doing it (except for the great feeling at the end of it).

7. You probably won’t get an injury

If you already run quite a lot you will probably not get a running injury by training for a 5k. Running shorter distances generally is better on the body — particularly if you are having to train on hard surfaces like concrete pavements. It really will stand you in good stead if you want running to be a regular part of your life. Even if your muscles feel a little strained at the end of it, the 5k running recovery time is naturally shorter than every other.

8. You can try and try again

The problem with a Marathon is that they only come around every so often. Whereas with a 5k you can literally do them all the time. And so if something goes wrong, it isn’t the end of the world or a waste of training. You can just try again next week. There’s a lot less pressure on it, which can be really just quite exhausting when you’re meant to be doing something you love.

Running 26 miles or more will put a huge amount of stress and pressure on your body and if you don’t play your cards right, it could leave you in a pretty sorry state. Follow these tips and tricks to prevent some common long distance running injuries.

Blisters

It’s near impossible to finish a big running campaign without getting a few nasty blisters. Running all those miles is bound to put some heart callouses and some painful blisters all over your feet. Blisters can do damage to your race since they can throw off your gait and change the way the run.

What to do — When you first feel a blister coming, stop and try to cover the area with a gel bandage or blister plaster to stop it getting worse. If a blister has already properly developed, the best thing to do is sterilise the area, drain the fluid from the blister and then cover it with a bandage or a pad (something that won’t stick to the blister itself).

Chafing

The bane of almost every athletes life; chafing is caused by skin rubbing against skin. On top of that, adding salt from sweat makes the whole ordeal that bit more painful and raw. The chief chafe points are your underarms, your nipples, under-breast are, groin and between the thighs.

What to do — Once you’ve found what areas you personally chafe in, either keep them dry with baby powder or cornstarch, or lubricate them with petroleum jelly to reduce the abrasion. People who don’t run in bras should try and cover their nipples with adhesive bandage to stop nipple chafing which can be incredibly painful.

Some events will provide petroleum jelly at water stops. If they do, make the most of this and lube up the areas where you chafe.

Dehydration

In your training, you should have been able to work out how your body deals with water and keeping fluids on board. If you find you sweat a lot then this is a sign that you need to keep taking water in fairly frequently to counter act the fluids being lost. Dehydration can be dangerous when it comes to endurance exercise. Your body will be using up a large amount of water so its very important to replenish your water supplies. Signs of dehydration include dizziness, fatigue, dry mouth, headache, irritability and decreased urination.

What to do — Probably the easiest solution on this list: drink water. If you feel like you’re becoming dehydrated, slow down or stop and drink some water. Marathons and ultramarathons will have plenty of water stops so you can keep hydrated so do make the most of them to prevent getting too dehydrated.

Heat exhaustion and heatstroke

More of a problem in summer races than winter ones, but a severe problem nonetheless. Heat exhaustion happens when someone exerts themselves too much when out in the sun or in hot weather. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include dizziness, feeling sick, excessive sweating, pale and clammy skin, fast breathing or pulse and cramps. Heat exhaustion can then lead into heatstroke if you are not careful and heatstroke can be very dangerous and potentially life-threatening so if you’re feeling those symptoms, slow right down and have some water.

What to do — To prevent heat exhaustion, take it easy if you’re running in the sun. Don’t push yourself too hard and make sure you’re taking on lots of water. Wear a hat to try and keep your head and face cool and protected from the sun.

Muscle cramps

You’ll often hear of runners complaining about cramps during a marathon or ultramarathon. They don’t hit too often, but when they do they can put a runner in a huge amount of pain. Cramps can occur if you haven’t stretched and warmed up properly or if you’re dehydrated and experiencing salt depletion.

What to do — Stop and start to stretch and massage the cramping muscle until the pain stops. Drink some water or a sports drink to replace your fluids and salts to prevent it from happening again on your run.

Strains, sprains and stress fractures

If there’s a big clash of runners or after several hours on the course, it is possible that you could experience a sprained ankle or a pulled muscle. Any sharp, sudden pains that don’t feel like muscle cramps are likely going to be one of the above.

What to do — If you feel any kind of sharp pain, flag it up, don’t hide it. Tell whoever you’re running with, tell a course volunteer and just stop. There’s no point making it worse just to finish the race.