World Tri London
Every year, the Vitality World Triathlon London welcomes hundreds of first-time participants keen to tick a triathlon off their bucket list. With distances starting from the Super Sprint, a beautiful course all within Hyde Park and the option of competing in a women-only wave, it is the perfect event for those contemplating a first tri. The Super Sprint consists of a 400m swim, 15km bike and 2.5km run – and from there you could work up to an Olympic (1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run). Finish in front of the packed grandstand and pretend you are Ali Brownlee on your way to Olympic gold and glory.
Race date: 30 and 31 May 2015
Where: Hyde Park, London
Where to book: worldtrilondon.com/
Cost: Entries from £69
Great North Run
The world’s leading half marathon, the Great North Run, was first staged in 1981, when just over 12,000 people took part in the 13.1m course from Newcastle upon Tyne to South Shields. In 2014, there were 57,000 runners. It was the first race in the world to reach a million finishers over the years. How could any runner resist? It is also a superb elite race for those spectating – it is an IAAF Gold Label event and broadcast live on the BBC, with a host of world-class athletes. If it’s good enough for Mo Farah, Paula Radcliffe and Haile Gebrselassie, it’s good enough for anyone. Sign up now to get an alert when the ballot goes live.
Race date: 13 September 2015
Where: Newcastle upon Tyne to South Shields
Where to book: greatrun.org
Cost: Entries from £52
Pedal for Scotland
Mass-participation cycle races are proliferating, and Freshnlo Pedal for Scotland is Scotland’s biggest. It is a 47m cycle ride starting from Glasgow Green and finishing at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, with various stops along the way – anyone for lunch in the grounds of beautiful Linlithgow Palace? For more dedicated cyclists, there is also a 110m sportive, and for the young, there are family rides in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Many riders raise money for the event’s official charity partner, the STV Appeal, which supports children and young people affected by poverty in Scotland. Now heading into its 17th year, it is bound to be another sell out. Entry is open now, so snap it up while you can and pump up those tyres.
Race date: 6 September 2015
Where: Glasgow Green
Where to book: pedalforscotland.org
Cost: Entries from £23
Ride London
Brilliantly organised and now in its third year, Prudential Ride London is a 100m traffic-free ride for everyone. Particularly anyone with a good range of wet-weather gear. It is another big charity fundraiser – it is aiming to be the biggest charity fundraising cycle in the world – and even last year, with awful weather, the streets were full of cheery supporters. Enter the ballot now and you’ll find out in early February if you have a place. The news will come – like the London Marathon – via a magazine. Nothing more cheery than a rejection magazine …
Race date: 1 and 2 August 2015
Where: London
Where to book: prudentialridelondon.co.uk
Cost: Entries from £58
The Great Swim
If a triathlon is too daunting and you can’t abide running, why not sign up for Europe’s biggest open-water swim series? All the events are held in clean lakes, lochs and docks, there are five different locations (Windemere in Cumbria, Alton Water in Suffolk, Salford Docks in Manchester, Loch Lomond in Scotland or Millwall Dock in London) and all have a supportive atmosphere. Dive on in, entry is open now.
Swim date: June/July/August, depending on location
Where: Cumbria, Suffolk, Manchester, Scotland, London
Where to book: greatswim.org
Cost: From £21
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