The Lee Valley VeloPark Races give runners a chance to follow the 1-mile route around the Olympic Velodrome park and follow in the footsteps of Olympic athletes. Set with the background of the Olympic torch sculpture with Canary Wharf and The City skyline in the distance, this is a great venue for a running race. Usually used for cycling, the 1-mile loop is a Moto GP style and is full paved and mildly undulating but mostly flat making it perfect for a PB. There are several different distances on offer meaning there's something for everyone, from a 5k to 10k, 10-mile and a half marathon with a 1-mile fun run for kids too. All the races have staggered starts but most people will be running round at the same time. Organised by Run Through, this is one of many London-based runs available in the city.

Venue

The venue for this race is truly unique as it takes place in the grounds of the Olympic velodrome which was used for races at London 2012. Before your race, you can head inside to grab a snack from the cafe and watch cyclists as they blast round the indoor track. The facilities are fantastic with plenty of toilets (not a portaloo in sight!) and you can pass the time (and calm your nerves if necessary) before you start by watching the cyclists. The atmosphere at the start is fantastic as there's music playing and lots of people milling around getting ready for later starts. There's also free parking which is a huge benefit in London and Stratford station is nearby if you're travelling in by public transport. 

Route

I was a little apprehensive about the route as it is a 1-mile loop and I had signed up for the 10-mile race, which meant I would have to run 10 laps. I thought this would be boring and annoying, but it was actually great! Running 1-mile laps means you can focus on improving your mile splits each lap and it mentally helps you to keep an even split throughout the entire race. It also means there are no sneaky hills as once you've done one lap you know what to expect for the rest. It also means there are no times when you're running on your own and feeling a bit stranded. The support is great and your friends and family can see you at several points round the lap as it loops round. It's a very gently undulating course with a couple of very small climbs as you run on a bridge over a road, but other than that it's pancake flat making for very fast times. The final benefit of a lapped course is that you can pick up water every mile and not have to hold on to it, knowing there'll be more as you start the next lap.

Organisation

Run Through organise a handful of races around London and their energy and spark really shines through. For all their races, they offer plenty of water and a banana, energy bar, and flapjack at the end. They also offer free race photos afterwards and I was extremely impressed by how quickly the races photos were uploaded (by the next day!) Your family and friends can watch your splits in real time as they're uploaded every time you pass the lap marker. There's free sports massage on offer at the end and there are plenty of marshals around the route cheering you on and generally being very enthusiastic and encouraging. It's a great atmosphere and a really fun race. If you're looking for a PB or just to run in an encouraging environment, this is the race for you.

Date: Sunday the 5th of March 2017

Location: Ashbourne Leisure Centre, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, DE6 1DR

Event Type and Distance: 5k, 10k, and 10-mile run

Amenities: Limited free parking, chip timing, medals, prizes, free race photos, hot food and drink

Entry Price: From £7 for the 5k, from £16 for the 10k, from £20 for the 10-mile

The Tissington Trail is a beautiful bridle path and cycleway at the southern end of the Peak District National Park. It runs for 13 miles and follows the former railway line between Buxton and Ashbourne. The 5k, 10k, and 10-mile races are out-and-back routes along this beautiful trail. There are some sneaky inclines but for every uphill there is a downhill! The ground is firm and even, making this race perfect for beginners. The route is open to the public so beware of walkers and cyclists.

Sundried will be providing the event competitor goody bags with additional treats from trusted businesses.

Date: Sunday the 23rd of April 2017

Location: Thoresby Hall, Thoresby Park, Ollerton, Nottinghamshire NG22 9WH

Event Type and Distance: 5km run, 10km run, Half Marathon 13.1 miles run, Full Marathon 26.2 miles run, 60km Ultra Marathon run

Amenities: Post race massage, trophies, prizes, medals, food and drink, chip timing, free parking, free bouncy castle for children

Entry Price:

The Longhorn Race series will find you running over old military roads, cleared tracks through ancient woodland and grassed paths around the country estate. The route includes a few hills to offer a small challenge around the course in the most scenic countryside and forest. The terrain depends largely on the weather; in 2015 it was very dry so the ground was firm under foot, but in 2016 there was lots of rain so there were a considerable number of muddy areas.

Nothing looks more beautiful than the sunlight streaming through the leaves in this natural area of beauty. We have devised a race that takes you into Nottinghamshire's National Nature Reserve, through private areas that were once part of the 10,000 acres Royal Forest of Sherwood where the woodland is dominated by native Oaks as well as other native trees including Silver Birch, Rowan, Holly and Hawthorn. The reserve is also the site of Europe's oldest Oak tree woodland, containing over 1000 Oaks most of which are over 500 years old! It is here that the Longhorn Cattle of Thoresby Estate now roam freely, although being a very docile breed of cattle, they will be tucked away during our run race.

Sundried provided the event competitors with goody bags with additional treats from trusted businesses.

Date: Sunday the 22nd of October 2017

Location: Thoresby Hall, Thoresby Park, Ollerton, Nottinghamshire NG22 9WH

Event Type and Distance: 5k run, 10k run, 10 mile run

Amenities: Chip timing, bespoke medals for every finisher, trophies for winners, post-race massage, race village with hot food and drinks for sale, free onsite parking.

Entry Price: £9 - £27

On Sunday the 22nd of October 2017, Ollerton in Nottinghamshire will host its annual race series.

Thoresby10 is back for its 3rd annual autumnal trail run in the beautiful grounds of Thoresby Hall, north Nottinghamshire. Choose from a race over 10k or 10 miles, running along old military roads, cleared tracks through ancient woodland and grassed paths around the country estate. The 10k route is The Longhorn race in reverse, the 10-mile race is the 10k route with an extra 4 miles added through more of the estates ancient woodland. The route includes a few hills to offer a small challenge around the course in some of the most scenic Nottinghamshire countryside as well as the forest and past the lake.

The Autumn colours should make this a race to remember in this natural area of beauty. The race takes you into Nottinghamshire's National Nature Reserve, through private areas that were once part of the 10,000 acres Royal Forest of Sherwood where the woodland is dominated by native Oaks as well as other native trees including Silver Birch, Rowan, Holly and Hawthorn. The reserve is also the site of Europe's oldest Oak tree plantation, containing over 1000 Oaks most of which are over 500 years old! Look out for the Longhorn Cattle of Thoresby Estate, who usually roam free in the forest, in their restricted fields for the race.

There is also a 5k run/walk for all levels on offer. It's a different course that takes you past the beautiful church at Perlethorpe, through woodland groves and back onto the main field in front of Thoresby Hall. This event can be a gentle stroll with the family or a race to get your 5km PB. The 5km race is 2 loops of the course.

Sundried will be providing all event competitors with goody bags.

Date: Sunday the 14th of May 2017

Location: Ashingdon Primary Academy, Ashingdon Road, Rochford, Essex

Event Type and Distance: 10k run

Amenities: Toilets, Chip timing, Post-race massage

Entry Price: £14

The Rochford 10k is a scenic and pleasant 10k run around the sleepy town of Rochford. Taking place on a mix of roads, farm tracks, and grassland, this race is fairly unique. It is a fairly small event, run by Rochford Running Club and the first event took place in 2015. The 2017 event introduced chip timing for the first time. Dependant on the weather, this event can be fairly tricky with the off-road course, but it is always an enjoyable event. 

For more information on this event and to enter, please visit http://www.rochfordrunningclub.org.uk/

Sundried will be providing the event competitor goody bags with additional treats from trusted businesses.