Interesting/fun events to enter

[redrabbit29]

Hi,

I have done mainly triathlons, sportives and running events in the past. I am much less fit than I was a year ago due to a terrible 2022. I am looking at interesting and fun events to try out.

A few ideas I have had:

1) General running/cycling/triathlon events that are not your usual types - such as maybe trial versions, or something?

2) Spartan or obstacle course races

3) The NC500 scotland bike ride

4) An organised cycle tour - particularly interested in this. I don't have many cycling friends, so like the idea of a trip where you meet with a group and cycle through a country over a week or something

5) Ultra runs but where you have the option of just walking it. I see some good "Challenge" events.

6) Swim Serpentine

Are you aware of any others that would be worth looking at? Quite like the idea of looking at mountain type adventures, or multi-day events. Open to anything really, although nothing that requires exterme levels of fitness (still building up!).

Thanks

[DaveTheRave87]

Marie Curie's organising a 445 miles 7 day bike ride going from"Top to Toe" in Ireland.

https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/get-involved/charity...

Is that the sort of thing you'd be interested in?

[Master Bean]

Cheese Rolling. End of May. Surprisingly hard work running down. There is also an uphill race.

[RizzoTheRat]

I did Man V Horse as a relay team a few years ago and that was great fun, we were one of the slowest relay teams but I was the last leg running against people who had already done 15 miles by the time I started
The same lot also do mountain bike chariot racing, a bog triathlon, and the Real Ale Wobble mountain bike pub crawl
https://www.green-events.co.uk/

Depends where you are, but The Knacker Cracker new years day 10k at Box Hill is hard work, and the same people do a Wife Carrying race too (never tried it, I have a bad back and my wife is 6' tall ).
https://www.trionium.com/
They also have a planner of loads of other events on the bottom of the page.

A neighboring running club did the Green Belt relay a few years back, a 200+ mile complete circuit of London and said it was fun, need a good logistics plan and several drivers though as you're responsible for getting your runners to and from the stages.

My wife's run The Grizzly a couple of times and loved it, last time she did it they cut the route a bit short due to snow

LDWA events might be worth a look if you're thinking of walking
https://ldwa.org.uk/

Edited by RizzoTheRat on Tuesday 21st February 15:31

[wong]

For building up fitness, see if there is a local Parkrun. If 5km is too short, run there (warm up) and run back.
Consistency is key to building up fitness and Parkrun is on every week.

[anonymous-user]

The cost of events these days is insane, I used to do the sprint duathlons at castle Combe all the time, 2km run, 10km bike, 2km run, now it’s £47 to enter, for about 45-50 minutes of racing …. I dread to think how much these bigger obstacle course races cost., a quick look says a 30 obstacle half marathon is at least £100…. Same with cycle sportives, it doesn’t take long to realise you’re paying £35+ to ride on roads that are free to ride on….for a medal and a bag of stuff you don’t want. Download the route, ride it on your own…

I get that you are paying for course hire/marking, safety support, chip timing etc but honestly, just filling a rucksack with lunch and heading for the hills now gives me just as much satisfaction. There are loads of routes online to get inspired by and most are easily found online. I like running/riding on tow paths, they are flat but the scenery is glorious and the quiet ones can mean you go an hour without seeing someone

If you’re doing it with friends then it’s slightly different but if you’re just after some new experiences, there are better ways to spend £100 imho. Eg Find a qualified instructor and go scrambling (climbing not bikes!) in snowdonia for the day, you won’t get a medal or an opportunity to buy expensive photos but you’ll have a great day!

[w1bbles]

I am a bit of a fat knacker these days but I have previously done a few OMMs (https://theomm.com/) and throughly recommend it for varying abilities.

[mcelliott]

For 45 minutes of awfulness there's the Murph Challenge, or something a bit longer on the bike is the Raid Pyrenees.

[R1gtr]

Give this a watch, either enter Solo, rope in a mate for Duos or a few more for the Quad category

https://youtu.be/JGTE5dzlo9I

[Crasher242]

Do you fancy a 24 hour track event?

https://www.phoenixrunning.co.uk/events/track-wars...

I'm doing this one this week - will be a first for me but always up for a challenge and for something a bit different.

[Gecko1978]

Tough Mudder

5k, 10k, 15, 8hr and 12hr events you can also do a 15 an a 5 on the same day if you like

[NumBMW]

Strathpuffer - 24h mtb race, in Scotland, in January !
Done it solo 3 times it’s an absolutely fantastic event done either in teams or solo.
Keep eating and just keep plodding on

[NumBMW]

R1gtr said:

Give this a watch, either enter Solo, rope in a mate for Duos or a few more for the Quad category

https://youtu.be/JGTE5dzlo9I

Just noticed this linked to my suggestion of the ‘Puffer !

[NuckyThompson]

mcelliott said:

For 45 minutes of awfulness there's the Murph Challenge, or something a bit longer on the bike is the Raid Pyrenees.

Lad in a gym local to me did that continuously on the hour for 24 hours. Mad head

[sausage76]

I'm a fan of obstacle course races.

Wolfruns are good fun and relaxed, Spartan event which I completed last weekend are a bit more serious and obstacles that need more training really.

Nuclear Events are supposed to be good, never done one myself but will be later in the year.

Whatever you decide to do just enjoy it.

[markh1973]

https://www.votwo.co.uk/running

I have done the Jurassic and Atlantic challenges - both essentially 3 marathons in 3 days - people walk them as well as running them - stunning scenery and routes are pretty easy to follow - mainly keep the sea on your right!